At this time of the year the “Marca Trevigiana” treats us with one of its most famous products – Radicchio Rosso tardivo di Treviso IGP (late red radicchio), the real pride and joy of Treviso gastronomy, which Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG marries with perfectly to give us one of the happiest unions of food and wine.

Radicchio rosso tardivo di Treviso IGP is a long-leaved chicory, purple in colour with white streaks. It is cultivated mainly in the Province of Treviso, with some also grown in the Provinces of Padova and Venezia. With its crunchy consistency and slightly bitter aftertaste, it is a vegetable of great versatility in the kitchen. It lends itself to very tasty recipes ranging from entrées to desserts, and can be enjoyed both cooked and raw.

We offer you here 2 simple cooked recipes that will not fail to please to you and your guests. While the first does not include Prosecco in the recipe, the second certainly does.
Have you got your chef’s hat on? Then let’s begin.

Deep-fried radicchio

Just about everybody loves deep-fried morsels. With some small tricks, and taking care not to overdo it, an almost infinite number of scrumptious appetizers can be prepared. Among these we can also include our irresistible radicchio rosso tardivo. Since it’s a strictly seasonal product we can only sample it between November and March, or possibly April.

Since part of the radicchio we will be using for this dish we will also need for the next one, for 4 people we will take 4 nice plump heads of radicchio. We can immediately remove the stems, taking care to keep about a centimetre from which we will remove the very thin skin. From the remaining stem measure about 5 or 6 centimetres and cut off the heads completely. Don’t worry, we are not throwing anything away – the rest we will need later.

From the part we will use for frying take 6 to 8 leaves of more or less of the same size. Let’s put them in cold water for a few minutes to remove any loose dirt and debris. We should repeat the rinsing operation 3 times and dry with absorbent paper.

Next we shall give a good, even coating of flour to each radicchio leaf in turn, then dip them into a bowl containing 2 eggs, previously whisked and seasoned with a pinch of salt, pepper and a little nutmeg. After draining any excess egg mixture from each leaf we should roll them several times in bread crumbs, so as to cover them completely and evenly. Lastly, we will heat a copious amount of peanut oil in a large pan and fry the radicchio, which will, of course, will be served very hot.

Each serving should be accompanied by a Rive di San Michele Extra Dry, whose characterful aromatic persistence will enhance the fragrance of the fried radicchio, earning you the appreciation of your guests.

Radicchio, Prosecco Superiore Docg and Crêpe Pasticcio

The pasticci (pies), which can be layers of lasagna or, as in this case, crêpes, share the same fate as the fried radicchio – everyone loves them. Whether with meat or fish, or mixed vegetables… there is something to suit all tastes. The only thing which you must always pay the utmost attention to is the quality of main ingredients: the béchamel, the crêpes and the filling with which to assemble the layered pie. The preparation of béchamel and crêpes is taken for granted here, so let’s take care of the filling.

Take the radicchio leaves, separated from the part used for the frying, and cut them into pieces of 2 to 3 centimetres. Wash them as in the previous recipe. Then peel and finely slice a couple of medium-sized shallots. Melt the butter with a little extra virgin olive oil in a large saucepan, then add the shallots and leave them until they turn golden brown. Dry the radicchio quickly and place in the saucepan, stirring often. Add a glass of Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG just before the radicchio wilts, and let the alcohol evaporate. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of ground cinnamon. Close the lid and cook over moderate heat for between 30 and 45 minutes. The radicchio must be well cooked but not completely falling apart.

In a round baking dish first spread a layer of béchamel. Then lay the first crêpe, followed by more béchamel, then a layer of radicchio. Lastly, sprinkle some grated smoked ricotta evenly over the radicchio. Repeat the operation 5 or 6 more times. The final layer should be béchamel combined with the grated smoked ricotta and some good Parmigiano Reggiano. Bake at 180° until browned as you prefer. Let it rest 5 minutes before and serving.

There will be well-deserved applause after the first mouthful. The diners’ appreciation will crescendo when they taste the wine you will have poured into their glasses: a Rive di Collalbrigo Costa Extra Brut, whose structure and aroma will perfectly complement the flavour and softness of the dish.

Enjoy your meal!

What is more convivial than enjoying an aperitif with others? A Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco, of course! Put the two together for a unique mix!

The pleasure of having an aperitif before going out for dinner or before coming home from work is, in North-East Italy, more than just a habit: it is a tradition. A tradition which has a lot to do with what the French call joie de vivre: that is the ability to take things as they come, to lighten the atmosphere and, above all, to share time with friends, which, in these parts, is much more than a simple social habit.

Both the Extra Dry and the Brut Conegliano Valdobbiadene can be drunk with countless different foods, therefore allowing, and fantasy permitting, truly delightful cocktails to be enjoyed both in summer and winter. Why? Because Conegliano Valdobbiadene is a moderately aromatic, floral and fruity wine (even the driest versions). It is young, light and fragrant and loves gentleness not strength. It can delight the palate without being too heavy, too sweet or intrusive. In short, it is the perfect ingredient. So what are the 3 most famous cocktails based on Prosecco? Now we are going to tell you:

Spritz: "His Royal Highness"

How can we not start here? Its origins go back to the end of the 19th century, and Austrian soldiers stationed in Veneto and Friuli. They considered the local white wines to be too strong, so they added soda water (spritzen, in fact, means to splash). By the beginning of the 20th century this habit had reached an almost definitive “glorification” in Venice. This great idea is still alive and well today and has literally gone around the world, with the addition of Aperol. Then more “inauthentic” versions became popular, such as with Campari, Cynar, Hugo or a “white” spritz which has no other alcohol added. Above all, in the last case, the excellence of the basic ingredient is everything. A poor quality wine would render the cocktail undrinkable.

The other essential question is the quantity of the ingredients: a good cocktail is always a masterpiece of balance. The perfect spritz has these proportions: 3 parts Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco, 2 parts Aperol (or alternative of your choice), 1 part soda water or sparkling mineral water. It can be garnished with a slice of orange or lemon.

Bellini: art in a glass

Contrary to what you may think, Bellini, in this case, is not the famous musician, but a painter. On the occasion of an exhibition in Venice of Giovanni Bellini, known as Giambellino, Giuseppe Cipriani (yes, him… the owner of Harry’s Bar in Venice, who had already invented Carpaccio, a recipe based on raw meat dedicated to the painter of the same name), decided to pay homage to the artist with a cocktail to celebrate his greatness.

A summer recipe par excellence, the Bellini is based on two simple ingredients: fresh white peach and spumante. To obtain the best results for this thirst-quenching drink, avoid using commercially-made juice; instead buy white peaches and blend them until you get a very liquid purée. Then proceed like this: pour the peach juice into a flute, then add very slowly the Conegliano Valdobbiadene until you have filled the glass. As always, the proportions are fundamental: in this case, 1 part peach nectar to 2 parts wine.

Sgroppino: pure freshness

In particular, after a lavish lunch, Sgroppino is seen as a blessing. The name is derived from “Sgropin”, a Veneto term for lemon sorbet, prepared without the addition of milk.

Fresh tasting, thirst-quenching and extremely pleasant, Sgroppino combines the acidity of the sorbet with the fragrance of the spumante. If you don’t like lemon, you can substitute it with another fruit of your choice; the result is always excellent.

But let’s get down to the preparation. Take the sorbet out of the freezer allowing it to soften a little (half an hour is sufficient). Put 8 spoons of the sorbet in a liquidizer together with 200ml of Conegliano Valdobbiadene, and, if you wish, 8 spoons of vodka (but, in our view, not necessary). Blend everything and serve immediately. But pay attention! After a while the alcohol tends to lie at the bottom of the glass. In this case, blend again.

Naturally the story doesn’t finish here. The versatility of Conegliano Valdobbiadene is such that it allows you to create your own cocktail according to your inspiration. And should you do so, don’t keep it to yourself: let us know and we can experiment too. Have fun!

Click on the link here to find the Conegliano Valdobbiadene for your ideal cocktail!

In the previous article we saw how we get from the freshly harvested grapes to the must, Prosecco Superiore DOCG in its rawest state. As you may remember, the whole process takes place in a few minutes. These are a few crucial minutes that, if badly managed, can permanently compromise the quality of the wine.

But there is a fundamental rule to always keep in mind. To create a good wine, be it red, white, still or sparkling, there is only ever one decisive question – the basic quality of the raw material. If this is not there, if the grapes are not healthy, if the vineyard has not been worked correctly during the year, there is no well-known winemaker or cellar techniques that can make up for it.

First filtration and first fermentation

The must, obtained from the soft pressing and rich in impurities, is subjected to a first filtration by introducing nitrogen into the tank. Nitrogen is an inert gas that does not affect the substance of the wine in any way, and serves to separate the lees from the must. The lees rise upwards to form a thick layer of residue, (a cap, as they say in the jargon), which will then be removed.

Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore, like all wines of the type, is characterized by a double fermentation. The first fermentation of the purified must takes place now. This phase lasts about ten days, always at a controlled temperature. The use of selected yeasts inserted into the tank allows the wine to carry out its first important evolution in a correct way. Without these technical precautions, the wine would be unpredictable, difficult to manage and, above all, the aromatic component would be inevitably compromised.

The creation of the base

Although having been separated from the coarser lees, the wine is further filtered, (clarified), to become the basis of the future Prosecco Superiore. Since more sparkling wines are made during the year and therefore more bottlings, the base wine can stay in these tanks from September to the following December.

This is possible because the wine, being always kept at a constant temperature, is no longer “working”; it is still. Since not all the bases evolve in the same way, it will be the oenologist who periodically checks the tanks, with specific tests, from September onwards. Depending on the results the oenologist will decide which base to use for sparkling wine.

The second filtration takes about 3 days. During this time a mixture is prepared with selected yeasts, wine and sugar, the purpose of which is to "help" activate the yeasts reaching the autoclave where the second fermentation will take place. The compound is of vital importance because without sugar the yeasts could not release carbon dioxide. And without carbon dioxide we could not have bubbles.

The Difference between Cuvée and Cru

Despite the cultivation entirely of Glera and being situated in the DOCG area, each vineyard differs from the others with regard to soil morphology, sun exposure, slope of the land and territorial location. To maximize the richness of the single terroir (which we will sense in the wine), all the bases from a given vineyard are vinified separately.

The different bases, carefully selected by the oenologist, are then assembled and made sparkling in a single autoclave. The famous “cuvée” is none other than this: different bases blended together to create a single wine. This is why sometimes you can see differences between bottles of the same product coming from the same cellar; each cuvée, within certain limits, tells its own story.

However, when the grapes come from a single particularly valuable vineyard, (the famous cru, which we already talked about last time), the relative base will be sparkling in purity; i.e. without addition of bases from outside that particular terroir. In addition to Cartizze, the other crus for Conegliano Valdobbiadene are the so-called “Rive” that you can find on our shop online.

A second coclusion

Bottling and, above all, the pleasure of tasting have not yet been explored; these will be covered in our next article. However, we can already draw a first fundamental conclusion: in the creation of a great wine, the passion and professionalism of those who make it are taken for granted. Each phase is one step in a broad and complex process and each, in its own way, is decisive.

When you say “Prosecco” the first thing that comes to mind is Conegliano Valdobbiadene, isn't that so? A wine that evokes a particular landscape, tradition and centuries-old culture. A wine that has become a symbol of the territory, like few others in Italy. Of the production of millions of bottles labelled Prosecco, however, only a small part derives from this territory. The rest comes from even hundreds of kilometres away.

Prosecco Docg: a hallmark of distinction

Italy is a country with a great tradition for wine-making. Our production zone, historically renowned for its suitability, is at the peak of the quality pyramid. It is acknowledged with a hallmark which reflects its prestige: DOCG, abbreviation for “Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita”. Since 2009 Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco has been DOCG, therefore of great distinction. Or, to put it another way, Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco is a symbol of excellence and DOCG.

According to the technical handbook produced by “Vivai Cooperativi Rauscedo”, and dedicated to the Glera, there are 40,000 or so hectares of Glera cultivation, (the grape for producing Prosecco), mostly situated in Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia. Just a little over 8000 hectares are DOCG, which includes Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. Around 25,000 hectares are DOC, while the rest are IGT (“Indicazione Geografica Tipica”).

Reading this data, one can already understand a fundamental correlation: the more suitable a production area is, the more restricted it is and the finer are its wines. There is also another consequence, less evident but nonetheless essential: the finer the wine the better it expresses the characteristics of its territory.

The label: how to recognise Prosecco Superiore DOCG

Before tasting the wine you should check its origins: the generic name “Prosecco”, as we have already seen, is not enough. So what are the signs you have to look out for, to be sure of making the right purchase?

The first thing to check is the government seal, which, for DOCG, always has gold edges. It is found on the neck of the bottle providing the identification number of the single product with the logo of the consortium “Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG”. The initials DOCG indicate the denomination of the wine: Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore.

The second thing is the label itself, the wine’s “identity card”. Learning how to read it will avoid nasty surprises. Here is an actual example of one of our wines, which has detailed and comprehensive information on the label: "Rive di San Michele".

The label on the front of the bottle immediately indicates the origins of “Rive di San Michele”. This is not a detail of secondary importance. It tells you immediately that what you are holding in your hand is not a “cuvée”, rather it is a blend of wines from vines from various zones, however always of Glera cultivated within the DOCG area, as is usually the case. “RIVE” indicates a particularly well-suited subzone, (in French, “cru”), from where a wine is produced with grapes only from that specific vineyard. In short, an “excellence in excellence”! This is followed by the denomination “Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG” and the name of the producer SOMMARIVA.

On the label on the back of the bottle you will find the year of the grape harvest (vintage), (obligatory for “cru” wines); the product type, (in this case, Extra Dry), which defines the residual sugar; the alcohol content (11.5% vol.); the capacity of the bottle (e.g. 0.75l) and the trading name of the winery that bottled it.

Understanding what it means to be part of DOCG and finding the confirmation of authenticity on the label are the starting points to getting closer to Conegliano Valdobbiadene.
The more you are able to recognise the territory of Prosecco DOCG, its characteristic aromas, the way it develops in the mouth, the more you will appreciate its value, uniqueness and unmistakable fragrance. And you will see there is no other Prosecco which comes close!

Would you like a taste straight away? Then go to our shop!