Prosecco is rapidly becoming the wine of choice for many Americans. Eighteen million now drink sparkling wine at least once a week, and prosecco sales are skyrocketing. The Drink Business reported last year that global sales of prosecco now exceed Champagne.
On a recent visit to Costco, I was intrigued by a display of Kirkland Signature (Costco’s house brand) prosecco with a bright purple cap and label, priced at only $7. This is not cheap bulk wine, but a sparkler sourced from a reputable winery in Italy. Costco is able to offer almost unbelievable deals like this because they are the biggest alcoholic beverage retail operation in the United States and they keep prices low by imposing a 15 percent margin cap on all products, including wine.
This wine is an extra-dry Prosecco made from grapes grown in the vineyards of the Veneto region close to the Italian Alps. Alcohol by volume is a very modest 11.0 percent.
The wine is light golden yellow in color with a good bead. Fragrant aromas of yellow peach, apple, and pear arise from the glass, leading to exuberant flavors that echo the aromas. The refreshingly fruity finish has only the slightest hint of sweetness due to a small amount of residual sugar (extra dry is sweeter than brut and may have up to 17g of sugar making the term “extra-dry” somewhat confusing).
Prosecco is extremely versatile with a variety of foods. Serve it chilled as an aperitif, with snacks like buttered popcorn and tortilla chips, as an accompaniment to fried foods like calamari, and with seafood, particularly sashimi.
Kirkland Signature wines are sold county-wide exclusively at Costco stores.
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