Drink different - Prosecco

February – the month of romance, and any Valentine’s Day celebration calls for a bottle of bubbly.  Prosecco is becoming an increasingly popular alternative to Champagne, not just because it is lighter on the pocket, but because it often has a fruitier, less acidic character.

That is because it is made in a different way, using the cuve close, or Charmat method (named for Frenchman Eugene Charmat, who pioneered the process).  Rather than the secondary fermentation taking place in the bottle, it happens in pressurized tanks.

If you are after something lighter and fruitier still, why not try Moscato d’Asti, made by the same method as Prosecco, but from Muscat grapes in Italy’s Piedmont region.  Slightly sweet, but certainly not cloying, it is light on its feet, gently peachy and mildly floral.  It is also very low in alcohol, so it won’t dull your amorous feelings on Valentine’s Day!