The New Year, indeed the new decade, has started, and our lives are following once again the drumbeat of our daily routines. Amongst the pleasures we can look forward to is a glass of wine at the end of the day, whether in the company of friends or just to relax and take stock. Its liveliness is infectious and we are drawn to it for good reason, so why not extend the good cheer into the Spring/Summer season? For the first edition of the DrinkItaly featured wines I want to highlight two sparkling wines to kick off the year in the hope you find them cheerful companions throughout.

Prosecco, Villa Teresa, Tonon

A mainstay of Venetian culture, this wine speaks as much of mountain air as the aperitivo culture in bars and piazzas around northern Italy. Crisp and delicate, this is a charming wine suitable for many occasions. Green apples, pears, and the fresh bouquet of mountain flowers are all present, supported by an underlying minerality that keeps this Prosecco wonderfully lively. Its raison d'être is to be the perfect aperitif wine, but can also be matched with an antipasto or starter at the beginning of your meal, or indeed even a delicate main course.

Rosé Spumante

Pinot Grigio is one of the great noble grape varieties. Naturally pink skinned, this grape is capable of much complexity which is often forgotten nowadays, but here we have a producer that does this variety justice. The delicate salmon colour and fine perlage, one of the many benefits of second fermentation done in bottle, are a prelude to things to come. This wine is lightly biscuity and evolves with assurance into notes of mountain berries, spring flowers, and acacia honey; all topped off by a subtle and surprising savoury finish. Whether you open this wine to toast to with canapes, or match it with more complex dishes such as a seafood risotto, you will be impressed by its poised and elegant character that punches well above its weight.

Saverio Grazioli-Venier