Subtle flavors of tart kiwi and crisp green apple are tinged with notes of thyme and lemon basil. Tightly wound and infused with acidity, the austere flavors are balanced by a silky texture. This wine is built for the dinner table.

Franco Adami’s grandfather Abele began bottling wine from the Giardino vineyard in the early 1930s. Vines planted on steep slopes in shallow, chalky soils yield glera with crisp acidity that, according to Franco Adami, expresses its fruit character best when produced in the dry (asciutto) style. It unfolds with a complex array of peach, melon and tangy mandarin flavors accented by a subtle note of green herbs. That lively acidity balances the 18 to 20 grams of residual sugar and carries the wine to a refreshing finish.

This bottle-fermented Prosecco has a lightly cloudy appearance and delicate scents of lemon and bread crust. Tart at first, it gains flavors of raw oatmeal, almond and lemon curd. Fully dry yet with a rich texture and deep savory tones, it’s an elegant partner for seafood or light poultry dishes, and an excellent value for a wine at this level of complexity.

The nose of this Prosecco is focused with aromas of tart green apples, Meyer lemon zest and lilies. The refined palate deftly follows the nose and continues the laser-like focus, finishing with a very impressive minerality.

There are plenty of cheap and quaffable choices available when it comes to Prosecco DOC, but for just a few dollars more you can take a real step up with Prosecco Superiore DOCG wines, especially from quality producers like Adami. Over the last decade, producers in the hilly Prosecco Superiore zone have moved toward less-sweet styles to keep up with changing market demands, applying meticulous vineyard management to achieve the perfect grapes these dryer styles require. The Adami family bought the Col Credas vineyard in the early 2000s. It lies in the Rive di Farra di Soligo, one of the 43 rive sites notable for their steep slopes and favorable exposures. The family experimented with the vinification of grapes from Col Credas for a decade, eventually concluding that wines from this site reached their best expression with just a few grams of residual sugar, and releasing Col Credas as a single-vineyard wine for the first time in the 2011 vintage. Ten years later, the 2021 Col Credas Extra Brut is firm and taut, with golden pear and citrus flavors that are pure and refreshing as they glide on a line of cool acidity.  The wine finishes crisp and dry, with lingering saline notes that call for a plate of freshly shucked Wellfleet oysters.  

A dazzling mix of crushed green apples, Sour Patch lime, tropical melon and wet river stones makes the 2021 Brut Nature Prosecco Superiore sui Lieviti Col Fondo a total pleasure on the nose. This is silky-smooth yet delicate in feel, with a bead of silken bubbles that seem to hover across the palate. Ripe pear and sweet herbal tones linger as the 2021 finishes a bit shorter than anticipated, yet with a salty flourish of minerality that urges me back to the glass for more.

This refreshing, easy-drinking prosecco offers flavors of white peach and golden apple with appealing hints of lemongrass. Its cool acidity and silky texture make it a versatile wine for appetizers and mild fish.