Italy's wine “Zonin Prosecco” by Zonin USA, Inc. received a gold medal at the Sommeliers Choice Awards and won “Sparkling Wine of the Year By The Glass” and “Wine of the Year By Country (Italy)”.

Zonin Prosecco has a pale, straw yellow color with subtle green hues. This dry and pleasantly fruity wine finishes on an aromatic note, revealing an abundance of almond taste on the palate with hints of fresh citrus. On the nose, it is sophisticated and elegant enhanced by pleasing fruity notes. It pairs with a wide selection of dishes like Caprese salad, crab cakes, pan-seared salmon with lemon and basil, chicken pesto with angel hair pasta, or fine desserts.

This Italian wine is made out of 100% Glera grapes in the Veneto area which is a north-eastern region of Italy. The vinification process is carried out by gently pressing the grapes and then separating the resulting must into two batches: half of it undergoes an initial fermentation at 64°F while the remaining portion is stored at 32°F and kept unfermented. The must is later combined and, following the traditional Charmat method, is transferred into pressurized stainless steel tanks, where the wine gains its celebrated sparkling properties.

The Zonin family, for the past seven generations, heads the largest private vine growing and winemaking company in Italy. Domenico Zonin, President of ZONIN1821, took over the company from his father Gianni Zonin and transformed the company from being a local dimension to one of Italy’s most important wine producers and an established, well-known brand all over the world. Domenico born in 1899 lived to the age of 101 spanning three centuries. Currently, the seventh generation of the family runs the firm.

The heart of the company is located in Gambellara, in the province of Vicenza, an oasis of lush green hills, meticulously arranged vineyards, and also the ancestral home of the Zonin family. Here the company produces a wide range of wines: classic D.O.C.G. and D.O.C. wines, traditional I.G.T.s, and refined sparkling wines. These are types of wine that underline the exclusivity of their terroirs and the characteristics of the varietals from which they are made.  

Check out their website for more information about the availability and cost of the wine. 

Sommeliers Choice Awards organized by Beverage Trade Network took place on 20 May 2019 in San Francisco, USA, where wines were judged by top sommeliers, on-premise wine buyers, and wine directors at U.S. restaurants, bars, pubs, and clubs. It aims to provide on-premise buyers and sommeliers a valuable benchmark for understanding which wines would make a compelling addition to a wine list. The judging panel of the Sommeliers Choice Awards will consist entirely of top sommeliers, on-premise wine buyers, and wine directors at U.S. restaurants, bars, pubs, and clubs. The wines were judged by Food Parability, Typicity, Value, Quality, and Package. 

View the full list of winners here.

To know more about the competition, click here.