Please find below further information in addition to the tasting guide included with your Ca'Salina Prosecco Tasting Box.  If you have any questions that haven't been answered below, then please email us at justperfectwines@gmail.com and we will try our best to help you.

Remember that you do not have to be a wine expert to know what you like!  We hope that you enjoy your experience.  

1. GENERAL

Q: What is the best way to use the Tasting Box?

A: You can use the contents as best suits you.  You can enjoy the tasting box as a fun and learning experience or just drink the wonderful Proseccos with lovely glasses. 

Enjoy each Prosecco on a separate occasion or more than one at a time using the stopper provided and Ca'Salina Prosecco glasses included.  Read through the tasting guide, as well as the further information provided below and most of all - enjoy and have fun!  Ideal to enjoy the experience of a 'Ca'Salina Prosecco tasting event' within the comfort of your own home by yourself (the stopper is great) or with company.  

Q: What is the objective of the Ca'Salina Prosecco Tasting Box?

A: We wish to help more consumers experience the delights of drinking real, artisan Prosecco and from the right glass.   If you are investing a little more in quality Prosecco, the right glass ie, a Prosecco glass rather than narrow flute makes a big difference  - and you don't have to be a wine expert to notice the difference.  We also would like to help you understand more about Prosecco, which could help you find those that are perfect for you.

Hosting a Prosecco Tasting Event at LoveClay, Stoke on Trent

After many years developing and delivering actual Prosecco tasting events in Staffordshire, we wanted to reach out to a wider audience to share our knowledge attained from our wonderful wineries, wine study, industry experts and our lovely customers we have met along the way.   There is a lot more to Prosecco than you might think! 

Q: How should I taste the Prosecco?

A: The recommended stages of wine tasting are:

1. LOOK
1. Pour the chilled Prosecco into the glass to the widest part of the glasses (about half way). 
2. Hold the glass by the stem (that is what the stem is for and prevents heating up the wine). 
3. Look at the tiny bubbles; you should see streams of tiny bubbles rising from the nucleation point (an etching at the base of the glass). 
4. Hold the glass against a white background and look at the colour of the Prosecco which is typically a pale, straw yellow colour.  A pale Prosecco is the sign of a young Prosecco.  Prosecco is best drunk young, whilst it is still fresh and crisp.  
2. SWIRL
1. Holding the glass by the stem, swirl the Prosecco.  This helps to add oxygen into the wine which increases the aromas. 
2. Now check what you can smell.  Typical aromas are green apple and pear, with some hints of citrus fruits, peach and floral notes.  You should be able to detect the beautiful, fresh aromas with the help of the Prosecco glasses which are accentuating the aroma characteristics which exist within the wine.
3. TASTE 
1. Now taste the wine.  Taste is subjective, so we will all experience something a little different but typically the Prosecco is fresh on your palate, with a good balance of acidity and sweetness which follows.  You should find the Proseccos are soft on your palate with gentle bubbles that spills across your tongue.  
2. Taste the wine alone, then taste with some food as recommended in the tasting notes.  Generally foods that are not too overpowering in flavour will work best with Prosecco.   For the drier Brut styles foods such as Italian antipasta ie, salty Palma ham, salami as well as fatty, light cheeses work very well.   The foods will sometimes change the taste a little.  Prosecco is great with food as the gentle acidity produces extra saliva and gives a really, refreshing mouthfeel.   
3. If you are tasting all the wines, drink some water in between each Prosecco with maybe a cracker or apple, to help to neutralise your palate.
4. EXPERIENCE 
1. Make notes of your experience on the Tasting Notes as a reminder.
2. How do you find the Proseccos? 
3. Did the taste change if you ate different foods with wines? 
4. Do you like using the glasses?
5. Do you have a favorite Prosecco? 
6. Please share your experience with us! 
5. ENJOY
1. Most importantly, enjoy the beautiful wines and have fun discovering more about the wonderful artisan Ca'Salina Prosecco. 

2. THE PROSECCO 

Q: Is there an order to taste the Prosecco?

A: Not particularly if you are tasting the wines individually.  If you are tasting all of them together or do wish to follow an order, it is best to taste in order of sweetness.  Therefore, start with the driest and finish with the sweetest.  Click on the links below to discover more about the Prosecco:

1. Ca'Salina Prosecco Superiore DOCG Rivete Brut
2. Ca'Salina Prosecco DOC Frizzante
3. Ca'Salina Prosecco Superiore DOCG Sirocol Extra Dry
4. Ca'Salina Prosecco Superiore Paradiso Dry

Q: Can I read more about the Ca'Salina winery?

A: Please check out our Ca'Salina winery pages here.  

Q: Where is the Prosecco region located?

A: The Prosecco region is found in North Italy, stretching across Veneto and Friuli.  The below map shows how the area is split into different zones and where our Furlan winery is located.

 The Prosecco Region

Q: Why is 'Extra Dry' categorised as such if it's not extra dry to your taste?

A: It is believed that years ago when a sweetness was first labelled it was the 'Dry' classification ie, quite sweet but back then it was considered dry.  Years later, winemakers made wine with less sugar.  This type of wine was referred to as 'Extra Dry' which then made sense.  Some time later, wine was made with even less sugar and was given the name 'Brut'.  Today, it is probably the most commonly known sweetness category and we know it for being a 'dry to our taste' style .  Once we discover 'Extra Dry', it then becomes really confusing as such a wine is actually a little sweeter not extra dry with less sugar.   

3. GLASSES

Q: Why are flutes not the best glass for Prosecco?

A: A wider glass with a diamond or egg shape is recommended in preference to a narrow flute to drink quality Prosecco due to a number of factors:

1. The wider bowl helps the wine to breathe and accentuates all the characteristics of the wine sparkling wine. [A flute is a little too narrow to allow this to happen].
2. It helps to reduce the perception of acidity.  This is due to how the glass delivers the wine to an area of your tongue which first detects taste.  [Often tasting in a flute, you taste a higher acidity level which depending on personal choice, isn't always favourable].
3. The mouth of the glass is wider, allowing for an easier and more enjoyable drinking experience.  [Your nose may get in the way using a flute!].
4. The wider glass is easier to swirl and helps to release the aromas.  [Virtually impossible with a flute unless you want to spill most of it].
5. The wider mouth and bowl of the glass is easier to clean and polish with a cloth.  [It can be quite difficult with a flute].

In Italy, you would hardly ever, if at all, see the Italians drink Prosecco from a narrow flute.  They would use a Prosecco glass or white wine glass as they know it's the best way to enjoy Prosecco.   A glass that is too wide eg, a red wine glass, doesn't work too well for the Prosecco either as the wine characteristics get a little lost within the glass.  

Q: What is special about a Ca'Salina Prosecco glass?

 A: As well as the generic points listed above, the Ca'Salina Prosecco glass has many benefits:

1. Made from high quality crystal giving strength and sheer brilliance to the glass.
2. The glass features a 'nucleation point' (a small etching at the base of the bowl) which gives the bubbles a surface to form from. [If the glass is too smooth and clean, there will be no bubbles!].
3. The glass is perfectly balanced when held; not too heavy not too light.
4. The glasses are dishwasher proof.  As the glass is high quality, the surface is ultra smooth and resistant to dishwasher water/detergent damage (if used in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions).
5.  There is a fine rim which helps with the precision of delivering the wine to the right tasting spot on your tongue, as well as perceiving the wine as softer on the palate. 

  Q: If flutes are not recommended, why do they exist?

A: Very good question.  Flutes are a traditional glass and used for toasting celebratory occasions.  It is thought that flutes were designed to retain the bubbles due to the small surface area at the mouth and also for showing off the long stream of bubbles.  However, later research has discovered that a wider diamond or egg shaped glass is better for enjoying fine sparkling wine rather than the narrow flute.  

Q: If diamond/egg shaped glasses are better for fine Proseco, why don't restaurants and bars use them?

A: Some do and things are slowly changing.  However, most still do use flutes in the UK as it is what the customer expects.  Many establishments do not have the time to explain to customers why they are serving Prosecco in a wine glass for example rather than a flute.  Also a 125ml measure is a full glass in a flute.  In a wine glass, it would look like a short measure. 

Q: Sometimes I don't see many bubbles in the Prosecco using the Ca'Salina Prosecco glasses, why is that?

A: The bubbles are there.    The bubbles need a rough surface in order for the trapped carbon dioxide within the liquid to be released.  As the glasses are made of very high quality crystal glass the surface is very smooth which aids the drinking experience.  However, there are no natural rough spots so there is an intentional 'nucleation point' where the bubbles form from.  This helps to give a controlled stream of bubbles.  If there were too many bubbles, your Prosecco would go flat quicker.  If there were no bubbles, the aroma would be weaker as the bubbles help to push the aromas to the surface.  If the glasses are dusty, you may see more bubbles as the specks of dust act as nucleation points too.

Q: How to I clean the Prosecco glasses?

A: It is recommended washing the glasses in a dishwasher.  A dishwasher helps to get them very clean to ensure no grease film develops to prevent bubbles forming.  You can of course still handwash them if you prefer, but ensure you rinse well so free of detergent.  It is not recommended to polish/dry the glasses with a cloth that has been laundered in detergent as this will kill your bubbles!  In both cases, handle with care.  

Q: I like flutes, what should I do with them?

A: Of course, glasses are a personal choice too.  You may have a favourite flute you enjoy drinking your Prosecco from and that is perfectly fine.  You just might not get the best experience from a technical point of view (higher acidity, less aroma and taste) compared to a wider glass.  

4. PROSECCO STOPPER

Q: How long will the Prosecco keep the bubbles for with a stopper?

A: It depends on how full the bottle is and how often the stopper is taken off and on, but generally a few days.  Please be careful when removing the stopper as the pressure will build up again.  The experience will be like taking a cork off for the first time.  

Q: How do I clean the stopper?

A: it is best to wash by hand in soapy water and rinse well.  Dishwashing is not recommended.

Q: Can I buy more stoppers?

A: Yes, from our website here.