Home > Articles > Bubble Up With Mario and Luigi
Bubble Up With Mario and Luigi
But our Princess is in another bottle!
by Mike Supple
published: 06 Jan 2010 | Comments
With the passing of another New Year's Eve, I've come to the following realizations:
- There's no such thing as too much sparkling wine in one night;
- Nothing takes the edge off January 1 like a day of group video gaming;
- If I'm going to be able to afford to keep drinking bubbly, I need to explore more options;
- With Tiger Woods out of the way, I can finally land that Gillette commercial.
The New Super Mario Bros. Wii is an immensely fun game - albeit frustrating - particularly when played with three other people. The frantic atmosphere created by four characters all jumping into each other, throwing each other into pits and stealing each other's power-ups in classic 2-D, side-scrolling action simply can't be beat. Unless of course you're enjoying some sparkling wine at the same time.
Why sparkling wine? The new Mario game allows players to bow out of a particularly difficult part of a level while a friend completes it for them by simply pressing the "A" button. This results in a bubble forming around the character so he floats around, out of harm's way, until a teammate frees him at a more suitable time (or over a pit of lava if so desired). Of course pressing "A" to make your character bubble up provides you with a perfect opportunity to bubble up for yourself. And since Mario and Luigi are outrageous caricatures of Italian plumbers, there's nothing better to bubble up with while playing New Super Mario Bros. Wii than one of the many fine selections from Italy...
...which leads me to my carefully crafted segue into the educational part.
Thanks mostly to the 1970s, many people equate the term spumante with sickeningly sweet bubbly Italian garbage that causes wicked hangovers. The word really just means "sparkling" in Italian, and thanks to its derogatory associations, it has largely been dropped from most labels. In fact, Italy produces many different types of sparkling wine: dry and sweet; white, pink and red; cheap and expensive; terrible and world-class.
Here are short descriptions and price ranges for Italy's bubbles:
Asti
Formerly referred to as "Asti Spumante" but now mostly just called Asti. Asti is a town in Piedmont, located in northern Italy. Typical Asti is slightly off-dry (a hint of sweetness) and has light, floral aromas of orange blossoms with flavors of peaches and citrus. It is made entirely from the Moscato (Muscat) grape, which is naturally high in acid, helping to balance the sugar. Made in bulk with the second fermentation often happening in a tank (rather than in the bottle like the Champagne method). Generally bottled without a particular vintage date, this wine is best when consumed young and fresh - so don't buy the last dusty bottle from the back corner of the bottom shelf of your local shop. Priced from $8 to $20.
Moscato d'Asti
Also from the region of Asti and made from the Moscato grape (hence the name, which means Moscato from Asti). This wine has a lighter sparkle than Asti, and is more correctly described as frizzante or fizzy. Since the bubbles (and pressure) are so much lower, these are usually bottled with a regular cork rather than the classic Champagne cork and wire cage, so you will need a corkscrew to open it. Typically very crisp and refreshing with similar flavors to Asti, although a good Moscato will be even more aromatic. Moscato d'Asti is also generally very low in alcohol, ranging from 5 to 7 percent (the average for wine is 12 to 15). Priced from $12 to $30.
Brachetti d'Acqui
Not very well known, this is a red sparkling wine (lighter red like a Pinot Noir, not purple like Cabernet Sauvignon). This wine is also made in the Piedmont region of northern Italy, from the grape Brachetto. It is most often quite sweet, though it can be made dry. Flavors tend to be of cranberry, strawberry, cherry and raspberry. Priced from $11 to $20.
Prosecco
Probably the most well known of Italy's sparkling wines, and currently one of the most popular sparkling wines in the world. It is rapidly replacing Champagne as the top option for bubbly by the glass in many restaurants due to the great flavors and (usually) lower price tag. Prosecco is the name of the grape, and it is made in the Veneto, a region in northeastern Italy. As with Asti, the second fermentation generally takes place in large tanks or vats. Prosecco is the perfect spring and summer drink, as it is crisp, light, fruity and refreshing with flavors of apples, pears, peaches and apricots. It is also best consumed very young because the flavors will fade with time. Prosecco is the main ingredient in the Bellini cocktail - a mixture of Prosecco and white peach juice - a great brunch alternative to the Mimosa. Priced from $10 to $30.
Franciacorta
Italy's most expensive sparkling wine, and arguably the highest quality. Franciacorta is a region in northern Italy, and the use of the town's name on the label means that the winery meets certain quality standards set by the government. The region also produces still red and white wines, but it is most famous for its bubbly. The wine itself is made from a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir) and Pinot Bianco (Pinot Blanc) and is almost always white, though some rosé is made. It is made using the traditional Champagne method, with the second fermentation taking place in the bottle. Made in both non-vintage (minimum of 18 months bottle aging on the lees - 3 more than the minimum for Champagne) and vintage styles (minimum of 30 months bottle aging on the lees). Franciacorta can be made in a range of sweetness styles in the exact same manner as Champagne. Flavors vary but are often very layered, rich and complex with lots of citrus and toast notes. Can be enjoyed young, but as with Champagne the better ones can age in the bottle for years, often getting more complex. Priced from $15 to $90.
