A wine for ... when it's hot
De Bortoli King Valley Prosecco $16.20-$18
Prosecco, a neutral-flavoured northern Italian grape, makes light, pleasantly tart sparkling wines. For most in the market, the flavour might politely be called "subtle". But that's a virtue in a wine loved for its liveliness, tickly bubbles, fresh, cleansing finish and ability to slip down almost unnoticed. The De Bortoli family sources theirs from Victoria's King Valley. They use early picked grapes and make the wine protectively in stainless steel tanks where it undergoes both a primary fermentation then, after blending, a secondary fermentation to produce the bubbles.
Chris Shanahan