Organic and vegan Prosecco from Corvezzo is affordable, tasty, and pairs with just about anything including artichokes.
It's hard to improve upon Prosecco.
Made from the Glera grape, Prosecco is grown in designated regions in Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia.
Bubbly, tasty, and uber affordable, there's not much more you could ask of a wine. It's also often the start and star of the evening as the featured sparkling wine for aperitivo hour--the pre-dinner hour in Italy where Prosecco gets a shot of bitter liqueur such as Amaro or Campari along with a few ice cubes.
And if happy hour is not your thing, what about brunch? Champagne for some, but the price point of prosecco makes all you can drink mimosas possible. Whether infused with fresh squeezed oranges or steeped with pureed peaches for a classic bellini, prosecco can pair with many foods, occasions, and budgets.
While there are distinctions between price points depending on the region in Italy the Prosecco is from, most bottles I've seen in the US are $15 or less, while higher end bottles top out at $30.
Perhaps, one way to improve the wine is to make it organic and vegan.
Corvezzo Prosecco
Corvezzo (pronounced Kor-VETZ-zoh) is one brand that has emerged with an organic prosecco that is also vegan. While wine itself is made from grapes, the filtering process use to make wine can sometimes include animal products. Corvezzo uses bentonite clay in the wine fining process.
Vegan wine certifications ensure no animal products are used in the winemaking process and can even go as far as not allowing animal products used in the packaging of the wine, including the glue used to stick the wine label on the bottle.
According to Giovanni Corvezzo, the third generation owner/winemaker, his organic grapes have thicker skins which he believes helps the wine develop better aroma.
Family owned and operated, Corvezzo is one of the largest growers of certified organic Glera and Pinot Grigio grapes in Italy.
But it didn't start out that way.
7 years to Organic and possible Biodynamic future?
There was a long and slow seven year stretch from 2010-2017 where the winery transitioned from conventional to organic farming.
The year 2013 brought heavy rain and humidity. The vines had not yet adapted to growing without herbicides and pesticides. The result was very little fruit and much less wine.
Yet Giovanni pushed forward and endured the years of low production. Now, his vines have adapted and become stronger and more abundant. The thicker skins resulting from his organic farming now help protect the grapes from rain and parasites.
He now calls himself the "happy farrmer" and is exploring biodynamic practices as of 2020. They currently use a biomass plant for thermal energy that draws fuel from pruning waste. Recycled materials are also used for the wine labels and boxes, and the bottles are made from lightweight glass.
2020 Corvezzo Prosecco DOC Treviso Extra Dry 2020
85% Glera, 15% DOC other allowable grapes from the DOC; 11.5% alcohol; $14 at BevMo
Vinification: soft cold crushing and pressing
Second fermentation: 60 days with the Charmat method
Visual: Pearlescent; fine bead; shiny, clean, glimmering, pale yellow goldish silver flecks.
Aroma: Pear, chamomile, beeswax
Taste: Ripe nectarines, doesn’t have a strong back bite, clean finish, inviting, not very acidic, not cloying, back of the throat tinge of kiwi, papaya, and honeydew melon
Food Pairing: There are few foods that will not pair with prosecco. Creamy, spicy, cheesy, sweet, and sour, it can handle a variety of flavors including typically hard to pair foods such as artichokes.
I found this prosecco, however, to be especially versatile. It hit all the right notes with sauteed broccoli raabe. Married nicely with sweet bell peppers and spiciness in Italian sausage. And with the artichoke alfredo, it nearly sang a song. Artichokes are typically hard to pair but not so with this wine.
The Last Drop
I had originally received this bottle as a media sample, but I liked it so much I bought my own bottle to use for this post. They also make a sparkling Prosecco rose. So perhaps another way you can improve Prosecco is to make it pink!
More Sparkling Wine & Food Pairings
Egg Salad Picnic + Organic Sparkling Rose from Le Petit Verre
Australian Sparkling Wine from Deviation Road
Crispy Fishwich + an Organic Cremant d'Alsace from Charles Bauer
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