Latest news with #prosecco
Daily Mail
04-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
The classic drink Generation Z refuses to touch - as producers take drastic action and call in the BULLDOZERS
Prominent Australian wine-makers are bulldozing red wine grapevines as Gen Z Aussies ditch booze. Wine industry officials believe social trends - such as being 'sober curious' and 'mindful drinking' - are leading to gluts in the market of once-popular varieties, such as shiraz. Big-name wineries have stripped red wine from their vineyards altogether - with De Bortoli Wines in the Riverina region pulling healthy shiraz vines due to an oversupply. Darren De Bortoli told Daily Mail Australia that his growers face the tough decision of selecting new grapes to better suit the changing market. Mr De Bortoli said his business faced 'quite a severe problem... but it's got to be remembered all our competition are facing the same problems as us.' He said Murphy's law - that anything that can go wrong, will go wrong - had taken hold after he and other growers 'had such a large, massive crop' in recent seasons. Entire wine regions (above, the Hunter Valley) are considering ways to reinvent themselves for a younger market that's less interested in red wine 'It's really just getting to that realisation that you have to do something,' he said. 'The funny part is everyone expects their next-door neighbour to do it, before they go 'well, we'll do it too".' He said there's only one replacement he is seriously considering – prosecco. However, the company faces the challenge of naming rights after a free-trade agreement barred Australian growers from using region-specific names from Europe. Anthony Albanese said earlier this year he was determined not to bend to pressure and change the names of products such as prosecco and feta if the country strikes a trade deal with Europe. Meanwhile, Wine Australia has expressed concern that Gen Z may never take up drinking thanks to social movements including Dry July, 'mindful drinking', and 'sober curiosity'. At the beginning of July, Wine Australia listed the youth market as a strategic development priority. The government body will research new products to meet the change in demands. Some wineries have dipped their toes into the production and marketing of wine cocktails, liquor-wine blends, and lower-alcohol offerings to cater to youths. Others are ripping up existing crops entirely. Globally, the five years leading to 2023 saw global wine consumption fall by 3.1 billion litres. In Australia - which boasts 60 wine regions - wine-makers are losing space to 'functional beverages', those which offer benefits in boosting energy, immune system support and improving digestion and health and wellness movements. Wine ranks last of all desired beverages amongst younger consumers. Beer is the most commonly chosen single beverage, followed by ready-to-drink offerings, including seltzers and pre-mixes, and spirits. 'The opportunity for Australian wine is to make our wines more relevant and appealing to Millennials and Gen Zs as part of their experiences and lifestyles,' the peak body said. 'We need to give these drinkers a reason to choose wine over other alcohol options, particularly as preferences continue to evolve.' The organisation identified a growing affection amongst young people for white, sparkling, and rosé varieties, with rosé particularly attractive due to its pleasant, pink hue. Alternative packaging formats were also identified as a way for wine brands to better address the younger demographic. However, Wine Australia did note that there are still some 380million people who drink wine regularly worldwide. Of those, just 68 million drink Australian wine, suggesting 'there is an untapped pool of over 300 million people that currently drink wine' who 'have yet to discover Australian wine'.
The Guardian
03-07-2025
- General
- The Guardian
There's more to Italian sparkling wine than prosecco
When I was at university, whenever I partook in that most sacred of further educational rituals (that is, pre-drinks), my tipple of choice was an entire bottle of prosecco. More times a week than I feel comfortable disclosing here, I'd trundle down to the Tesco Express in Durham to score a bottle of Plaza Centro prosecco for the sublime price of £5.50 (it's now a princely £7). While many other wine writers' careers begin with a unicorn bottle from a relative's cellar, I'm proud to say that mine started here. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Why am I telling you this? Well, not only did I feel cool sipping my fizz from a plastic flute while my friends drank rum and orange juice mixed and swigged direct from the carton, but I also loved prosecco. Today, however, I'm more indifferent, which is not to say that prosecco has got any worse or changed in any way over time. But I have. When I was an 18-year-old concerned with getting as trollied as possible in the least amount of time and at little cost, I was drawn to sweetness, as many of us are when we're younger, and most supermarket prosecco is rather sweet – even the confusingly named 'extra dry' category allows for 12-17g sugar per litre. Nowadays, however, I crave acidity, salinity and all the punchy savoury flavours I can get. And, fortunately, there is so much Italian sparkling wine out there that isn't prosecco. Nigh on every region in Italy has its own take. The Trento DOC, which, like prosecco, is in the north-east, produces metodo classico wines from chardonnay and pinot nero (pinot noir), which are made using the champagne method with a secondary fermentation in the bottle (prosecco, on the other hand, is produced using the charmat, or tank, method). They can command fairly high prices, but they can still be had in your local supermercato for far less than champers. Then there's moscato d'Asti, an off-dry, frizzante wine with a low ABV and a nose that leans towards bouquets of flowers and gentle stone fruit such as peach and apricot. I especially like it in cocktails for which you'd normally use prosecco: pornstar martini, bellini, any spritz you fancy. Franciacorta, meanwhile, is becoming increasingly popular, and also employs the metodo classico makeup of pinot nero and chardonnay. Moving down to Emilia-Romagna, you'll find the previously-out-of-vogue-but-now-really-quite-cool lambrusco, which takes many forms and colours; the one you're most likely to find in the UK is a deep currant colour with a vibrant effervescence. There are also many producers who feel inspired by certain vintages or regional styles and choose to make their own declassified sparkling wines. All that said, if prosecco is your bag, have at it. It's an eternal crowdpleaser, widely available and suited to most palates – there's a reason the UK is the drink's biggest consumer outside Italy. Prosecco: it's not you, it's me. Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Pignoletto Brut £8, 11%. A fun, fresh sparkling wine from Emilia-Romagna. Like biting into a granny smith. Feudi di San Gregorio Falanghina Brut £13.79 Decàntlo, 12.5%. A charmat-method wine from a favourite Campania winery. All white flowers and peach. Ca'D'Gal Lumine Moscato d'Asti Lumine £16.80 Les Caves de Pyrene, 5%. All the classic flavours of peach and orchard fruit with a pleasing, palate-cleansing sweetness. Ferrari Maximum Blanc de Blancs NV £26.50 VINVM, 12.5%. A fancy wine from one of Italy's most iconic sparkling producers. Pastry, nuts and razor-sharp acidity.
The Guardian
03-07-2025
- General
- The Guardian
There's more to Italian sparkling wine than prosecco
When I was at university, whenever I partook in that most sacred of further educational rituals (that is, pre-drinks), my tipple of choice was an entire bottle of prosecco. More times a week than I feel comfortable disclosing here, I'd trundle down to the Tesco Express in Durham to score a bottle of Plaza Centro prosecco for the sublime price of £5.50 (it's now a princely £7). While many other wine writers' careers begin with a unicorn bottle from a relative's cellar, I'm proud to say that mine started here. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Why am I telling you this? Well, not only did I feel cool sipping my fizz from a plastic flute while my friends drank rum and orange juice mixed and swigged direct from the carton, but I also loved prosecco. Today, however, I'm more indifferent, which is not to say that prosecco has got any worse or changed in any way over time. But I have. When I was an 18-year-old concerned with getting as trollied as possible in the least amount of time and at little cost, I was drawn to sweetness, as many of us are when we're younger, and most supermarket prosecco is rather sweet – even the confusingly named 'extra dry' category allows for 12-17g sugar per litre. Nowadays, however, I crave acidity, salinity and all the punchy savoury flavours I can get. And, fortunately, there is so much Italian sparkling wine out there that isn't prosecco. Nigh on every region in Italy has its own take. The Trento DOC, which, like prosecco, is in the north-east, produces metodo classico wines from chardonnay and pinot nero (pinot noir), which are made using the champagne method with a secondary fermentation in the bottle (prosecco, on the other hand, is produced using the charmat, or tank, method). They can command fairly high prices, but they can still be had in your local supermercato for far less than champers. Then there's moscato d'Asti, an off-dry, frizzante wine with a low ABV and a nose that leans towards bouquets of flowers and gentle stone fruit such as peach and apricot. I especially like it in cocktails for which you'd normally use prosecco: pornstar martini, bellini, any spritz you fancy. Franciacorta, meanwhile, is becoming increasingly popular, and also employs the metodo classico makeup of pinot nero and chardonnay. Moving down to Emilia-Romagna, you'll find the previously-out-of-vogue-but-now-really-quite-cool lambrusco, which takes many forms and colours; the one you're most likely to find in the UK is a deep currant colour with a vibrant effervescence. There are also many producers who feel inspired by certain vintages or regional styles and choose to make their own declassified sparkling wines. All that said, if prosecco is your bag, have at it. It's an eternal crowdpleaser, widely available and suited to most palates – there's a reason the UK is the drink's biggest consumer outside Italy. Prosecco: it's not you, it's me. Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Pignoletto Brut £8, 11%. A fun, fresh sparkling wine from Emilia-Romagna. Like biting into a granny smith. Feudi di San Gregorio Falanghina Brut £13.79 Decàntlo, 12.5%. A charmat-method wine from a favourite Campania winery. All white flowers and peach. Ca'D'Gal Lumine Moscato d'Asti Lumine £16.80 Les Caves de Pyrene, 5%. All the classic flavours of peach and orchard fruit with a pleasing, palate-cleansing sweetness. Ferrari Maximum Blanc de Blancs NV £26.50 VINVM, 12.5%. A fancy wine from one of Italy's most iconic sparkling producers. Pastry, nuts and razor-sharp acidity.
Telegraph
27-06-2025
- General
- Telegraph
‘This could pass as homemade': The best and worst supermarket lemon sorbet
Cold, refreshing lemon sorbet; tangy and citric, with a depth of fruitiness. We may have (thank goodness) given up on serving scoops 'to cleanse the palate' between the fish and the meat course, but it's still an excellent way to end a meal. Or top it with a splash of vodka and a glass of prosecco to make a sgroppino, an Italian dessert-cum-after-dinner-cocktail. The high street offers many options, from supermarket own-label tubs to specialist producers. In my blind taste test of nine, I looked for a real fruit juice flavour, rather than the overwhelming taste of lemon flavouring. Lemon zest and oil have a place in sorbet, but not at the expense of juice. As for that important acid note, I want it to be nuanced and natural, not the sour slap of citric acid which has nothing to do with citrus fruit, as it is produced industrially by fermenting sugar. Skip to: I also scrutinised the ingredients lists, keeping an eye out for additions that manufacturers may use to improve the texture and slow the melt (more on which below) – after all, they have to produce a sorbet that will survive a journey home, perhaps an hour in a hot car, before being returned to the freezer. Effectively, it's partially defrosting and refreezing, which is disastrous for the texture of a homemade, all-natural sorbet. Some of those made with industrial emulsifiers (which give sorbet a spumy, or foamy, texture, melting to a froth rather than a syrup) did, in fact, taste good – but the best-flavoured one contained none at all. Which, in my books, is pretty cool indeed. How I tasted Each lemon sorbet was scooped into a glass while I was out of the room. The glasses were assigned a letter to anonymise them. I returned and tasted, making notes on flavour and texture. Once the identity of each had been revealed, I compared their ingredients lists and the weight-to-volume ratio.
The Sun
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Lidl launches bargain 3L prosecco dispenser that's great for summer parties and BBQs & there's a beer version too
LIDL is selling a prosecco dispenser that is guaranteed to make you the most popular guest at any summer parties. With a heatwave set to hit parts of the UK this week, and the hot weather looking like it's here to stay for the foreseeable Brits will likely be making plans to soak up the sun at BBQs and outdoor parties. And what better way to get in the mood for summer than with Lidl's 3L Prosecco Dispenser. The handy gadget can be filled with up to three litres of prosecco, which equates to four standard bottles. Your drinks will be kept cool all afternoon thanks to the dispenser's ice department, with the dispenser transforming your garden into an outdoor bar. The drinks holder, which comes in a rose gold design, also features a colour changing LED, which is bound to gain the attention of fun-loving guests. If prosecco's not your thing, you can also use the dispenser for other drinks, such as wine or cocktails, and the dual pouring nozzles provide an efficient way to make sure everyone's glasses stay replenished. "Elevate any party or gathering of friends or family with this 3L drinks dispenser." Beer fans will be pleased to known that the German discounter is also launching a beer version of the dispenser. The beer tap comes in a silver colour and has just one tap, so you can fill up one pint glass at a time. The beer device can also store up to three litres of liquid, which is just over five pints. The bargain buys are priced at £22.99, and will land in stores on June 26. Cheapest supermarket revealed and Wetherspoons axe fan favourite menu item The products will be located in the Middle Aisle of your local Lidl, and are part of the supermarket's bi-weekly limited edition offerings. Middle of Lidl offers land in stores every Thursday and Sunday and are only available whilst stocks last,so you better grab yours quick. And if you're keen to elevate your garden party even further, Lidl's is launching a handy tool to help you make pizzas from today, June 12. The Grillmeister Round Pizza Stone is priced at just £7.99 and is placed on BBQs and uses heat from the coals to cook your favourite flavour. Why do Aldi and Lidl have such fast checkouts IF you've ever shopped in Aldi or Lidl then you'll probably have experienced its ultra-fast checkout staff. Aldi's speedy reputation is no mistake, in fact, the supermarket claims that its tills are 40 per cent quicker than rivals. It's all part of Aldi's plan to be as efficient as possible - and this, the budget shop claims, helps keep costs low for shoppers. Efficient barcodes on packaging means staff are able to scan items as quickly as possible, with the majority of products having multiple barcodes to speed up the process. It also uses 'shelf-ready' packaging which keeps costs low when it comes to replenishing stock. Lidl says the stone is moisture-absorbing too making for "extra crispy pizzas". The nifty piece of cooking tech, measuring 38cm across, comes with a three-year warranty. Of course, whenever buying something like this make sure you shop around to ensure you're getting the best deal. If the BBQ pizza stone doesn't take your fancy, Lidl has plenty of other middle aisle products on sale that might. The discounter is selling a £6 foldable backpack that's perfect for summer holidays abroad. The retailer's sell-out pizza oven is back in shops for £79.99 too.
