Zefiro Prosecco Brut Conegliano

A seat on one of Southwest Airlines' 440 Boeing 737 aircraft is frequently mine for an hour or two. Their glossy in-flight Spirit Magazine has become one of my favorite reads, and has gotten better over the last few years. Every month they feature a "Drink of the Month", and February's is Prosecco.

Prosecco is sparkling wine, made from the Prosecco grape, grown in northeast Italy, in Veneto, and secondarily fermented in large stainless steel tanks (not in the bottle like Champagne). The weather is cool in this region, thus the alcohol level in Prosecco is typically on the light side.

Zefiro is owned by the well-known Zardetto family, located in Conegliano, a town of 36,000, between the pre-Alps and the Adriatic Sea. The Zardetto family has been making wine professionally for generations.

Zefiro Prosecco Brut was produced from grapes grown on a leased 6-acre vineyard of 30+ year-old vines. The soil is heavy clay and chalky, at an elevation of 450 feet above sea level, and the vines are managed to produce under 4 tons per acre. About 1700 cases are produced annually.  Zefiro (and Zardetto) wines are imported to the USA by Winebow.

A small amount of residual sugar is left in the wine, and the alcohol content is 11%. Fabio Zardetto, working in the family business since 1982, is Winemaker. Tasting Notes:  In the glass, this bubbly is lively and pale straw colored, with a slight greenish tint. Light fresh citrus aromas are supported by nutty nuances. This wine sparkles lightly across the tongue, and is very slightly sweet with tart acidity. Citrusy, light fruity flavors are framed by the excellent balance between acidity and minerality, and the finish is crisp and refreshing. Excellent value ($12).

For a subtle variation, you can add a small amount of Mathilde or similar Poire liqueur from France.

Southwest Spirit Magazine also printed one of my pictures in February's issue, this shot out the window as we arrived in Los Angeles (LAX) on November 15, 2005. They referred to it as a "two-fer". You may check it out on page 22.

Comments

[ALICE JACKSON]

tHE VIEW OF THE PLANE WING WITH THE OTHER PLANE IN THE BACKGROUND, BY JERRY HALL IS ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING PHOTOGRAPHS I'VE SEEN....I LOVE IT!