Jeremy Parzen brought Flavio Geretto to Houston this week, and the two gentlemen poured some great wines, wines from Villa Sandi. They opened a Pinot Grigio and some Prosecco.

“Soon, Prosecco Rosé will be everywhere,” Parzen says, and I don’t see why it won’t.

Geretto, who’s with Villa Sandi, and Parzen, who works with the concern (social media, web design), were speaking to a small group of people assembled at Vinology, one of Houston’s better wine bars.

“I know a lot about Italian wine,” Parzen said, “but I’m learning things from Flavio every day.” And Geretto knows from his Prosecco. He’s enthusiastic, and the bottles he had with him are worthy of your attention. They are fresh, balanced wines, and I’d be happy pouring any of them to my guests.

Flavio Geretto
Flavio Geretto, of Villa Sandi, takes Prosecco seriously. (Photo by The Brockhaus)

Here’s what we tasted: Il Fresco Prosecco; Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore; Rosato Il Fresco (brut); and a Pinot Grigio delle Venezie. (We were also treated to a wine that I cannot discuss, because I don’t want to make anyone envious.)

Here’s Geretto talking about Prosecco.

What do you know about Prosecco? Here’s what Jancis Robinson wrote about it, on her superb site, back in 2017

For years champagne ran the most sophisticated and effective public relations machine in the world of wine. Consumers were convinced that champagne and only champagne was the socially acceptable lubricant for celebrations and smart dinner parties. 

But all that has changed. A vast army of enthusiastic wine buyers regard Prosecco as their drink of choice rather than second best – even though it is made by a much more industrial process than champagne or any of the other wines made sparkling inside individual bottles rather than in big tanks. I have to admit that Prosecco seems to disagree with me. I find too many of them too sweet for my taste, and for reasons I don’t understand, a mouthful or two of Prosecco often seems to precipitate a headache. But it’s obviously not genetic; my daughters adore the stuff. 

Fake news has hardly impinged on the world of wine but I honestly thought it had last January when I read that Prosecco producers were applying for UNESCO world heritage status for their growing area, 35,000 acres (14,154 ha) of vineyards in virtually the whole of north east Italy. It was doubled overnight in 2009 when they cunningly renamed the eponymous grape responsible for their wine Glera and registered Prosecco as a protected geographical indication instead. (It hasn’t stopped the odd Australian using the P word, so popular has the wine style become.)

Yes, UNESCO recently added the Prosecco region to its World Heritage list, and that’s not Fake News. And, you should drink Prosecco … just pay attention to the residual sugar.

Parzen did a great thing for Prosecco by organizing the seminar. (For your reading pleasure, the Wine Talk featuring Parzen.) And if you haven’t already, add Do Bianchi to your reading list.

I’m undertaking a historical and literary study of Prosecco, and you can read my findings on Mise en Place as they are published. Meanwhile, drink well, and with people you love.