Babo Prosecco DOC NV

Babo is a drier-than-usual Prosecco drawn from a single harvest in Friuli, though DOC rules require it to be labelled non-vintage.

Prosecco DOC covers a wide area across the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. This wine comes from a young vineyard at San Martino al Tagliamento, a village in Friuli granted Prosecco status only recently. It is made entirely from Glera by the Charmat method, in which the second fermentation takes place in a pressurised tank rather than in bottle, keeping the fruit direct and the texture soft. Residual sugar sits at 10 grams per litre against the roughly 17 grams typical of Prosecco sold in Australia, so this reads as noticeably drier and more intense than most. The fruit comes from one vintage, but because the DOC does not permit a vintage statement at this level the bottle carries none.

Drink it young and cold, at about 8°C, as an aperitif or with prosciutto, arancini or lightly fried seafood.

Type: Sparkling Wine
Style: Light-bodied, Dry, Direct
Grape Varietal: Glera
Tastes Like: Comparable to a standard Prosecco, but distinctly drier and more intense
Alcohol Percentage: 11%
Closure: Cork with wire cage
Size: 750mL
Appellation: Prosecco DOC
Region: San Martino al Tagliamento, Friuli, Italy
Terroir: A young vineyard in a Friulian village granted Prosecco status only recently
Aging: Second fermentation by the Charmat method in pressurised tank, bottled with 10 grams per litre residual sugar
Serving Temperature: 8℃ – Serve well chilled

Babo makes bright, easy-going wines across several Italian regions, with an emphasis on drinkability. This Prosecco is drier than most: residual sugar sits at 10 grams per litre against the roughly 17 grams typical of Prosecco sold in Australia, so it reads as noticeably drier and more intense.

Prosecco DOC covers a wide area across the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. This wine comes from a young vineyard at San Martino al Tagliamento, a village in Friuli granted Prosecco status only recently. It is made entirely from Glera by the Charmat method, in which the second fermentation takes place in a pressurised tank rather than in bottle, keeping the fruit direct and the texture soft. The fruit comes from a single vintage, but because the DOC does not permit a vintage statement at this level the bottle carries none.

Aperitivo: Perfect chilled on its own or with cicchetti and olives
Fried Food: Excellent with arancini, fritto misto or lightly fried seafood
Charcuterie: Pairs beautifully with prosciutto, bresaola or salami
Seafood: Ideal with prawns, oysters or salt cod crostini

Fresh Mozzarella: Soft and milky, suiting the wine’s light, direct fruit
Ricotta: Delicate and creamy, complementing the soft texture of the bubbles
Asiago Fresco: Mild and supple, a Veneto match for a Veneto style
Young Pecorino: Lightly salty, balanced by the wine’s dryness

Baccalà Mantecato (Venetian Whipped Salt Cod on Crostini)

Ingredients (Serves 6 as cicchetti):

• 500g dried salt cod
• 500ml milk
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 bay leaf
• 200ml mild extra virgin olive oil
• Small bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• White pepper
• Grilled polenta or crostini, to serve

Instructions:

1. Soak the salt cod in cold water for 48 hours, changing the water three or four times a day.
2. Drain, then poach it gently in the milk with the garlic and bay leaf for 20 minutes until it flakes.
3. Lift the fish out, reserving the poaching milk, and remove every trace of skin and bone.
4. Put the flaked fish in a bowl and begin working it with a wooden spoon or beater.
5. Add the olive oil in a very thin stream, exactly as for mayonnaise, beating constantly until the mixture turns pale and creamy.
6. Loosen with a little of the warm poaching milk if it becomes too stiff.
7. Season with white pepper and fold through the parsley. It should need no salt.
8. Spoon onto grilled polenta or crostini and serve at room temperature.

The best known of the Venetian cicchetti, eaten standing up in bars across the lagoon with a glass in the other hand. At 10 grams of residual sugar this Prosecco is noticeably drier than most, which is exactly what a rich, oily whipped cod wants.