Product Review
This sparkling wine is a cuvee from red and white grapes. It is a blend of Merlot and Incrocio Manzoni. It is grown in the Veneto, Italy, and offers a creamy and rich texture on the palate. Loaded with strawberry and tropical fruit flavors, it has a lovely, slightly off-dry finish, and features a hint of lemon and refreshing acidity.
Merlot has a reputation for producing smooth, velvety wines that vary depending upon the climate and soil type. Warm conditions on clay soils often produce soft, fruit forward styles. Cool, higher elevation sites produce wine with a slightly more austere structure. It still reigns as one of the world's most noble varieties forming the majority of the blend in Bordeaux’s right bank vineyards of Pomerol and Saint-Emilion. It is now prevalent across the world, achieving particular success in South America, California, and Washington. In central Italy, Merlot is either bottled as a varietal or blended with Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon to form Indicazione Geografica Tipica's (IGT), known as Super Tuscans.
Located in north east Italy, Veneto is one of Italy’s major wine regions. Pinot Grigio and Gargenega are the two most popular white varieties and account for most of the region's still wine. Meanwhile, Prosecco, made in the hills of Conegliano, is responsible for the country’s most popular sparkling wine. Tucked away in the foothills of the Lessini Moutains north of Verona, Valpolicella and Amarone della Valpolicella are responsible for making some of the country’s most famous fine wine.
The Prosecco Superiore zone sits tucked in an amphitheater like valley between the towns of Valdobbiadene and Congeliano. Little more than a hours drive north from Venice the picturesque rolling country side forms the foothills of the imposing Dolomite mountain range which are just in view on the horizon. The moderate continental climate provides ideal climate allowing the grapes to ripen slowly, while retaining acidity, over the summer until a relatively late harvest in October or even early November. The 260 acre hillside vineyard called Cartizze is referred to as the Grand Cru of the region offering some of the regions richest examples. While serving as a fine aperitif, their medium sweet level of sweetness and pronounced nose of ripe peaches and nectarines make them a great accompaniment to desserts and sweet pastries, as well as mildly spiced savoury dishes.
Sparkling wine is a wine with high levels of carbon dioxide in it making it bubble. The carbon dioxide is a result of natural fermentation, either in a bottle or a specially designed tank, or as a result of carbon dioxide injection.Sparkling wine is usually white or rosé but there are many examples of red sparkling wines. The sweetness of sparkling wine can range from very dry "brut" styles to sweeter "doux" varieties.When one thinks of sparkling wine they usually think of Champagne, but this wine is exclusively produced in the Champagne region of France and many sparkling wines are produced in other countries and regions. Most countries reserve the word Champagne for a specific type from the Champagne region of France. The French terms "Mousseux" or "Crémant" are used to refer to sparkling wine not made in the Champagne region. German and Austrian sparkling wines are called Sekt. The United States is a significant producer of sparkling wine with producers in numerous states. Recently the United Kingdom, which produced some of the earliest examples of sparkling wine, has started producing sparkling wines again.
