Citylife in Lichfield September 2020

Prosecco Review
Getting the
Skinny!
..................
It’s the new Champagne – it’s sparkling, it’s refreshing and it’s
affordable! What’s more, I actually prefer the delicate flavour and
light fizz of Prosecco to the heavy, tight-bubbles of its French
counterpart. So when I was asked to partake in a review of local
company Simply Prosecco, I couldn’t possibly refuse!
There’s no denying it, Prosecco is everywhere right now. It’s very
trendy and it’s a popular choice of celebratory beverage for special
occasions… weddings, anniversaries, birthdays… in fact, anywhere that
requires a toast, you’ll find flutes filled with Prosecco bubbles.
Here’s the history bit… hailing from Italy, and dating back to the
sixteenth century, Prosecco is produced in a large area spanning nine
provinces and is named after a village called, you guessed it, Prosecco! The
Prosecco grape itself makes up 85% of the wine (the other 15% is
permitted to be comprised of different varieties), and it is always
sparkling or semi-sparkling. But why is it so popular all of a sudden? Well,
it is fermented in stainless steel tanks, making it more cost effective to
produce than Champagne and wine experts the world over have raved
about its improved flavour over the last decade.
This is where Simply Prosecco comes in. The Lichfield-based company,
run by Tracey and Joanne, boasts a mobile Prosecco bar (in the form of a
cute converted Piaggio van) which will attend your event and provide
your guests with Prosecco, beer and cocktails on tap! It’s a great way to
ensure an endless flow of the
good stuff, as well as creating
a talking point amongst your
guests.
The company also offers
hampers on its website,
dedicated to providing you
with that perfect night in,
and this is what I was going
to try: The Movie Night
Package, consisting of a
bottle of fizz, a box of fine
chocolates and gourmet
popcorn. What made it even
more interesting, however,
was that I was going to be
trying Skinny Prosecco – same great taste, same great
sparkle – but with less calories! As an avid dieter eager to
watch the pounds following lockdown, this was music to my
ears.
Made from 100% Glera grape and coming from the Veneto
region of Northern Italy, the bottle, which had been chilling
for at least eight hours, popped with gusto and I poured a
lively flute of fizz, examining it carefully for differences to my
usual brand. It looked the same; crystal clear, pale in colour
and with streams of tiny bubbles effervescing gently. It was
light on the tongue, with an initial burst of sweetness which
gave way to a drier finish on the palette. In short –
absolutely beautiful and the ideal drink on a lovely warm
evening as it was refreshing and very clean-tasting. The fact
it contains just 0.25g of sugar per 125ml, and only 68
calories, made this gluten-free, vegan beverage all the more
enticing!
As the sun went down, I poured myself another flute of
my new favourite tipple, nibbled on the delicious salted
caramel chocolates from Artisan du Chocolat of London,
and tucked into the salted caramel popcorn from Joe &
Seph’s (the hint of salt setting off the sweet tang of the
Prosecco perfectly). It’s the ideal way to end a hectic
weekend and Skinny Prosecco could seriously be a game
changer! Salute!
To find out more about Simply Prosecco,
visit www.simplyprosecco.co.uk or find
them on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/simplyprosecco.
Dining Out - A City of Flavours