great Champagne, the best of which rely on aged elements.
"The category of Prosecco in general is very active right now pri- marily because Champagne has abdicated the market with its high prices," says Wilfred Wong, Cellar Master for BevMo!, which operates 118 stores around the country. "Also, Champagne is usually a little more austere, and Millennial wine drinkers seem to like the fruitiness of Prosecco. And it's great for mak- ing Bellini Cocktails because the flavors of the Prosecco don't inter- fere with the peach."
Mionetto has been doing this for 15 years. We developed a strong distribution system and now have some wonderful partners in some chains.
As the economy recovers from the recession that hurt all sales of alcoholic beverages, Prosecco has bubbled to the top of the sales charts partly, says Wong, because "Americans love aperitifs" and he noted that for the most part, excellent Prosecco can be bought for less than $20 a bottle.
The leaders in Prosecco sales in the United States over the last year, of some 30 imported brands, are Mionetto, Lunetta (imported by Palm Bay International), E&J Gallo's La Marca, and fast-growing Zonin.
RAPID GROWTH E
nore Ceola, managing director of Mionetto, based in White Plains, N.Y., said the entire Prosecco category is rapidly growing, "and
A trio of Mionetto Proseccos: IL Prosecco DOC, Prosecco Brut DOC and Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG.
"We have a lot of experience here and, like Moscato, this is a dis- covery item for the millennials." What's fascinating, Ceola notes, is that Prosecco "is not perceived as a celebratory item" the way Champagne is. "To many new drinkers, it's an every-day beverage, and that it is very pleasant also with food."
Mionetto, which this year cel- ebrates 125 years making Prosecco, today offers eight different Proseccos, including an entry-level
product with a crown cap. "It's made in a frizzante style, simple but elegant," he said. Moreover, the company makes bottlings in various sizes, from the smaller (pic- nic- and on-premise-oriented) 187mls, 375mls, 750mls, 1.5l sizes.
"The 187s are very popular in by-the-glass pours at restaurants," he said.
"The most interesting development is the success of the 1.5s. People are finding that it's a good gift item, for $25 you can bring a 1.5 liter to a host for a dinner party." Among Mionetto's offerings are IL Prosecco
DOC, Prosecco Brut DOC, Prosecco-Certified Organic, MO Prosecco Superiore Valdobbiadene
Mionetto vineyards in Valdobbiadene, Italy.
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StateWays s www.stateways.com s September/October 2012
