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Aperitif wine: sparkling, light or perfumed?

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Written by EFW Staff

Wine as a new idea of aperitif

Aperitif is a moment to relax, waiting for the meal. It is a moment of the day when you can chat with your friends or with the colleagues after the job. In the past, the aperitif was exclusively based on alcoholic or non alcoholic drinks, flavoured with herbs. In the ’80 there have been a boom of the aperitif with olives, chips and peanuts. Today, the trend has changed. Aperitif has become almost a mini-meal, served with a glass of wine and diverse canapé prepared carefully and mainly based on cold cuts, cheese, savoury pies and backing products.

Characteristics of aperitif wine

The aperitif can be white, red, still or sparkling. The most important thing is that it shouldn’t be too strong. Sparkling wine is pretty pleasant as it contribute to the cleaning of the taste buds, waiting for the following bite. White wine, generally, is perfect for summer aperitif on the beach. Its fruity and floral notes spice up the palate, but only if it is served at the right temperatures. White wine needs to stay in the fridge, also at a low temperature, keeping in mind that the heat will increase it. Light red wines are the most suitable in winter and in the city centre when the air become fresh and the red wine give a pleasant sensation of warm.

Prosecco, the traditional aperitif wine

Prosecco is the aperitif wine per excellence. Its light structure and the bubbles make it perfectly paired with the canapé offered by the wine-bars. But there is a terrible confusion about it: each sparkling wine proposed during aperitif is usually called Prosecco. Actually, Prosecco is referred exclusively to the wines produced in Veneto, sold with the certification of the territory, which it belongs to. The most suitable Prosecco is the extra dry version, which sugar residual is higher and for this reason it is less difficult to pair with appetizers. Prosecco spago, sparkling wine isn’t ideal for aperitif, as the bubbles are rougher and it is most suitable for a structured dish. In Veneto, Prosecco is paired with few appetizers as a pleasant break.

Aperitif with white wine, fresh and intense emotions

In summer, on the beach, still white wine is pretty common as aperitif. Wine-bar proposes pairings that reminds seasonal vegetables, the sea and other typical summer specialities.
White wine has to be fresh, fruity and young with a good acidity that reinvigorates the palate. An octopus salad or pasta salad, fresh cheese, toasted bread with tuna sauce and pastel vegetables can be the right matching.

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New wine, pleasant wine for an autumn aperitif

New wine has become one of the main characters in the food and wine field. People wait the end of October to tap this light and fruity wine. It has a different vinification in comparison with the traditional wine. The idea, however, to taste this newness of the period intrigues young people and less young ones. Its light structure makes it easy to pair with cold cuts and half-aged cheese. The fruity perfumes and the alcohol contained in it make it the perfect wine for an autumn aperitif, above all in the city centre.

Red wine for aperitif

There is a wide variety of aperitif wines. The password is light and fruity, with alcohol. If you prefer a sparkling red wine choose a Lambrusco or a Bonarda dell’Oltrepo’ Pavese. For still red wine you can choose among Bardolino, Merlot, Montepulciano, Sangiovese di Romagna that are some examples of wines that can be pleasant as aperitif.

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EFW Staff