Prosecco is the name on everyone’s lips, so Federica jumps at the opportunity to take a master class in this trending bubble
What is better than an ice-cold glass of sparkling authentic prosecco on a hot summer’s night? We could not say no when we received an invite to attend one of this season’s masterclasses on prosecco, held at aptly nameProsecco Housein London’s Tower Bridge.
This contemporary venue is London’s first bar dedicated to prosecco and has just hosted its first’Meet the Maker’ series via three tasting evenings.
We attended an evening with Andreola Winery, located in the heart of the Valdobbiadene
Prosecco Superiore DOCG, which means the prosecco is at the tip of the quality
pyramid, but the labour involved for the company is perhaps the most manual of all.
The steep slopes, that can be over 45 degrees, coupled with the small-scale technological approach may require an enormous effort for quite a small yield, but the fascinating aromatic complexity of their prosecco proves that hard work and passion pays off.
Cristian Maddalena, from Andreola, took us on a journey through 5 of their offerings, each one excellent, chilled to the right temperature and well explained throughout the tasting in terms of grapes, minerality and strength.
We really enjoyed the Dirupo Brut: described as’delicate, floral and fruity with an elegant lingering fine perlage’, we found it indeed delicate, light and refreshing.
Our favourite amongst the five we tried however was Mas de Fer Extra Dry: named after a hill in the Valdobbiadene area, it was an intense, yet still floral and pleasant bubbly. Within the same line from the producer, we also particularly liked 26° Primo, an extra dry prosecco which happens to be sugar free.
It was interesting to hear the history behind the Andreola brand, as well as Prosecco itself. Now a drink widely found across the world, this iconic Italian wine is produced exclusively in north east Italy. Its story began in the area of Conegliano Valdobbiadene, over three centuries ago, where the highest quality, Prosecco Superiore, is still produced to this day.
Interestingly, at Prosecco House only producers within the DOCG (controlled and guaranteed origin denomination) area are available to buy.
Owner Kristina Issa had the idea of Prosecco House after not being able to find in London the kind of quality Prosecco she enjoyed in Italy.
She therefore set about creating a bar that stocked Prosecco DOCG, the premium prosecco from Veneto, the home of the drink she loves so much. By working directly with family owned vineyards from the Veneto region Kristina exclusively stocks five vineyards that are not available anywhere else in London.
In fact, the prosecco bottles available at Prosecco House are more expensive than your average option, closer in price to a French champagne. This is because the DOCG appellation is only given to those produced under specific guidelines and geographical location.
The result is that there are now two levels of Prosecco on the market: the DOCG, represented by the Conegliano Valdobbiadene denomination, with its 15 hill municipalities, and the DOC base, covering the provinces of Treviso, Belluno, Venice, Padua, Vincenza, Udine, Pordenone, Trieste and Gorizia, a broad denomination made up of more than 600 municipalities in Veneto and Friuli.
While we appreciate the higher quality in the DOGC producers, we still feel that within the DOC wines there are some very good options indeed.
We are not sure if a prosecco bar only offering the higher end of this market is a sustainable option, but with the Tower Bridge in the background and Italian nibbles to snack upon, Prosecco House makes a great place to stop by for a drink in the area.
1 Tower Bridge, London SE1 2SE