I was handed a glass of prosecco in Monsoon on Grafton St. last Friday evening, as part of the Dublin Fashion week celebrations, and it reminded me just how fashionable prosecco has become this summer.
The idiom ‘Every cloud has a silver lining’ rings true for Prosecco right now, as Irish trade reports indicate a surge in popularity for this sparkling wine, once considered ‘poor mans’ champagne.’ The UK Wine Landscape Report 2010, just released last week, shows that 15% of UK winedrinkers are now prosecco drinkers (compared with 8% at last report).
Closer to home, walk the Golden Mile of St. Stephens’ Green, once hailed for its Champagne trail of restaurants and clubs, and you will now hear the gentle fizz of flutes of Prosecco, enjoyed for the most part by impeccably groomed young females, who can now afford to buy their own glass of fizz, thanks to prosecco’s much more affordable pricing.
So what about the taste? Light, floral, fruity, gentle fizz, not quite as dry or acidic as champagne. All in all, if truth be known, much easier to drink than its aristocratic and ostentatious counterpart.
Although not quite as complex in its production method, there is a great deal to its winemaking. Less than one hour away from Venice, Glera grapes are grown in very small hilly parcels of around 1 hectare, and are picked around the end of September/ October. The grapes are left for 24 hours with skins on, to encourage nice grapey aromas to develop. After 10 days’ fermentation, the still wines are stored in small vats. Once an order is placed, the wine undergoes a second fermentation for 45 days, in tanks, at very low temperatures (the cooler & longer the second fermentation, the smaller the bead of bubble).
Once shipped, prosecco tends to have a short shelf life of around 8 months, hence the need to buy a reliable name, which you know will be fresh. In Italy, the name Bisol (bee-zol) is synonymous with quality prosecco. Family-owned, its most popular wine in Ireland is named after the owner’s nickname Jeio (jay-oh). Jeio is a blend of 6 cuvees (or individual batches of wines). As most ladies already know, first impressions are important, and Jeio doesn’t disappoint, with its lively mousse frothing up in the glass. It has a lovely balance of acidity against a ripe, creamy, fresh perfumed (almost ‘feminine’) palate, with a lovely length of flavour.
Personally, it was the Jeio Rose which impressed me most, for its wonderful value and delightful flavours of strawberry and crisp green apple. A Gold Medal at the prestigeous European Mundus Vini awards shows that I am not alone in my judgement.
Jeio and Jeio Rose are widely available through wine shops (Gibneys, Jus de Vine, The Wine Boutique, Liston’s), with a euro or so change out of a €20 note. It can also be enjoyed in many restaurants throughout Dublin and beyond, for those of us who like to dress up, and go out to drink it!
