Climbing the Prosecco Hierarchy: To Prosecco Superiore di Cartizze with Steamed Clams, Smoked Scallops, and Capellini #ItalianFWT

This month - July 2019 - I am hosting the #ItalianFWT group as we delve into tasting and pairing Prosecco DOCG or Prosecco Superiore. You can read my invitation to the Italian Food Wine Travel bloggers here - You're Invited: Tanti Auguri (Many Wishes), Prosecco DOCG!!

 

Grazie Mille
I'm grateful for the event's sponsor, the Consorzio of Prosecco Superiore DOCG*, for sending some industry samples to the blogging group. I saw nearly three dozen informational sheets come through; I received three bottles and tracked down a fourth as I dove deeper into the wine. 'Prosecco Superiore' which is the official name of all Prosecco wines that are produced in the DOCG region; it is the highest quality Proseccos made, showcasing the Glera grape at its finest.

You can read more about the Consorzio's campaign to bring awareness to the United States here. And visit the Consorzio's website for more information about Prosecco DOCG. Grazie mille to Liz of What's in That Bottle? for sourcing the samples from the Consorzio.

Join the Conversation
If you're reading this early enough, please chime in on our live #ItalianFWT Twitter Chat. This Saturday - July 6th - at 8 o'clock AM Pacific time. You can follow the main hashtag (#ItalianFWT) and additional hashtags - #proseccosuperiore #coneglianovaldobbiadene #proseccodocg #proseccoelevated - and join in or search for it later and read all the posts.

The Prosecco DOCG Posts
Here's what the #ItalianFWT bloggers are sharing for the Prosecco DOCG Party...

• Wendy, of A Day in the Life on the Farm, says Summertime and the Living is Easy with Prosecco DOCG in My Glass.
• Jill, of L'Occasion, asks Looking for Freshness? Check out Prosecco DOCG.
• Rupal, the Syrah Queen, writes Prosecco Elevated - Sipping Prosecco Superiore DOCG.
• Jane, of Always Ravenous, pours Prosecco Superiore Paired with Italian Small Bites.
• Deanna, of Asian Test Kitchen, is Pairing Cartizze Prosecco DOCG Beyond Oysters.
• David, for Cooking Chat, says Prosecco Superiore: The Special Italian Sparkling Wine Lives Up To Its Name.
• Liz, of What’s in That Bottle, is Discovering the Delights of Prosecco Superiore.
• Jeff, of FoodWineClick!, goes Beyond Apertif, Enjoy Prosecco Superiore at the Dinner Table.
• Martin, of ENOFYLZ Wine Blog, encourages Getting to Know Prosecco Superiore.
• Pinny, of Chinese Food and Wine Pairings, is Sipping the Day Away with Prosecco DOCG.
• Gwendolyn, of Wine Predator, shares 3 Prosecco DOCG and Calamari with Lemon Caper Sauce.
• Linda, of My Full Wine Glass, offers Take-aways from a week of glorious Prosecco DOCG.
• Jennifer, of Vino Travels, declares Prosecco DOCG is more than just Prosecco.
• Susannah, of Avvinare, is Taking A Closer Look At Prosecco Superiore DOCG.
• Kevin, of Snarky Wine, declares Vintage Prosecco DOCG: Quality Matters.
• Cindy, of Grape Experiences, posts What a Girl Wants: Rosemary Parmesan Popcorn with Prosecco DOC and DOCG.
• Li, of The Wining Hour, asks you to Step Up Your Game with Prosecco Superiore.
• Marcia, of Joy of Wine, shares Prosecco - What's Really in the Glass.
• Nicole, of Somm's Table, is Cooking to the Wine: Sorelle Bronca Extra-Dry Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Superiore DOCG with Poached Chicken with Pears and Gorgonzola.
• Camilla, of Culinary Adventures with Camilla, is Climbing the Prosecco Hierarchy: To Prosecco Superiore di Cartizze with Steamed Clams, Smoked Scallops, and Capellini.

My Explorations
Over the past few weeks, I've poured, paired, researched, and learned more about Prosecco DOCG. You can read about my first exploration here, where I looked at the difference between Frizzante and Spumante when I paired Perlage Winery's 'Riva Moretta' Prosecco Valdobbiadene Frizzante

with a cheeseboard.

Then I paired Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Millesimato Extra Dry from Prosecco Toffoli with roasted lobster and learned about the Martinotti Method.

And my third bottle was Cantine Vedova's Nebbia Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore

with Seared Duck Agrodolce.

The Prosecco Hierarchy

What I learned was that not all Proseccos are created equal. I previously lumped all Prosecco into the 'Italian bubbles' category - which they are. But, before last month, I didn't realize that there is a hierarchy of those bubbles.  In fact, I'd never even heard of Prosecco Superiore much less Superiore di Cartizze.

But here's what I learned: Prosecco DOC is the base appellation for Prosecco. It's located within the region of Treviso. Prosecco DOCG, which is the focus of this month's #ItalianFWT event, is a smaller region comprised of three villages - Conegliano, Valdobbiadene, and Asolo. Prosecco Superiore Rive DOCG only applies to wines made from one of just over three dozen single vineyards in the Coneglio-Valdobiaddene district. And Prosecco Superiore di Cartizze DOCG is considered, by some, as the 'grand cru' of the Prosecco line-up. Given that I had never even heard of Cartizze, I had to trackdown a bottle!

Cartizze was officially recognized in 1969 when the DOC zone was established. It is comprised of just over 160 acres and lies on steep vineyards in the Valdobbiadene communes of San Pietro di Barbozza, Santo Stefano, and Saccol. Cartizze, derives from gardiz, a word in the local dialect that refers to the reed mat on which the grape clusters are placed to dry.

This wine was soft with nuances of summer stone fruit and subtle citrus. There were also hints of jasmine or honeysuckle. 

For me, the mineral salinity at the end contrasted this sparkler’s natural sweetness nicely and made it a good match for a savory dish.

Steamed Clams, Smoked Scallops, and Capellini

One thing I loved about the wine was the subtle saltiness and gentle citrus  that would be an ideal complement to clams and the sauce they naturally create when they are sautéed and steamed open.

Ad a nod to a traditional spaghetti alle vongole, I served a capellini dish with smoked scallops along with the steamed clams.

Steamed Clams

• 2 pounds clams, soaked, scrubbed, and dried
• 1 stick of butter, divided in half
• splash of olive oil
• 1 leek, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup prosecco or other white wine (I used some leftover wine)
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup Sambuca or other licorice-flavored liqueur (you can use water also)
• freshly ground salt
• freshly ground pepper
• Also needed: toast for serving

Procedure

Place 1/2 stick of butter in a large, flat-bottom pan with a lid. Add a splash of olive oil to keep the butter from burning. Heat until the butter is completely melted and foamy.

Add in the leek. Cook until the leeks are softened and beginning to caramelize. Deglaze the pan with prosecco. Once the prosecco begins to simmer, pour in the lemon juice and Sambuca (or water!) and place the clams in a single layer in the pan and add the remaining butter. Cook till the butter is melted, then, stir to combine. Cover and steam until the clams open. Check them after five minutes. They are cooked and ready when the shells are completely open. 

To serve, I divided the clams evenly into the bowls and spooned the sauce over the top. Offer slices of toast on the side. As you can see, there was nothing left but empty shells at the end of the dinner!

This has been an eye-opening month with a look at Prosecco Superiore or Prosecco DOCG. I will actually be attending a Prosecco DOCG luncheon in San Francisco soon and will report back on what I learn there.

And next month we'll be looking at the white wines of Northeastern Italy with Kevin of Snarky Wine. Stay tuned for more information about that. Cin cin.

Find the Consorzio

on the web, on Facebook, on Twitter, on Pinterest, on Instagram

*Disclosure: I received sample wines for recipe development, pairing, and generating social media traction. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the organizer and sponsors of this event.