Pizza and Prosecco. Is this a match made in heaven?
No, it's a match made at Eataly in Century City.
The occasion: a Prosecco master class conducted by Luigi Capasso of Eataly's beverage operations.
The class reviewed eight Proseccos paired with pizzas from Fabio Ugoletti, Eataly's chef de cuisine.
They weren't Neapolitan style pizzas but pizza romana, thick-crusted, crunchy at the bottom and soft inside. The dough for pizza romana is more moist and baked at a lower temperature than Neapolitan style pizza, Ugoletti said.
Unlike individual Neapolitan pizzas, pizza romana is large and long, meant to be cut into multiple servings.
Ugoletti (above) brought out five, with savory, sweet, earthy and bitter toppings designed to show how well Prosecco pairs with a variety of flavors.
Meanwhile, Capasso explained that Prosecco isn't just a popular sparkling wine but a tightly controlled product, named for the region in northeastern Italy where it is produced.
Bright and fresh, it's less expensive than classic Champagne, delivering quality at a reasonable price.
In 2018, 464,000,000 bottles were produced, of which 75% was exported. Slightly more than 20% of this went to the United States, the second largest export market.
Here are more Prosecco facts from Capasso:
The dominant grape is Giera, a semi-aromatic variety. Legally, Prosecco must be 85% Giera. The remaining 15% can be from a variety of approved grapes.
Prosecco is at it's best one year after harvest, but don't wait longer than two years to drink it.
There have been bogus Proseccos on the market. To make sure you have the real thing, look for Prosecco DOC on the label and the state mark and seal. Above is an example.
Each of the wines poured at the class tasted slightly different, some a little sweeter, some more aromatic or acidic, but all paired well with the pizzas.
They were Zonin Brut, Valdo Brut, Le Contesse Brut, Villa Sandi Il Fresco Brut, Torresella Extra Dry, Villa degli Olmi Extra Dry, La Marca Extra Dry and Mionetto Organic Extra Dry.
The first pizza was topped with calamari, clams, mussels and shrimp.
Next came pizza with burrata, mortadella and pistachios.
If any flavor could challenge a wine, it would be the bitterness of radicchio on this pizza. But the Proseccos could handle it. Asiago cheese and walnuts helped to counteract the bitterness.
Truffles dominated this pizza. On top are zucchini and zucchini blossoms.
The most unusual was a sweet pizza with wildflower honey, Pecorino cheese and black pepper. This would be perfect for a sunny summer brunch.
As Capasso said, the balance of sugar and acidity makes Prosecco perfect with different cuisines and at any time of day. It's "something fun to drink."
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