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La Gioiosa Brut Rosé & Raspberry Soup #ItalianFWT

 

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Deanna of Wineivor has invited the #ItalianFWT group to explore the Vento and the Wines of Romance this month! As Deanna pointed out in her invite, the Vento is well-known for its wines, among them Prosecco, Valpolicella, Soave, Bardolino, and Amarone. I chose to focus on Prosecco. Not just because I love bubbles (which of course I do!) but because of the memories associated with it. 

In October 2019, I took my mother to Italy, her first trip there. We went to Rome because if you’re Catholic you go to Rome, and we went to Venice. At every meal or stop to rest (she not being super mobile), I ordered wine. Obviously a glass for myself but I also ordered one for her. She’s not really a wine drinker, but I kept insisting that she at least give it a sip. When in Rome and all that! Mostly I drank her wine but then we got to Venice and she had her first sip of Prosecco. Turns out my mom is a fancy bitch and only likes bubbles! A determination she found pretty funny. Suddenly she was having her own glasses of wine!

Prosecco is made with…Prosecco?

Yup! That’s not a typo. Prosecco is made with the Prosecco grape. Renamed Glera in 2009 to help better protect the region’s name, it makes up a minimum of 85% of Prosecco (wine). The wine itself is made via a method that goes by many names including: Martinotti, Charmat, and tank. Unlike Champagne and Cava, this method has the wine’s second fermentation happening not in a bottle but in a tank (thus the name). The lesser amount of contact with yeasty lees is considered more appropriate for the Glera grape’s more aromatic freshness. It also means that Prosecco, sweet and dry and semi-sparkling to fully sparkling, often shows less complexity than sparkling wine made in the traditional (bottle) method*. 

Several denominations spanning both Veneto and neighboring Friuli Venezia Giulia produce Prosecco including:

• Prosecco DOC (including both regions)
• Prosecco Treviso DOC & Prosecco Trieste DOC 
• Congeliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG
• Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG
• Congeliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG
• Congeliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Rive DOCG
• Congeliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore di Cartizze DOCG

Quite a mouthful to say some of those are! While most people associate this wine with Veneto, the name comes from a village of the same name in Friuli Venezia Giulia. As ubiquitous as the wine seems now, it didn’t hit the wider US market until 2000! 

*That said…there are Prosecco wines made in the ancestral method called col fondo, and in the traditional method! But they make up a very small minority of wines. 

La Gioiosa Brut Prosecco DOC Rosé & Raspberry Soup

My wine for this event was the La Gioiosa Brut Prosecco DOC Rosé. That’s right! A Prosecco rosé! In 2020, the DOC rules changed allowing for a rosé variety of Prosecco designated spumante rosé. Like Prosecco, it must contain a minimum of 85% Glera but is blended with 10-15% Pinot Noir. 

Located in Treviso, La Gioiosa was founded by the Moretti Polegato family which has made wine for generations. Their Glera grapes come from the marly alluvial soils in the Prosecco DOC area of both Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia. Blended of course with some Pinot Noir! Finished at the high end of brut (12 grams per liter residual sugar) with an abv of only 11%. 

This was my first rosé Prosecco and I couldn’t wait to dive in! And dive in I did. A subtle nose offering red berries like raspberry and wild strawberry, along with pomegranate and red flowers. A full and creamy mousse filled the mouth and, as the bubbles dissipated, left behind flavors of fresh red fruits, flowers, and a slight hint of peaches. 

I paired this with a raspberry soup I’ve been wanting to make since forever. Super easy, essentially it’s pureed raspberries with a teeny tiny amount of sugar, a touch of cream (with an extra drizzle on top), and sliced almonds. The wine paired beautifully. The high end of brut and residual sugar playing well with the sweetness in the soup and the acidity cutting through the soup’s creaminess. 

Our romantic journey isn’t over!

Don’t forget to read about the Veneto wines featured by the other #ItalianFWT group members!

“Crumbs: Scaia, Pearà, and Mussels alla Buzara” from Camilla at Culinary Cam

“La Gioiosa Brut Rosé & Raspberry Soup” from Andrea at The Quirky Cork

“The Hills Near Verona and the Organic, Biodynamic, and Regenerative wines of Fasoli Gino and Tasi/Crushed Grape Chronicles” from Robin at Crushed Grape Chronicles

“7 Veneto Wines and a Meal with Memories from My Visit: Venice, Verona, Valdobbiadne, Valpolicella, Soave” from Gwendolyn at Wine Predator

“Gambellara, Veneto: A Bubbly Wine & A Revelation!” from Payal at Keep the Peas

“Beyond Prosecco: Carménère is Cultivated in Veneto, Too” from Cindy at Grape Experiences

“The Custoza Grape from the Glacial Hills Near Lake Garda” from Jennifer at Vino Travels

“A Taste of Verona, Italy” from Deanna at Wineivore