2009 Bellenda Prosecco Superiore

A wise person once told me, “Think a lot, say little, write less.” I totally understand what they were getting at. I’ve shot myself in the foot so many times with the things I’ve written, I’m surprised I can walk. But today I feel wiser. Today I’m working on getting past stereotype. Today I am open to possibility. I am not too busy to dismiss new ideas. For it was another wise person (actually, it was the World Commander) who told me, “The most important thing you can do is to listen. Keep your ears open. Hear everything.” It may come as no shock to you that I love wine. Red, white, or gold … love them all. I do not like labels. No, not the paper ones on the bottles, the ones that are flippantly attached to certain wines for all sorts of crazy reasons. You know, like Sauternes are dessert wines or Beaujolais wines have little character. Then there’s this one; sparkling wines are just for celebrations. I can see how that one got legs, but still. At the risk of ruining another figurative pair of shoes, I say no to typecasting a wine! We know Sauternes are perfect with dinner and Cru Beaujolais (especially from 2009) are full of character! So are sparkling wines just for celebrations? Are smiles just for celebrations? Is happiness just for celebrations? Of course the answer to all of these questions is no. Though opening a bottle of sparkling wine can make us a little giddy, it is not mandatory to have a celebratory reason to do so. Remember; this is wine. It is made to complement whatever is on your plate. A couple of weeks ago, I had the best brunch ever; it was capped by, get this, a Crab Benedict. This was utter perfection. Do you ever have those moments? When the first bite of something is so sublime that it alters the time and space continuum? The wine that I had with it was sufficient; good but not great. I sit today typing, knowing that there is a sparkling wine that we carry, the 2009 Bellenda Prosecco Superiore, that would pair so well with that dish, that if I were to ever experience the 2 together, I would turn into someone people would refer to as, “what happened to that dude?”

Yes, Prosecco. This Bellenda Prosecco is yet another of the fruits of our labors. We go on these travelling junkets and taste a lot of wine. Sometimes the surroundings can be a bit uncomfortable. Bumping into people; searching for a spitoon with a mouthful of wine; no air conditioning, stuff like that. Alas, but sometimes you taste a gem of a wine that makes it all worth it. That’s what this is. It’s light and lively. Its texture is complex, pinging off all the right sensors on the palate, and leaving an aromatic panoply of blossoms, pears, almonds and a springtime breeze. When tasting Prosecco, I usually brace myself for simple flavors, lower acid, and a kiss of sugar. Not here. The Bellenda is a whole different kind of Prosecco for me. It’s dry. The lively acid and tiny bubbles make me yearn for another go-around at that Crab Benny! So yeah, not for celebrations … for a Sunday brunch!Speaking of which, today being what it is and all, a Sunday brunch may be in order. We wish all you Moms out there a very happy Mother’s Day! Every day is really Mother’s Day, just like every day is really Thanksgiving. But this one is sanctioned, or official, so with that, we toast you all! Have some brunch, or lunch; spend some time with friends and family. Want a pairing suggestion, that will work with darned near everything? How ’bout a bottle of Bellenda Prosecco Superiore? That is just what the doctor ordered. – Peter Zavialoff