Prosecco

Italy's much-loved sparkling wine is famed for its easygoing fruit flavors and palate-reviving bubbles. Hailing from the cool northeast regions of Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, prosecco production spreads inland of the Gulf of Venice up into the Friuli mountains. The best wines come from about 40 miles north of Venice, in the hillside villages of Valdobbiadene and Conegliano. Prosecco is made from the otherwise unremarkable Glera grape, and through the magic of secondary fermentation, is transformed into a soft spumante with deliciously food-friendly pear, apple and apricot flavors. The DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) designation for Italian wines was introduced in the 1960s. It is the main classification system used in the country and regulates what winemakers can and cannot do regarding wine style, varietal restrictions, minimum and maximum alcohol levels, aging techniques and growing regions.