Sorelle Bronca

Some grapes are versatile, making good wine in a range of styles; the Prosecco grape only comes into its own when it is made into sparkling wine, and only in the region around the villages of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, in the hills north-west of Venice. When it is grown and made correctly it has a pear-like aroma and flavor that is delightful, the perfect start to a meal.

Unfortunately most Prosecco is made by large, industrial-scale producers who buy base wine and then perform only the secondary (sparkling) fermentation themselves, often with mediocre results. The Bronca sisters grow their own fruit in steep hillside vineyards, then make their own base wine and perform the secondary (sparkling) fermentation three or four times a year (to ensure freshness). Low yields and hillside-grown fruit ensure that the wine has good concentration and acidity. This acidity is necessary to balance the ' Extra-Dry' level of sweetness. (Extra-Dry is slightly less dry than Brut, confusingly. Both terms are used to describe the amount of sweetness in sparkling wines. The Prosecco drunk in Italy is always Extra-Dry; the pear notes only emerge when the wine is not bone-dry, which is why Brut isn’t as good and is mostly exported.)

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Extra Dry

This estate grown sparkling wine is made primarily of the Prosecco grape with small amounts of the indigenous varieties Perera, Verdiso and Bianchetta using the 'bulk process,' a secondary fermentation in a pressurized tank rather than in the individual bottle. Four or more batches are periodically produced every vintage, to ensure freshness. Limited production.

I drink this Prosecco with some olives and a slice of salami while I am deciding what to make for dinner, but it would also be good with a light lunch. Pretend you're in Venice, looking out over the canals.

Particella 68

The Bronca Sisters' best vineyard is called Particella 68, as is their reserve wine obtained from that vineyard. The site is perhaps 500 yards from the edge of the Cartizze boundary, the most prized growing area in the Prosecco zone; the wine is made from Prosecco grapes with very small amounts of the other traditional indigenous varieties (Verdisio, Bianchetta, and Perera). In my opinion this wine compares very favorably with the best Cartizze in style and in quality, although it is rather less expensive.

The vinification is very unusual; instead of two seperate fermentations, (grape juice to still wine, then still wine to sparkling wine) the 68 is pressed and then the must is immediately put into a special fermenter and fermented directly to sparkling wine. This single fermentation retains more of the classic pear aroma that makes Prosecco distinctive, and the excellent acidity of the site balances very well with the Extra Dry level of sweetness. (No sugar is added, though, only the natural sugar in the must itself.)

Notes: pale straw color with a hint of green; very distinctive classic Prosecco aroma of fresh-cut pear; the pear/apple fruit notes continue on the palate, with the Extra Dry dosage very well balanced by fresh acidity. This is a perfect wedding wine or aperitif.