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A Bubbly Companion

Light, lively and often a little fruity, prosecco pleases

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BARRY WONG / THE SEATTLE TIMES While usually dry, slightly bitter prosecco works wonders as an aperitif, it also pairs nicely with the right, not-too-sweet dessert, such as a pear tart.

WE ARE MID-HOLIDAYS, and you may likely find yourself drowning in a sea of bubbly. Oh no, I hear you cry, not another bottle of Champagne! OK, maybe that wasn't your cry. Nonetheless, if you find yourself ready for a change of style, or perhaps it's your turn to buy the bottle and you're on a beer budget, think prosecco.

Prosecco is a sparkling wine that comes from the Veneto in northeast Italy. The best proseccos are made in the area of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, and will say so on the label. Prosecco is not a Champagne-method bubbly, but the wines can show surprising finesse. Usually made as a non-vintage brut or extra dry — not sweet — good prosecco has plenty of lovely, lively bubbles, and often carries orange/citrus fragrances and a lightly bitter finish, all of which helps to sharpen the palate.

Conveniently enough, prosecco is also the name of the grape from which the wine is made. So when you are scanning the shelves at the wine shop, you don't have to worry about the usual grape/place/producer name confusion. If it's prosecco, it says prosecco, usually in big letters. Any other type of Italian sparkling wine — asti spumante is perhaps the best known — will not say prosecco.

The word spumante on any Italian bubbly simply signifies that the wine is sparkling, and has been made to a fizz level equivalent to full-throttle Champagne. Most prosecco comes in a Champagne-style bottle that is capped with a wire cage. That is prosecco spumante. Occasionally you will find a prosecco that is cork-sealed, with a string instead of a wire cage; some even come with a beer bottle (crown) cap. Those are prosecco frizzante. Both styles are good, but if you want the real show, make sure you get the full 'mante.

One of prosecco's most endearing attributes is that it is classy enough to drink by itself, but not so fancy that you can't use it for blending. It will provide the sparkly elegance to almost any kind of cocktail you can imagine, epitomized by the Bellini, a mix of prosecco and fresh, puréed white peaches.

Dozens of proseccos are in the market and most are quite pleasant. But only a few offer more complex peach, apricot, citrus and green apple fruit flavors, lifted with naturally tart acidity and finished with a lick of quinine-like bitterness. The best in each price category are listed here.

As with most dry sparkling wines, proseccos are relatively low in alcohol — generally around 11 or 11.5 percent. Perfect as an aperitif, prosecco should be served well-chilled in tall flutes. Pour your Bellini in a martini glass. Its lightness and brisk acidity sharpen the appetite, and can accompany the same sorts of petits plats that you would set out with your best Champagne.

Although most are made dry, some proseccos carry a bit of fruit sweetness, and I found them quite delicious with certain desserts, such as a pear tart. It's a delicate balance, and you probably won't want to pair it with a sweet dessert, but when you hit the right fruit match the combination really pulls everything together.

Paul Gregutt writes the Wednesday wine column for The Seattle Times and covers Northwest wine for the Wine Enthusiast magazine. Write to him at wine@seattletimes.com. Barry Wong is a Seattle-based freelance photographer. He can be reached at studio@barrywongphoto.com.