The ubiquitous Prosecco. It’s fun, festive, and bubbly, and just about everyone’s heard of it. Prosecco typically has a light and fruity flavor profile, and a low to moderate price point. It’s a sparkling wine choice that’s as easy on the taste buds as it is on the wallet. While there’s nothing necessarily wrong with fun, fruity, and low cost, Prosecco is rarely recognized as more than a cheap sparkling wine that doesn’t offer much more than sugar and fizz, with little variation in flavor and style, and absolutely no complexity beyond your standard sweetness. After all, it is a sparkling wine made almost exclusively using the Glera grape. The Charmat method of carbonation is used to give Prosecco its effervescence. This process of introducing carbon dioxide into large stainless steel vats filled with still Glera wine to create bubbles is often seen as inferior to the Methode Traditionnelle, a process for creating effervescence in Champagne, Cremant, and Franciacorta, and Cava, that involves a second fermentation of the wine in the bottle. The Methode Traditionnelle is a comparably more time consuming and complex process. Sparkling wines produced using the Methode Traditionnelle are often blends of two or three different grapes, giving these wines a more multi-faceted flavor profile, and frequently have finer and more persistent bubbles than sparkling wines crafted using the Charmat method. Sparkling wines including Champagne and Franciacorta are often aged in French oak barriques. This process imparts a greater complexity to the wine that continues to evolve with age. These qualities have helped to augment the global reputation of Champagne and Franciacorta.
The nearly century-old sparkling wine house Valdo raised the quality standard of Prosecco even further when it introduced the “Numero 10,” an exceptional line of vintage Valdo Valdobbiadene crafted using the Methode Traditionnelle.
A vertical tasting of vintages from the Valdo “Numero 10” line revealed the inherent myriad flavor dimensions in Glera, as well as the varietal’s capacity to age and evolve in the bottle with time, thus laying the foundation for Prosecco to raise its reputation beyond that of a standard low cost bubbly.
Valdo was founded by the Societa Anonima Vini Superiori in 1926 and acquired by the Bolla Family in 1938. Valdo has been a forerunner in the Prosecco industry for almost 100 years. Valdo was among the first to craft Prosecco Superiore, a designation given to only those Prosecco that are crafted from the best Glera selected from each harvest and processed under only the highest quality standards.
Valdo showcased a Prosecco Superiore DOCG from their “Cuvee 1926” series, as well as four vintages from their “Numero 10” line alongside an eclectic 5-course menu at Corkbuzz Restaurant in New York City, designed to highlight the adaptability of Prosecco to a variety of ingredients. Below is a list of the 5 Prosecco that were paired with each course.
Valdo “Cuvee 1926” Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG
“Cuvee 1926” refers to the year Valdo was established.
90% Glera, 10% Chardonnay
16 grams of residual sugar
Charmat method
Crisp and well-balanced, with a refreshing acidity.
Flavors of apples, pears, and bananas, as well as white flowers. with a medium-body and a long and persistent finish.
This Prosecco was complemented by a fluke crudo marinated in a gooseberry elderflower vinaigrette and accented with limes.
Valdo “Numero 10” Metodo Classico Valdobbiadene DOCG, 2019
“Numero 10” refers to the score of “10 out of 10” awarded to the line at major competitions. The “Numero 10” series is the most prestigious in the Valdo portfolio.
100% Glera
Methode Traditionnelle
Elegant, with a fine and creamy mousse.
Flavors of lemons, apples and peaches, as well as acacia and cypress.
This Prosecco was accompanied by a roasted beet salad with hazelnut ricotta.
Valdo “Numero 10” Metodo Classico Valdobbiadene DOCG, 2016
100% Glera
Methode Traditionnelle
Well-balanced, with structure and sapidity
Flavors of concentrated citrus and orchard fruits, hazelnuts, and toast.
This Prosecco was complemented by a seared bass served with fennel, apple, celery, and tomato jus.
Valdo “Numero 10” Metodo Classico Valdobbiadene DOCG, 2014
100% Glera
Methode Traditionnelle
Intense, with good body, structure, and sapidity.
Flavors of ripe peaches, mangoes, and coconuts, as well as fresh vegetation, and roasted nuts.
This Prosecco was accompanied by a veal schnitzel served with mustard aioli, orange, and capers.
Valdo “Numero 10” Metodo Classico Valdobbiadene DOCG, 2011
100% Glera
Methode Traditionnelle
Refined and well-structured, with considerably body and sapidity.
Flavors of ripe pears, apricots, and papayas, as well as balsamic and almonds.
This Prosecco was complemented by a duo of cheeses, and sliced apples and walnuts.
The vertical tasting of Valdo “Numero 10” Metodo Classico Valdobbiadene DOCG, 2019, 2016, 2014, and 2011 highlighted the breadth of elegance and complexity inherent in Prosecco. The Valdo “Numero 10” Metodo Classico DOCG series, aged for many months in the bottle before release, have continued to evolve in both in flavor and structure with time. The adaptability of the Valdo “Numero 10” Metodo Classico Valdobbiadene DOCG series to a wide range of dishes also make them great complements to any menu.
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