Back in April, I recommended a sparkling pink Prosecco, a fun and frothy Italian sparkling wine, as an ideal quaff to greet the season.
Now that the dog days of August are here, I've come to realize that this offbeat rose-colored sparkler makes an even better solution for those steamy evenings when you need a salad for dinner because even with air-conditioning, you really don't want to see a flame on top of the stove.
Like the Cantine Riondo "Pink" Prosecco Raboso featured on April 11, today's featured wine - De Faveri Spumante Rosé Extra Dry - adds just a 2 percent splash of red Raboso grapes to add a zippy tang and pretty salmon pink color to the wine. Although it's made by De Faveri, a well-regarded Prosecco producer, this label bears no regional designation - not even "Italy" - likely the result of an unauthorized mix of out-of-the region vineyard sources.
Never mind that ... the wine clearly says Prosecco, and the shot of red juice confers not only a pleasing color but, perhaps, a refreshing shot of light bitterness in the finish. Relatively quaffable at 11 percent alcohol, its gentle sweetness (16 grams per liter, for the technically inclined) is nicely balanced by crisp acidity (5,80 gr/l) to yield a frothy, palate-cleansing wine that's in no way cloying.
De Faveri Spumante Rosé Extra Dry ($15.99)It's a beautiful, transparent salmon pink with a lasting bubble stream. Good, delicate red-berry aromas; frothy and tart, with sufficient acidity to cloak delicate residual sugar, and a distinct, pleasant touch of bitterness in the finish. A light 11 percent alcohol makes it particularly inviting as an aperitif that won't knock you back on your heels. U.S. importer: Specialty Wine Co., Sandusky, Ohio. (July 29, 2008)
FOOD MATCH: Fine as an aperitif, delicious with cool summer dinner salads, and - like other frothy, crisp and barely sweet wines - surprisingly good with spicy cuisine, such as my choice, Cajun-style shrimp and chicken gumbo.
VALUE: Although you can find Prosecco for less, the enjoyable flavors and crisp freshness of this fruity sparkler left me with no buyer's remorse over this mid-teens price.
WHEN TO DRINK: Freshness is a virtue, and since the wine is non-vintage, it's best to look for it at trusted merchants with good turnover.
WEB LINK:
Click the flag icon of your preference on the De Faveri Website for English, Italian, German, French or Spanish. You'll find an English-language fact sheet on this sparkling rosé here: http://www.defaverispumanti.it/eng/spumante_rose.php
FIND THIS WINE ONLINE:
Hits on De Faveri Rosé are limited on Wine-Searcher.com, but vendors listed for the firm's other wines may have access to this pink sparkler:
http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/Faver ... g_site=WLP
The U.S. importer, Specialty Wine Co. of Sandusky, Ohio, may also be able to provide information about regional distributors.
http://www.specialtywineco.com/welcome.html