Prosciutto Crisp with Fresh Cantaloupe Salsa and Queso Fresco, served with Bisol Jeio Rose and Bisol “Crede” Prosecco

Prosciutto Crisp with Fresh Cantaloupe Salsa and Queso Fresco

Yield: 12 crisps

Ingredients:
½ C diced Cantaloupe
2 Tablespoons Diced Red Pepper
2 Tablespoons Diced Jalapeno
2 Tablespoons Diced red onion
1 Tablespoon Chopped Cilantro
2 Tablespoons Lime juice
¼ C Crumbled Queso Fresco
6 slices of prosciutto with 2 circles cut out of each
1 C vegetable oil

Cooking Instructions:
Preheat oil in a small pot. Cut 2 inch rounds out of prosciutto slices. Fry crisps 3 at a time so as not too overcrowd pan. Leave crisps on paper towel to drain and cool. Dice all ingredients for salsa and combine. Top crisp with salsa and cheese. Enjoy!

Bisol Winery Jeio Rose  “Crede” Prosecco

Spring has sprung and summer is fast approaching. Planting flowers in our pots, dusting off our outdoor cushions and cleaning our patios are all evidence that we are soaking in the sun and anticipating afternoon and evening celebrations with our friends. Imagine greeting your friends with a delicious glass of off dry bubbly – something light, cool, clean and refreshing…. and, of course reasonably priced. Prosecco is often categorized as “welcoming wine” – the charming hostess. However, today’s selections can take that, before the meal wine into the meal with a little extra flavor and body.
I’ve hardly met a Prosecco I haven’t liked; light, cool, crisp and clean. But the more I explore, I am finding that there can be a distinct difference between brands. Once upon a time, not long ago, “wineries” would market their juice as Prosecco with the implication that the wine in the bottle (or the can) came from the area around Venice. Prosecco has been exploited, churned out in industrial quantities and even cut with enough non-prosecco grapes to constitute wine fraud. Prosecco was popping up all over the world from Brazil to Austria. With its skyrocketing popularity, came these unwanted poachers.
So in 2009, the European Union granted DOCG status for Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene and granted DOC status to the vines grown in the plains between Friuli and Veneto. These are the same laws that protect Champagne and Port. The new regulations also limited yields, restricted grape variety to 85 percent Glera, (formerly known as Prosecco) and ultimately encouraged producers to make wine reflective of their unique region.
Bisol, a 3rd generation winery recently presented their wines to our staff at Joy Wine and Spirits. What burst out of the bottle was a new character, unlike other Proseccos we have met. Just as the members at a family gathering, these Prosecco’s each have their own personality and character. Still charming and fun loving as ever, the Bisol wine appeared to have a more serious side. We tried five wines, including the prestigious Cartizze, which hails from a storied site and is vintage dated. But, the fun of it was that each wine was distinctly different, similar to siblings; all from the same family and nurtured in the same manner but each one growing into their own unique individuality.
Bisol’s wine are all from estate owned fruit, meaning that all the grapes are grown under their control and to their standards. The bottles are actually vintage coded. The still wine is kept in large, refrigerated stainless steel tanks until they are either ready to be shipped, or Bisol has to move onto a new vintage. The bubbles are added via the charmat method just prior to shipping to retain freshness of the wine. This method differs from Champagne, which goes through a time consuming and costly secondary fermentation in the bottle. The charmat method is basically adding carbonization in large, pressurized stainless steel tanks. The wines are then immediately bottled and shipped.
Bisol’s Jeio Rose is actually not a Prosecco, even though it comes from that region, because it is made from Merlot and Pinot Noir. The wine has an unusual funk in the nose, reminiscent of Burgundy and so different from any Prosecco. The character in the bottle is still the smooth yet lively type, hip and funky, comes from a pedigree background but is slightly rebellious. And like any good partygoer and the non-judgmental peacemaker of the family, this wine goes with anything. Food and Wine magazine just named it one of the most versatile with food wines around.
The Bisol “Crede” Prosecco is like the oldest child or your most conservative neighbor– it follows the rules (of the DOCG) and sets the standards. It comes from a single vineyard of the lauded area of Valdobbiadene DOCG. Wine Enthusiast awarded it 90 points and described it as follows "Crede is a top notch Prosecco Brut with 10 % Pinot Bianco and 5 % Verdiso added to the blend for extra structure and crispness respectively) that offers generous fresh fruit tones followed by almond blossom, macadamia nut and Golden Delicious apple. The mouth-feel is streamlined and crisp with a creamy, frothy finish". Here again is another guest to complete the spice of your party. This guest would be the older brother that graduated with honors.
So while it is an absolute to invite friendly, cheerful partygoers, it doesn’t hurt to mix it up with some colorful characters.