StateWays is the only magazine exclusively covering the control state system within the beverage alcohol industry, with annual updates from liquor control commissions and alcohol control boards and yearly fiscal reporting from control jurisdictions
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drink is a combination of vodka, ginger, kumquat and Prosecco, the latter beverage an Italian sparkling wine that plays a close second fiddle to the king, Champagne, as Rogers did to Fred Astaire. The star of the latest bubbly act in America, howev- er, may just be Prosecco, with its unassuming nature, modest price and perfect flavor profile (fresh fruit from the Charmat fermentation method, uncomplicated and instantly likeable) that is appealing on its own and adds so much to mixed drinks. Indeed, it was a mixed drink called the Bellini Cocktail, made with peaches, which may have pushed Prosecco into the limelight decades ago after its inven- tion at Harry's Bar in Venice. Traditionally made from one part peach puree and two parts of any sparkling wine, the Bellini seems to have rapidly been transmogri- fied into Prosecco and white peach puree. And now, as with the Range specialty drink, there are numerous vari- ations on a theme. What has the industry buzzing over the last few years in regard to Prosecco is the fact that it has been around for a long time, and was, decades ago, considered a simple, modest, and not-very-elegant sparkling wine from grapes no one ever heard of – or could pronounce. The difference today is that Italy has made its great- est strides with white wines over the last 30 years, main- ly as a result of greater use of high-tech tactics that pre- serve the fruit and make for wines with a more lively personality. PROSECCO A Makes Its Case It can stand on its own, but is also used in a variety of mixed drinks. BY DAN BERGER t the upscale, respected Range restaurant in San Francisco's gentrified Mission District, one of the house specialty drinks is called Backwards in Heels, an homage to Ginger Rogers. The StateWays s www.stateways.com s September/October 2012 None of this was possible 30-plus years ago when there were few stainless steel tanks, cold fermentation, and sophisticated bottling equipment in places that only made modest wine. Modest wine then meant modest prices, which meant that the wineries didn't have the money to add in sophis- ticated equipment with which to make a greater wine. Over the last two decades, however, some multi- national corporate investment into Prosecco has helped wine makers to maximize the flavors of their white wines, a common tale throughout Italy - with wines from Garganega, Fiano, Cortese, and dozens of other white wines that once were poorly received because they weren't properly made. Today many of these wines are being made so well they can stand on their own two feet. Prosecco now stands on its own, but still is a popu- lar addition to mixed drinks. There is no particular rea- son for Prosecco as a choice for mixed drinks over other bubblies, but the fact that the wine is perfectly suited for mixed drinks certainly helps. Its fresh fruit is uncompli- cated by such things as long aging on the lees, yeasty- ness and other Champagne-y issues. On its own, Prosecco is made to be fresh and fruity, best when consumed young, which is the opposite of 37