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Put Some Altitude in Your Glass
21: The Prosecco Show with Jelena Meisel from Zonin
Jul 20, 2018
21: The Prosecco Show with Jelena Meisel from Zonin
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FULL TRANSCRIPT
0:00
[instrumental music] You're listening to Denver Wine Radio. It's a DJ and a winemaker yakking about music and wine. Presented by Bonacquisti Wine Company. And now here's Cha and Paulie.
0:14
Welcome everybody to Denver Wine Radio. I'm Paul Bonacquisti. Cha Cha Chavez is in the house today. Hey, Cha Cha. Hey, Paulie-Wally. What's up? Not much, you know, um, drinking some wine.
0:25
[laughs] Chilling, trying to stay cool in this heat wave that's across the country. Oh, that's for sure. Man, we gotta find ways to stay cool, Paul. We do. You can only drink so many Slurpees.
0:35
What you got in that bottle over there? Well, it was free Slurpee yesterday, but [laughs] It was, and I went and got my free Slurpee. Did you get the...
0:41
Speaking of Slurpee, did you get the, uh, I haven't tried it yet, but there's a, uh, Captain Crunch Berry Slurpee. Oh, God, no. [laughs] Yeah. [laughs] I didn't even see that. That just made my stomach turn. It did.
0:51
[laughs] I can't da- Oh, yeah, no... I can't handle the sugar. Uh-uh. But, um, but yeah. So, uh, yeah, lots of ways to cool off in the summer and, uh, one way is to drink prosecco. Oh, that's the nice bubbly wine, right?
1:03
Yeah, bubbly wine from Italy. Uh, it comes from Northern Italy and, um, it's, well, it's delicious. It is, and you can mix it like mimosas. Oh, yeah. Oh, that's awesome. You can mix it. You can drink it straight. Yep.
1:16
You can add whatever you want to it and, um, and it's great any time of the day. Right. Little crushed ice. So- Or do, do you do an ice with that type of, uh, that type of, uh- Uh... wine or no? Typically no. Okay.
1:27
You wouldn't do ice with this. Okay. Okay. But, um, it'll, you know, probably kill your bubbles, but, you know- Okay... hey, I'm not, I'm not here to tell you- What to do... what to do. [laughs] Okay?
1:36
If you want ice, put ice in it. That's right. [laughs] So, uh, but, uh, we have a special guest today, Jelena Majzel from Zonin International. So, uh, Zonin is a, uh, it's an international brand that makes prosecco.
1:50
You probably, maybe you've seen this label around. I have. Yeah. I- and that's one of the best ones to get actually. Yeah. Don't you think? It is.
1:57
It's, uh, it's really good and, um, we should, uh, we should talk to Jelena right now. Hi, Jelena. Welcome to Denver Wine Radio. How you doing? Hey, Paul. Thanks so much for having me. I'm great. Oh, good.
2:09
Well, uh, thanks for being on, uh, Denver Wine Radio. And, uh, so tell us about, uh, Zonin International. I know I've, I've, I've seen the label, uh, the prosecco label, uh, around forever.
2:19
Give us a little rundown about, uh, Zonin. Well, wonderful, thank you so much. So Zonin, uh, 1821, we're a family-owned, uh, winery from Italy, and, you know, we've been around, obviously, since 1821.
2:31
The first written documents ever found, you know, of showcasing of the sale of wines were in 1821.
2:37
And we're seventh generation winemakers now, and, uh, the company is ran by three brothers, three incredible, um, you know, brothers that are really balancing it so well and, uh, keeping it still, you know, at the family level even though, you know, we're one of the large privately owned wineries in Italy.
2:57
So, uh, they truly, the statement of, you know, a family business, business of family, that's what Zonin is about. Wow, that's wonderful. What, in 1821, that's incredible. So what a- Yes, I-... what a tremendous history.
3:07
Exactly. So tell us, uh, uh, about prosecco and, and what it is.
3:12
Well, prosecco, you know, I mean, uh, it's really, it's a signature Italian wine I would have to say, but it's an Italian sparkling, uh, wine, uh, with, you know, and, uh, specific to our Zonin prosecco is that it's m- it has these beautiful small little bubbles that just kind of roll on your tongue and, you know, it's really a sipper.
3:32
It's just very enjoyable, very refreshing. So for us, uh, that is if you, uh, notice maybe one of the only, you know, products that actually carries the family name.
3:43
So it is really one of the most important products that we have in our portfolio, and we're really proud that it carries the name Zonin on it. So, um- Wow...
3:51
and it's just, uh, really perfect for every occasion and every part of a day. Yeah, prosecco is, it's, it's really wonderful and, um, and, and my wife will attest. [laughs] So she's always telling me- Yeah. [laughs]...
4:02
"Pick up a bottle of prosecco." Yes. [laughs] So- It's just, it's a beautiful little sipper, you know? It's just, it, it's a very easy wine to enjoy and drink.
4:11
Um, it can be, you know, I think it's perfectly paired just with a glass, uh, but you can pair it, you know, with w- uh, with meals as well. So it has that very high versatility that is just so beautiful.
4:23
It's a little bit different, you know, obviously, than champagne. So that's what makes it so much more approachable. So prosecco, I think, is good- For-... breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Yeah.
4:33
It could be like a laid back kind of thing. You get up on a Sunday morning, let's say a Bronco Sunday, right? Right. Right? [laughs] Let's say they play the, what, late 11 o'clock game. Okay.
4:42
Okay, we're, uh- The ear- yeah, the early game? The early game. Yeah, and, uh, you, you make a little brunch, you put a little spread together, a little cheese, crackers, salmon, and you pop this.
4:52
I'm telling you, the Broncos may win a game. Let's see. If you pop this. [bottle pops] Oh. Woo. [laughs] And that's the sound like you wanna hear at a party, at a wedding.
5:02
This is a good wine, don't you think, to have at a, a wedding, a reception, uh, some kind of a great, you know, uh, uh, celebration too, just as well as a Bronco brunch. Oh, yeah.
5:15
This, uh, yeah, prosecco's great all, yeah, it, really, it's great all the time. It's so light. Oh, I love the way it looks. Um, you know, it's, uh, this is a brut and, um- What's brut? Okay- Brut is the-...
5:25
explain brut. Because brut used to be what, what the, the cologne people wore in the '80s- [laughs] Yeah... or '70s. Maybe they're still wearing it. [laughs] Maybe, yeah, some are still wearing brut.
5:34
[laughs] But, um, yeah, brut is the level of dryness of the, you know, level of sweetness in, uh- In a wine? In wines. Yes. Oh, I didn't know that. And, and- Okay... and sparkling wine. So there's- Okay...
5:45
yeah, there's, there's brut, there's extra brut. So the, the more the brut, the sweeter the brut? Uh, this is the way I remember because extra brut, uh, you would think would be extra dry- Right... but it's not.
5:57
It's the opposite. So there's brut, extra brut, and then it starts to go up in sweetness from there. And so when I'm- There's demi-sec and, uh- Oh, okay... yeah.
6:05
So when I go to, uh, smell this, I'm smelling it the same way as I would be, uh, smelling a cab or something else? Yeah, you can, yeah, stick your nose in it.
6:13
Be careful though, the, sometimes the bubbles will- Yeah, the bubbles go off... they'll, yeah, they'll go up your nose, tickle your nose. It, it's kinda like Pop Rocks. Yeah, exactly. [laughs] And a Coke.
6:20
Have you ever done that? That's a whole nother Oprah. Wow, I haven't done that one. [laughs] Okay. [laughs] I did do, um, [laughs] I did do Mentos in a Diet Pepsi- You did?... in a two liter. [laughs] You drop a...
6:31
Yeah. Aren't they supposed to explode? Uh, they do. It shoots up. [laughs] In fact- Out of the bottle? [laughs] In fact, um, we b- we found a, a l- a Mentos launcher thing.
6:39
You put, you, you put it on the, on the top of your two liter- Yeah... bottle of pop. Oh, no. There's an attachment? And then there's an attachment. You drop the, the Mentos drop in, and then you back out.
6:51
You back away, and it shoots up like 20 feet in the air. Oh my God. We digress. Okay, so I smell very fruity. Oh, yeah. Very fruity. Very light. It's so light smelling, don't you think? Oh, yeah, real light smelling.
7:04
A lot of, uh... Yeah, there's like a lime, mineral characteristic to it. Ah. That is a way to cool down on a triple digit Denver day. Oh, wow. Yeah. That is so good. That hits the spot. [laughs] That, that is good.
7:19
I mean, and, and, um, like she said, you know, uh, serving it, you could have it in a glass by itself, or you could pair it. You could throw any kind of, like, orange juice or, you know, maybe some berries in there.
7:32
But you really don't need to, [laughs] 'cause it's really good. Yeah, it is. As is. It is. It's really good as is. Prosecco, I, I had learned it was made from the Prosecco grape. So Prosecco is made from the Glera grape.
7:45
That's- That is correct... has been- Yes, the, yeah, the grape is actually called the Glera, and the town where the Glera was first found, it was called Prosecco. So I think that's where kind of...
7:56
And, uh, I think it was, uh, 2009 or 2008 that the, the laws that protect, you know, Italian wines have changed, and they've changed it from, um, basically they've changed it, you know, from Prosecco grape to Glera grape.
8:13
So would there be any difference in flavor of the, of a rosé? Oh, yeah, definitely. Yeah.
8:19
Ro- a rosé would have a, a different flavor profile because it's made from, uh, a red grape, um, be- you know, red grape made like a white wine.
8:27
'Cause this was very citrusy, and it almost had like a almond, nutty kind of light kind of flavor. So would a, a rosé take on more of a f- like a flowery, fruity flavor? Yes.
8:39
Could be, yeah, more flowery, more fruity, more, and then more tart berry type- Oh, yeah... uh, type of characteristic. Okay. So Zonin makes a sparkling rosé, and- Okay. And would that be a different, uh, flavor profile?
8:53
Yes. So we have, uh, so it's a sparkling rosé that also carries the name Zonin, uh, you know, of the Zonin brand, and it's made of, uh, Nero d'Avola grape. And it's the tiny... Because our Prosecco is actually very dry.
9:09
Um, on a contrary that is known in the market, usually the Prosecco is very on the sweeter side. Ours is very dry and refreshing. It has those almond and citrus notes.
9:17
While the sparkling rosé has a little bit of hint, hint of s- uh, maybe sweetness, a little bit of, uh, dry strawberries. Um, so it's quite different in profile, but just looks as lovely in a glass.
9:30
[laughs] And it drinks just as lovely- Yeah... in a glass. This is really good. This is really, really, uh, refreshing. I like the Prosecco show, John. Yeah, me too. This is awesome. Yeah.
9:39
So, you know, here on the show we, we like to talk about Colorado and, uh, and high altitude wines and, and, um, you know, John, we have the, some of the highest vineyards in the world here in Colorado. Absolutely.
9:50
What, 5,000 feet? Yep, 5,000. Uh, yeah. 6,000. Yep. And some even as high as 6,000 over in, uh, you know, Paonia area and Hotchkiss. Those grapes have big lungs. Oh, yes. [laughs] So anyway, um- Altitude in the glass...
10:06
we like to put altitude in our glass and, um, and, 'cause it has a great effect on the wine. So Zonin has two, two of their properties, they own, uh, nine properties around Italy,
10:19
and, um, two of them are in Tuscany, and, and they actually have the highest vineyards. Those properties are set on the highest vineyards in Tuscany. Wow. Which, which come in around 2,300 feet. Okay.
10:33
So- That's pretty high up there. It's not 5, 6,000 but- Right... you know, it's, for Italy, absolutely. Can't compete with 5,000 feet. [laughs] Uh, we're about 2,300 feet, but it is, um, you're absolutely right.
10:45
It's our Chianti property called Castello di Albola, and, uh, that is actually located from, uh, uh, at the twen- it's the highest, uh, altitude vineyard in the Chianti region called Radda in Chianti, and is situated at 2,300 feet above the sea level.
11:03
Wow, that's amazing. And, and that, um- Yeah... um, you know, what, uh, v- for y- for that property, I mean, what does altitude bring to the, to the wine?
11:13
Uh, I mean, you know, really I would say a beautiful elegance and acidity and, uh, just low tannins. And you will see, like, basically 2,300 feet l- above the sea is where we actually grow our Chardonnay. Oh.
11:27
Um, for, you know, being that we're in Chianti, obviously Sangiovese is 90% of what we grow in that, uh, in that vineyard.
11:34
So that is probably somewhere about 1,300, 1,000 feet, because I think, uh, our winemaker, they have figured out that really the optimal, you know, uh, levels are about 300 feet to 400 s- uh, 450 meters above the sea level where, you know, we can cultivate really the best Sangiovese with the red wine.
11:54
And I think part of that is that it allows the grapes, you know, to ripen to give them the best results. Um, and they have the, just the right sun exposure, you know, there is just the right soil content.
12:06
And of course, uh, because of the hills, it's the angles of harvesting that play a huge role in what kind of wine we produce in the area. Wow. Exactly. [laughs] Wow. She knows her wine. She- Wow...
12:19
she knows her stuff, and- [laughs]... everything she says I can echo about Colorado. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. We, you know, the, the sunshine, the- Mm-hmm...
12:28
we get the ripeness, we get the great, um, the great fruit flavors. Mm-hmm. Uh, it all comes out in the wine and the soil. It all, it all comes together. And the angle of the vines.
12:38
I, I mean, who would think the angle of the vines would, you know? Yeah. But that's crazy. There's definitely a lot more of that in, uh, in Italy, in the, in the, those rolling hills- Exactly... in Tuscany that- Yeah...
12:48
yeah, vi- you know, vineyards are set on, on like sides of mountains- Yeah... or sides of hills. Absolutely. So. Yeah, they look so cool too, huh? Oh, yeah. Yeah, beautiful.
12:56
But they face them towards, uh, you know, you want a south exposure, uh, to get the sunshine and, uh- At a certain time of the day. Exactly. And then in the evening, the coolness. Mm-hmm. Yeah, all that kind of stuff.
13:07
It's all the secret sauce. [laughs] Yeah, it's all in the secret sauce. I've learned so much about wine, Paul. Thank you for educating me- Oh, it's my pleasure... [laughs] on the wine show.
13:15
And we've, we've drank some really good wines too. Absolutely. Prosecco, this is really, really good today. Man, it's like, as we've said, it's been wicked hot in Denver, and this would cool you down for sure.
13:25
That's right. Well, we, we obviously like high altitude wines and, and, um, I asked Yelena if she'd ever had any Colorado wine. Yeah. And I don't... She wasn't too familiar. No, no altitude in her glass as of yet?
13:38
[laughs] No, not yet. I, I actually, I'm gonna be honest with you, I don't think I have ever tasted any Colorado wines. So today, when I leave my office, I'm gonna go and definitely look for some.
13:48
That's what we like to hear. Absolutely. [laughs] Plus, we're gonna send her some wine. Absolutely. She's gotta taste the altitude.
13:54
She has to taste, like you were saying, you know, where, where they grow the grapes, you know, uh, up on the Western Slope. There's so many other things, great things that they grow there.
14:04
So that plays a big part in it too, right? Oh, yeah, definitely. Well, it's been a bubbly show. It has. It's, uh, has been a real fun, bubbly show. And, uh, Zonin, I, uh, picked this up at Molly's of course. Mm-hmm.
14:16
And, um, uh- How much is that? This, uh, Zonin Prosecco Cuvee 1821 is, um, 11.98. What? Yep, 12 bucks. No. And you know what? I, I got to, uh, cash in my $5- Coupon?... uh, my reward. Yeah. [laughs] Ayee.
14:34
So I cashed in my... She asked me, "Do you wanna cash in your $5?" I was like, "Yeah." So this was like 12 bucks? Yeah, it's a $12- No, five bucks?
14:41
Well, no, it was 12 bucks, and I got, I got my five bucks off- Oh, my goodness... 'cause of my reward, so I, I paid seven bucks today. Dude. Plus tax. What a deal. Oh, I got a great deal.
14:50
And, um, so yeah, go, get out and enjoy some Prosecco. Yum. And especially, uh, look for the Zonin label. It's, uh, it's a wonderful wine. We- So good, so light.
14:59
We're gonna keep, uh, we're gonna keep drinking these, and then we're gonna put some altitude in our glass as well. [laughs] So- That's exactly what we're gonna do...
15:04
I didn't have anything, uh, comparable to, uh, compare today, but, um, uh, we'll work on that for the next show. See, I really don't think, Paulie. This is, this is... It, standing alone, was perfect today. Yes. Yeah.
15:16
This, this is all we needed. Yeah, so and then when, uh, Yelena, she's actually, she's gonna send me some wine, uh, from their, uh, their Chianti properties, those high altitude.
15:26
And then we'll do another show and, and follow up with her and, uh- And compare them... and, and compare those with our, our high altitude Colorado wines. Okay, awesome. So, all right. All right.
15:35
Hey, that, uh, wraps it up again. Uh, thanks for listening to Denver Wine Radio. What else you got? That's all I got. Okay. Put some altitude in your glass, and we'll talk to you next time.
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