Allow me to introduce myself! My name is Patrick Bradley and I'm one of the (new) "house" bloggers here at De Wine Spot. I'll be posting here regularly about food, wine, restaurants "and everything else (deemed worthy) in between." I hold a Grand Cru certificate in wine studies from The Institute of Culinary Education, enjoy writing "food stories" for a variety of publications and am the author of the culinary blog, From Behind the Open Table. I hope that you'll find my stories amusing at the very least, and that your wine isn't corked. Cheers!
Since I first became a regular drinker of wine (was it seventeen?), I'd noticed that I've gone through phases of my own varietals du moment. For a while I was very into the spicy reds, then came my valpolicella phase (I still like a good ripasso), but one fondness that seems not to be losing any ardency is my fondness for bubbles. More recently, (during a brief stint working for Todd English) I discovered the crisp, flowery proseccos of the Valdobbiadene region of Italy. Earlier this year, I came across a prosecco that tasted remarkably similar to the "Valdo" prosecco we were serving at Todd English Food Hall. Upon examining the wine's rear label, its origin explained the similarities...
Curiosity piqued, I did a bit of research and discovered that Valdobbiadene proseccos were, in recent years, granted D. O. C. G. status.
... the prosecco produced in the Conegliano Valdobbiadene zone became Italy’s 44th D.O.C.G. wine. For Conegliano Valdobbiadene, the "G" of "guaranteed" is much more than a mere letter: it is the recognition for years of painstaking work in order to obtain excellent quality in every phase of production.
... making it a bit easier to rest assured when selecting this "inimitable wine."
It is a wine you will be able to recognize "blind" once you have tasted it...
If you enjoy a sparkler that's light and flowery (any "sweetness" seems not to come from fruit or sugary tastes), you might want to give one of these D. O. C. G. wines a try. My recommendation would be to start with the "Valdo" brand (very clean and crisp), then go from there. And if you do, let us know what you think by leaving a comment below!