Prosecco Valdobbiadene DOCG vs Prosecco Extra-Dry DOC. In today’s video Annabelle McVine matches two ten Euro Italian Prosecco bottles with a spicy calamari squid feast. Both the Tinazzi Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG Brut and the Piccini Prosecco DOC Extra Dry are 2016 vintage. Both Prosecco sparkling wines are light and bubbly, and perfect for a Prosecco Brunch, a lunchtime wine tasting. Seafood and wine can be tricky, it can be difficult to know what to serve with fried calamari. Which wine pairs best with the spicy calamari that Annabelle is preparing for lunch? And, stick around to the end to find out the wine trivia about Prosecco cocktails and the Prosecco Bellini.
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Video Transcript
Do you know which wine pairs perfectly with fresh calamari? Yesterday, WineScribble’s own organic fisherman, Vassilis, brought us freshly caught squid. There is only one response to a calamari feast: bring out the bubbles! And make sure you stick around until the end for my bonus bit of wine trivia about Prosecco cocktails!
Hey Tasters, this is Annabelle McVine. Welcome to the WineScribble Youtube Channel, the home of “Wine Applied”.
10 Euro Prosecco Valdobbiadene
We have two 10 euro bottles of Prosecco to compare, a Piccini DOC Extra Dry (which, in sparkling wine language actually means slightly sweet) and a Tinazzi Valdobbiadene DOCG Brut (which means Dry). We wanted to find out which would taste best with the calamari feast we prepared for lunch.
Let’s jump right in and talk about the squid, the salads and the sauces we paired with our Prosecco. The fried squid rings were fresh and buttery soft, marinated in buttermilk and flavoured with salt, pepper and paprika. I used a recipe from a favourite blog. The link is in the description below.
Alongside we had two dipping sauces. One was homemade tartar and the other a blended roasted red-pepper and mayonnaise dip. On the table there was also a bowl of black olives, a salad topped with walnuts and sliced pear, and fresh black-eyed peas with mint and feta cheese.
Prosecco Valdobbiadene Pairing
Now, let’s discuss my wine choices for pairing with this meal.
First, the extra dry Piccini Prosecco. This has a really great nose. There are aromas of melon, pear, apple, and a hint of apricot which give this wine a really summery scent. It tastes crisp and refreshing, a little sweet, and the light mousse is extremely pleasant on the tongue. The Piccini is light-bodied and has a fast finish. At 11% alcohol content, it is just right for a lunchtime tasting.
Our second wine is the Tinazzi Valdobbiadene. This is Dry with very delicate aromas of peach and pear. The mousse is fine in the glass and leaves a lasting fresh tickle on the tongue. Like the Piccini, the Tinazzi Prosecco is also 11%t alcohol, and has a playfully light body. But the Tinazzi has a slightly longer finish.
This comparison was especially fascinating. Though, both wines paired perfectly with our butter-rich calamari rings, each bottle played well with different side dishes. The slightly sweeter Piccini loved the walnut and pear salad, matching perfectly the nuttiness from the walnuts and the pear aromas. The Piccini also worked very well with the red pepper mayonnaise sauce, lightening up the throaty richness and making friends with the smokey fruitiness of the roasted red pepper.
On the other hand, the more savoury Tinazzi made friends with the saltier elements of the meal. The tartar, the feta cheese, the olives and the fresh bean salad brought out the wine’s shy fruit, allowing the sweeter notes of the wine to emerge by contrast. The Tinazzi Prosecco also really came to life when we spiked the paprika battered squid rings with a spritz of fresh lemon.
The Result
Just this once, I am tempted to call this a draw. I would happily taste either of these wines again with a fresh calamari lunch! If absolutely pressed, I would say the Tinazzi has a slight edge over the Piccini in terms of acidity, adding to the crispness of the tasting experience. But whichever way you call it, Prosecco and squid are a match made in culinary heaven.
Wine tasting is loads of fun. If you want to try it for yourselves – and I can’t recommend the experience enough -grab a copy of our free PDF: The WineScribble Tasting Sheet. It will empower you to take sensory notes while you taste wine. And for more pairing videos, check out our ever-growing Wine and Food Pairing Playlist on YouTube.
You may have noticed that sparkling wines have unusual, mushroom-shaped corks. And that you never see one with a screw cap. If you find corks and screw tops fascinating, we have a video that helps you understand the significance of corks vs screw caps. I have left the link in the Description below.
Belini Cocktail Trivia
And now for my bit of trivia about that cheeky favourite cocktail, the Prosecco Bellini. Did you know that the elegant Bellini cocktail was invented in Italy, in 1948? Giuseppe Cipriani, the founder of the original Harry’s Bar in Venice, named it Bellini because the delicious pink colour reminded him of the toga a saint is wearing in a 15th century painting by Giovanni Bellini. I find it just a little bit ironic that a cocktail that is guaranteed to put everyone in a devilish mood, has such saintly provenance.
So, Tasters, If you liked this tasting video let us know! Click on the like button below, share it with your friends and subscribe to our YouTube Channel now. And remember, those who drink get drunk. Those who taste, feel sublime. I will see you on the next video.
Video Description
[WineScribble Related Video]
Which is better? Corks vs Screw Caps: https://youtu.be/ZZD13DTlgY0
[WineScribble Wine & Food Playlist]
Click for more videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVMY0Z6rTYI
[Recipe Link]
Spicy Calamari Recipe: https://manfuelblog.com/2017/04/02/restaurant-style-fried-calamari-recipe-with-light-breading/
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