Since man invented wine, producing a beverage which pleased him, thanks to the magic of fermenting grape juice, the association with food has certainly been the next invention and, so to speak, obvious and predictable. It is not, of course, the only case – that of wine – for which human beings showed a brilliant inventiveness with the aim of satisfying their own pleasure, no less, even more than one at the same time. This, in fact, has happened for many other beverages created by the ingenuity and creativity of human beings, thanks – no less important, indeed, essential – to natural phenomena that over time have been understood and therefore controlled to man's liking and favor. In this sense, there is no doubt that wine is one of the most complex and, perhaps, exciting results that human beings have been able to obtain throughout their history. A bond that has become practically intimate and identifying, to the point of supreme consecration in becoming a ritual beverage with a high celebratory meaning.

 The context in which wine has certainly played a fundamental role, on a social and cultural level, is certainly at the table. In the main wine-producing countries of Europe – Italy, France and Spain – even today, for the majority of the population, it is practically impossible to imagine a table set with food without the presence of wine. Yes, I know that, in recent times, with the new generations who seem to be a little less interested in wine than the previous ones, this bond seems to be less solid. This trend, according to the most recent surveys, seems to be occurring in all three of these countries, including Italy. While it is true that for the new generations, imagining a meal without the presence of wine at the table is becoming frequent, it is certainly not the case for the previous generations, including mine. Personally, imagining a table ready to welcome guests and therefore consuming the meal together, without the presence of a bottle of wine, is something that, in addition to being unthinkable, gives me, no less, a sense of sadness, as if something important were missing.

 The relationship between wine and food, however, is decidedly complex, not always happy, especially because, most of the time, it is a purely subjective matter. For this reason, any absolute rule becomes useless and even unpleasant. If, in fact, someone likes to eat – for example – plain boiled fennel and paired to a Barolo di Serralunga d'Alba, one can argue or object as much as one wants, but, as they say, if you like it, you like it. The same can be said for all those combinations considered traditional or historical, even though they frequently are questionable if scrupulously analyzed according to criteria, so to speak, purely technical and sensorial. These are consolidated habits and cultures that everyone accepts and, no less, considers absolutely obligatory and essential. This category very often includes a long list of combinations of expensive and elite foods paired with equally expensive wines and therefore usually consumed by people with a fair amount of financial resources, producing a marriage of dubious taste but nevertheless exclusive and elitist.

 In the course of time, even in times now distant from ours, rules have been formulated to allow the pairing of food with wine, in order to be agreeable and harmonious. Food and wine pairing could be defined as an art – and, in many respects, it truly is – however art is not always understood, shared and appreciated by everyone in the same way. With the result that, inevitably, there will always be someone who will find the pairing of food with wine questionable and not completely agreeable, regardless of the rigor and exact application of a technique or method. Exactly like when you contemplate a painting, a statue or listen to music. And art – as we know – is not for everyone. This also gives origin to certain excesses of creativity, with not always exciting results, evidently the result of approximation, superficiality and – allow me – of arrogant ignorance, not least, of bad taste.

 It is fair to reiterate that, when it comes to tastes, it is difficult to object to certain combinations, however, going against the consolidated rules of the physiology of taste, of the proven terrible result of the interaction and combination of certain elements, it is difficult to find an objective consensus. This – I am very sorry to have to note and say it – happens more and more often in restaurants, when you listen to the advice of the wine service person at the table who is frequently and clearly unprepared on the bottles on the list and how to pair them with what is being prepared in the kitchen. Most of the time, one has the impression that the advice is dictated more by the need to sell a certain wine rather than appropriately considering what customers have ordered from the kitchen. I can understand it from a purely commercial and profit point of view, totally incomprehensible in the perspective of satisfying the customer and, which is anything but trivial, making him or her to come back. This, of course, in case the customer is attentive and interested in the food and wine pairing and not when is content to drink and eat whatever he or she wants in a carefree manner – anything is equally good – especially because he or she does not pay the slightest attention to what is being puts in the mouth and without first subjecting it to the judgment of eyes and nose.

 That pairing wine with food is often a secondary aspect in restaurants can be seen when, as soon as you sit down at the table, the waiter, in handing you the menu, immediately asks what to bring to drink, without even waiting to take the order for the kitchen. Sometimes, things do not go better when you explicitly ask for advice on the wine to pair with the dish you ordered. The answers are sometimes bizarre, including personal ones like “I like it with such and such wine” or “wait a moment, I'll go ask”. In most cases, the owner arrives and, without offense, is not of any better help and perhaps suggests a certain wine because “everyone takes it”. Yet, at least for me, the pleasure of pairing a dish with wine is a primary condition for appreciating a meal. Perhaps this is also why the sight of a table set without the presence of wine gives me a sense of sadness, as if I were deprived of half the pleasure that good food promises. Of course, what I like, even in terms of food and wine pairing, does not necessarily mean that everyone will like it, knowing that – of course – it is something subjective and an art that inevitably passes through the subjectivity of one's own taste.

 However, I am convinced that there are objective principles, also in consideration of the physiology and perception of taste, since it is practically similar within the same society and culture, not only because they are determined and supported by technical and practical considerations. At least for me, when at the table you share a good wine well paired with what you are enjoying from your dish, the pleasure is undeniably greater and grateful. But it takes very little – very little – to compromise this magical masterpiece of art. To all those who, thinking they are “revolutionaries”, “innovators” and “against the rules” with their out-of-place creative food and wine excesses, thinking they have created the most sublime of magic, so extraordinary that it massacres the sense of smell and taste, I ask you not to ruin even this small and innocent pleasure. Let us enjoy and get the maximum pleasure both from the work of the kitchen and from the exciting whisper that rises from the glass. After all, we are simple people and we settle for little, just like a perfectly done food and wine pairing made with art.

 The world of sparkling wines is fascinating and exciting, not only for the reputation that these wines have been able to earn, especially those produced with the method of refermentation in the bottle. However, the exact opposite is also true, in case we are considering the vast production of bubbles that can simply be defined as insignificant. The same consideration – evidently – can be made for any style and type of wine, however in the world of sparkling wines this extreme dichotomy seems to be more frequent than in other productions. This is probably also due to the different methods generally used for the production of sparkling wines, each capable of giving its best with certain grape varieties, while with others decidedly mediocre results are obtained. To this we must also add that sparkling wines, in order to express remarkable levels of quality, require a decidedly high level of enological technical expertise, probably more scrupulous and complex than other wine styles.

 Italy, from north to south, boasts a wide and varied production of sparkling wines, with denominations that today represent primary references at a global level. Among the many sparkling wines produced in Italy, one of the most famous and celebrated certainly is Conegliano Valdobbiadene - Prosecco Spumante Superiore, one of the primary commercial successes of Italian enology, known all over the world. Another commercial success is certainly represented by Moscato d'Asti – belonging to the Asti denomination – a wine that, from a technical point of view, is not considered a full sparkling wine – it is, in fact, a partially fermented wine – despite being characterized by effervescence and bubbles. These are the wines that we will pour into the glasses of this month's tasting by contrast and, despite not exactly belonging to the same style, both are characterized by effervescence. The grapes used for their production are notoriously different: Glera for Conegliano Valdobbiadene - Prosecco Spumante Superiore, Moscato Bianco – internationally known as Muscat Blanc – for Moscato d'Asti.

 Among the most famous names of Italian wine in the world, Moscato d'Asti certainly occupies a prominent position, shared with the sparkling style – both belonging to the denomination Asti or Asti Spumante – certainly the most famous style of the area. In this regard, it should be noted that the production area of Asti is recognized as Denominazione d'Origine Controllata e Garantita (Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin, DOCG) whose regulations provide for various styles and, among these, Moscato d'Asti. The wines of this denomination are produced with Moscato Bianco grape, the leading variety among those properly defined aromatic, providing for Moscato d'Asti styles, sparkling – both Martinotti and Classic method – as well as wines obtained with late harvest grapes. As regards the composition, the production disciplinary provide for the use of Moscato Bianco for at least 97%, with the possible remaining quota of aromatic white grapes permitted in the Piedmont region. In this regard, it should be noted that the majority of the wines produced under the denomination – if not all – are produced exclusively with Moscato Bianco.

 The production method of Moscato d'Asti and the non-classic method sparkling wine style involves the use of a closed tank, a system invented and patented by Federico Martinotti in 1895 – further developed in 1921 – when he was the headmaster of the Royal Wine Station of Asti. In the specific case of Moscato d'Asti, the fermentation of the must is carried out inside the closed tank, properly interrupting it in order to obtain a partially fermented sparkling wine characterized by marked sweetness, moderate effervescence and low alcohol content. In accordance with the production disciplinary, Moscato d'Asti must in fact have an alcohol content of between 4.50 and 6.50% and an overpressure in the bottle not exceeding 2.5 atmospheres. This process also produces a decidedly sweet wine, because of the unfermented residual sugars. Finally, the bottle of Moscato d'Asti must not be sealed with a mushroom cork and wire cage, a characteristic that makes it immediately recognizable from the sparkling wine styles.

 Conegliano Valdobbiadene - Prosecco, one of the most famous and celebrated wines of Italian enology in the world, is also one of the primary expressions of the vast production of the Veneto region, specifically, of the province of Treviso. A wine that needs no particular introduction, Conegliano Valdobbiadene - Prosecco is also recognized by the Italian quality system as Denominazione d'Origine Controllata e Garantita (Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin, DOCG). In accordance with its production disciplinary, Conegliano Valdobbiadene - Prosecco is produced mainly with the Glera grape – once known as Prosecco – in addition to a maximum of 15% of the Verdiso, Bianchetta trevigiana, Perera and Glera lunga varieties. It is a sparkling wine obtained from fermentation in a closed tank, using the method perfected at the Conegliano Enological School by Prof. Tullio De Rosa and based on the Martinotti method, in order to adapt it to the characteristics of the Glera grape with the aim of enhancing its aromas.

 In this regard, it must be mentioned the important experimental activity conducted by Antonio Carpenè and which can be considered as the founding event of the practice of sparkling wine production in this territory. Conegliano Valdobbiadene - Prosecco Spumante Superiore – that is, the wine we are examining in our tasting by contrast – is today produced in the styles from Extra Brut to Demi-Sec, according to the quantity of residual sugars. Although the drier styles – such as Extra Brut and Brut – are progressively gaining the interest of producers and consumers, the Extra Dry style is in fact the most produced and identifying one of this wine, definitely the most famous and characteristic. In accordance with the production disciplinary, Conegliano Valdobbiadene - Prosecco Spumante Superiore must have a minimum alcohol content of 11%. Finally, although the production disciplinary allow the use of other varieties, Conegliano Valdobbiadene - Prosecco is in the majority of cases produced with Glera grape only.

The color and bubbles of Conegliano Valdobbiadene - Prosecco Spumante Superiore Extra-Dry

 Finding the bottles that we will pour into the glasses of our tasting by contrast is quite easy. Thanks to their considerable production and availability, both Moscato d'Asti and Conegliano Valdobbiadene - Prosecco Spumante Superiore are always present on the shelves of any shop or place that sells or serves wine. As for Moscato d'Asti, we will make sure it indeed belongs to this style, easily recognizable by the presence of the same type of cork normally used for still wines, therefore it should not be confused with Asti Spumante, which bottle is sealed with a mushroom cork and wire cage. As for Conegliano Valdobbiadene - Prosecco Spumante Superiore, we will pay attention to both the style and the grapes used for its production. We will therefore make sure it is the Extra-Dry style and produced exclusively with Glera grapes. We will also choose, for both wines, bottles belonging to the most recent vintage and which we will pour into the respective tasting glasses at a temperature of 10 °C (50 °F).

 We can now begin our tasting by contrast and pour Moscato d'Asti and Conegliano Valdobbiadene - Prosecco Spumante Superiore Extra Dry into their respective glasses. We will begin by evaluating the appearance of Moscato d'Asti and, holding the glass in a vertical position, we will observe the development of the bubbles. We can see a movement that, from the bottom of the glass, develops upwards, with numerous and rather fine bubbles. The color of Moscato d'Asti, observed by tilting the glass over a white surface, reveals a bright greenish yellow and, observing the wine towards the opening of the glass, nuances of the same color. We now move on to evaluating the appearance of Conegliano Valdobbiadene - Prosecco Spumante Superiore Extra Dry and, holding the glass in a vertical position, we note a development of very fine and numerous bubbles. The color of the Venetian wine – observation made with the glass tilted over the white surface – reveals a bright and intense greenish yellow, as well as a pale straw yellow, with a nuance of the same color.

 The olfactory profiles of Moscato Bianco and Glera are decidedly different, however, as a result of the vinification in the closed tank and used for both wines, some olfactory similarities can sometimes be detected. Unlike Glera, Moscato Bianco is a truly aromatic variety, a quality that unequivocally identifies its wines, including Moscato d'Asti. In this wine, therefore, the scent of grape juice will always be present and with high intensity, a quality which is instead absent in Conegliano Valdobbiadene - Prosecco Spumante Superiore Extra Dry. Among the olfactory qualities characterizing Glera, pear, apple, green apple and wisteria are clearly recognizable, as well as sensations of peach, pineapple, tangerine and kiwi are perceived. The world of flowers, in addition to wisteria, is also expressed by broom, hawthorn, chamomile and, sometimes, acacia. Moscato Bianco, in addition to the already mentioned scent of grape juice, is recognized, among many others, by the scents of peach, pear, lychee and apricot. The world of flowers is also richly expressed in Moscato Bianco, especially broom and white rose, often followed by acacia and lavender. In addition, in Moscato Bianco can often be perceived the pleasing scent of sage as well as other aromatic herbs.

 Let's resume our tasting by contrast and proceed with the analysis of the olfactory profiles of Moscato d'Asti and Conegliano Valdobbiadene - Prosecco Spumante Superiore Extra Dry, starting – as in the previous phase – with the Piedmontese wine. We keep the glass in vertical position and, without swirling it, we proceed with the first smell in order to evaluate the opening of the wine, that is, its primary and identifying aromas. To the nose we perceive, intense and clean, the pleasing scent of grape juice, primary and identifying quality of Moscato Bianco. Let's now swirl the glass and proceed with the second smell: the olfactory profile of Moscato d'Asti is completed, among others, with peach, pear, lychee, green apple, white rose, broom and sage. Let's now move on to the evaluation of the opening of the Conegliano Valdobbiadene - Prosecco Spumante Superiore Extra Dry, therefore, with the glass in vertical position and without swirling it, we proceed with the first smell. The wine from Veneto is recognizable with the aromas of pear, apple and wisteria, the latter strongly identifying in these wines. After swirling the glass and proceeding with the second smell, the profile of the wine is completed with peach, pineapple, tangerine, plum and kiwi, as well as broom, hawthorn and, often, acacia.

 Let's now move on to the evaluation of the gustatory profiles of the wines in our contrast tasting, starting, again, with Moscato d'Asti. Let's take a sip of the very aromatic Piedmont wine and evaluate its attack. The marked sweetness is immediately perceived in the mouth – it is, in fact, partially fermented must, therefore with a considerable quantity of residual sugars – immediately put in perfect balance both by the pleasing crispness of the acidity and by the effervescence, both well perceptible. The role of alcohol is instead negligible and its typical pseudo-caloric sensation in the mouth is practically imperceptible. The intense flavor of grape juice dominates above all, followed by pleasing flavors of peach, pear and lychee. Let's now move on to the evaluation of the attack of the Conegliano Valdobbiadene - Prosecco Spumante Superiore Extra Dry. In the mouth, we can immediately perceive the pleasing effervescence – more intense than in Moscato d'Asti – and the crispness produced by the acidity, to which is added a pleasing sweetness, although much weaker than Moscato d'Asti. The balance, in this case, is obtained by the alcohol which is clearly perceptible here. In the mouth, we also perceive the flavors of pear, apple, peach and pineapple. For both wines, the structure is modest.

 We have reached the final stage of this month's tasting by contrast, so let's proceed with the evaluation of the final sensations that the wines leave in the mouth after swallowing, including the so-called taste-olfactory persistence. The finish of Moscato d'Asti is decidedly persistent, leaving a pleasing sweetness in the mouth and well balanced by the acidity, in addition to the intense flavor of grape juice combined with peach, pear and lychee. The sensation of structure is decidedly weak as is that of the alcohol. The finish of Valdobbiadene - Prosecco Spumante Superiore Extra Dry is persistent, leaving in the mouth – compared to the previous wine – a sensation of fuller structure with the pseudo-caloric effect of the alcohol perceptible, although not intense. In the mouth can also be perceived the pleasing crispness conferred by the acidity, in addition to the intense flavors of pear, apple and peach, including a pleasing sensation of sweetness. Before concluding our tasting, let's proceed with the last smell of the two glasses, first the Moscato d'Asti and then the Valdobbiadene - Prosecco Spumante Superiore Extra Dry. The differences are substantial and evident, once again clearly highlighting the primary aromatic qualities of the Moscato d'Asti compared to the Glera.

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