Two families, one from Spain and the other from Italy, have teamed to produce Voveti, a new Prosecco so rare that only 7,000 cases are available nationwide. In fact, not all states will have access to the new sparkling wine.“Texas is just one of seven states in which this sparkling wine will be available. In Dallas, we just launched it this week. It will also be available in Houston, Austin and San Antonio ,” said Liz Hartley, an associate marketing manager for Freixenet USA, owned by Pedro and Gloria Ferrer . Hartley said Voveti , which will retail for approximately $16.99 a bottle, will mainly be available on the east coast at independent retailers and Italian restaurants in New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia, Illinois and Washington, D.C.“We came into this conservatively, but we started distributing it in the other states about two months ago. Voveti is a marriage between the viticulture of Northern Italy’s Prosecco region and Veneto, the Friuli-Venezia wine region,” Harley added.Steeped in the European tradition of winemaking, the Ferrer family of Barcelona chose the Collavini family from Friuli, Italy, to create an artisanal Prosecco with a distinguished Italian pedigree.“The Ferrer family could have made a Prosecco like so many others, but they wanted to go to the source, so they went to the Collavini family in. In Italy, the Collavini family has been making wine for over 100 years,” said Hartley. Keeping in mind that Italy is in the shape of a long boot helps to envision the wine region. Voveti comes from the wine region called Friuli Venezia Giulia DOC, which is far above the knee area of boot-shaped Italy. Some characteristics of Voveti are that it is a floral scented gold-colored sparkling wine. Think of honeysuckle for example. It is not too dry and not too sweet, unlike some popular Prosecco sparkling wines. “This sparkling wine is more of a Spumante-style brut. There are a lot of Proseccos, but this one has no extra sugar added,” said Hartley, who traveled to Dallas from California to help launch the new Prosecco.So what you get is a bouquet of apples, melon and other fruits. Voveti sparkles due to tiny, effervescent bubbles. There’s no denying that this hand-crafted Italian sparkling wine is in a class by itself. Mr. G’s Beverage & Deli Center, with one of the largest selections of beer and wine in North Texas, expects delivery of its ration of this artisanal classic Prosecco this week.“I had it at an event last night and loved it,” said John Shirley, wine director and general manager of Mr. G’s in Plano, situated about 25 north of Dallas. “It’s light and creamy, but it’s crisp, fresh and bright.”Shirley, who also acts as a judge in the annual Dallas Morning News wine competition, said that since only 7,000 cases were produced, and it won’t be available nationwide, Voveti will be in short supply.“There are a lot of Proseccos, but this one is hand crafted and well made. So they’re not going to make enough for everybody. But we knew about it because we carry other wine products from Freixenet and the Ferrer family,” he said.Friuli Venezia, the birthplace of modern Italian white wines, and Conegliano Valdobbiadene, the heart of the finest Prosecco teamed to produce Voveti. So whether it’s served as an aperitif or paired with a meal, Voveti represents the best Prosecco on the market now.
