How to Shop for Wine this Holiday Season - Cheat Sheet to the perfect bubbles!
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A little bubbles with dinner always makes an evening or meal feel particularly special. We certainly feel that way on our Heart of Italy tour and we try to replicate that feeling as often as possible. And quite frankly you don’t need the holidays as an excuse to add a fun and festive drink to a meal either, we love bubbles any time of the year. But it hits differently during the holidays.
During the holidays, you want to try something new or festive and we’re right there with you! Our top recommendation for a drink to have on hand during the holidays is Prosecco. From spritzes to mimosas or something bright to celebrate the moment - we are always stocked with Prosecco for the holiday season.
If you’re not as familiar with Prosecco, it’s a sparkling white wine with a fruity flavor. It’s delightful to drink by itself but it can also be mixed with other ingredients to make festive cocktails. It’s incredibly versatile and that’s why we love it.
But it’s important to note that not all Prosecco is created equally and there is definitely bad Processo out there.
There’s one thing you need to know about Prosecco and how to snag the perfect bottle for the holidays.
Look for the DOC and DOCG labels.
When shopping for Italian wine, it is very important to familiarize yourself with the DOC and DOCG labels. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata or controlled designation of origin. DOCG stands for designation of controlled and guaranteed origin. Both of these confirm the bottle's status as true Prosecco. Like Champagne in France, Prosecco is a protected class of wine in Italy. For something to truly be considered Prosecco, it must be made from grapes in a very specific region of Italy.
Look out for these two labels while you’re shopping. Prosecco is known to have some impostors out there as we mentioned above which pale in comparison to true Prosecco. Both of those labels are easily identifiable on the bottle and if you see either one of them you’re good to go!
If you don’t want to search the internet or your local store trying to find a DOC or DOCG Prosecco, our partners at Dalla Fonte are happy to ship our favorite Prosecco right to your doorstep. It’s that easy!
A little bonus tip on the best way to consume your new drink - Prosecco pairs nicely with a full meal but it’s also great with an aperitivo before dinner.
We love to pair Prosecco with olives and Taralli wine knots which are crunchy and addicting. You’ll definitely want to check it out in Dalla Fonte’s shop. Or you can check out Chef Alain’s favorite aperitivo, which is another great addition to your meal!
We hope you bring a little bit of Italy into your home this holiday season and maybe it’ll inspire you to join us on our Heart of Italy tour next year! We wine and dine with chefs, home cooks, and friends of friends all over Italy. You’ll get to dine with a sommelier and sip on drinks that compliment the seasonal cuisine that we love to base our trips around and share with you.
Collaboration with Olivia Becker, Owner of Dalla Fonte and The Table Less Traveled
Travel with us around the world on one of our multi-day small group food tours. Check out our itineraries to Italy, Japan, Peru, and more! Join us as we visit tea farms in Japan, sip on limoncello in Italy, and savor ceviche in Peru.
If you’re traveling abroad and don’t know where to start or want to tap into our travel expertise to make the most of your trip, check out our Travel Coaching and Private Trips with booking service.
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This page is in partnership with Dalla Fonte. TTLT earns from qualifying purchases at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting our small business!
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