Costco Connection | July | For Your Table | Wine Connection
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Love is a rosé
Kirkland Signature adds Prosecco Rosé to its lineup
Often referred to as “the Champagne of Italy” (true Champagne comes from France), prosecco is the bestselling sparkling wine in the world (by volume), with about 600 million bottles produced annually, according to a recent article in Forbes. It is typically a white wine that is almost always made in fully sparkling (spumante) or semi- sparkling (frizzante) styles. This fun sparkler is predominantly made from the glera grape, with up to 15% made up of other varietals. The governing body that controls prosecco’s designation of controlled origin (DOC) stipulates that prosecco must be made in the Veneto and Friuli–Venezia Giulia regions of northern Italy.
With its combined qualities of sweetness and fizz, prosecco, such as our Kirkland Signature™ Prosecco, can be used in several different ways. This fresh and clean sparkling wine works well as the main ingredient in a mimosa, or you can make the popular Italian cocktail called an Aperol Spritz, which consists of prosecco, club soda, Aperol—a sweet orange-colored Italian liqueur—and a slice of lime. I think it’s a perfect summertime drink. Or, if you want to keep it simple, you can chill and enjoy prosecco as is.
If you are a prosecco fan who has been thirsty for something new, you’ll be happy to know that the governing consortium for DOC Prosecco has decided to unveil a new category of this sparkling wine: prosecco rosé. The glera grape still makes up about 85% of prosecco rosé, but the remaining 15% consists of pinot noir. Pinot noir is what gives the wine its beautiful pink color, added fruity profile and red-berry freshness.
Per the DOC guidelines, the wine must sit in a fermentation tank for a minimum of 60 days, which can give the wine more complexity on the palate and on the nose as well.
Costco began offering Kirkland Signature Prosecco Rosé in July 2021, and it has been very popular with our members, based on the positive comments and the number of bottles flying out of the warehouses. Salud!
Tickled pink
If sparkling wine is not your thing, but rosé is, treat yourself to Kirkland Signature Côtes de Provence rosé wine, a light-bodied wine with aromas of strawberry, cherry and watermelon.—RY
Costco Connection: All items mentioned in this story are available at select Costco warehouses
Russ York is a buyer in Costco’s wine, beer and spirits department.
