We Know our Sources: Vin Hunter Prosecco & Prosecco Rosé

The following post was written by Heinen’s wine expert, Ed Thompkins.

At Heinen’s, we are in constant pursuit of items that offer exceptional value, quality and deliciousness. Since our beginning, we’ve proudly claimed that “we know our sources,” and in order to truly know the producers that provide our outstanding products, we meet them in their environment. Be it farms, oceans, breweries or wineries, we visit our artisan partners where they create magic.

Our wine team had the opportunity to travel to Italy to visit the source of our longtime customer favorite Vin Hunter Prosecco, and Vin Hunter Prosecco Rosé, a sparkling spin that debuted in our stores last winter.

We’re thrilled to share that these bottles are officially back on our shelves for the upcoming holiday season!

Before you start sipping, let’s get to know Prosecco:

• Some say no other beverage defines the Italian philosophy of la dolce vita, or the good life, quite like Prosecco.
• In its simplest form, Prosecco is sparkling wine produced from the Glera grape (and now with Pinot Noir for the production of Prosecco Rosé) in the Veneto region of Italy (a bit north of Venice).
• The Prosecco region is unique thanks to the traditional winemaking technique called “Metodo Martinotti” in which the famous bubbles in the wine are created in large tanks before bottling.
• Prosecco can only be produced in the Prosecco region (or DOC). While there are many examples of other Italian sparklers, Prosecco is made only in Prosecco.
• In 2019, the Prosecco Valdobbiadene area became a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Site, in large part due to the region’s role in the production of Prosecco.

Every year at the holidays, we release our own Vin Hunter Prosecco made by our partners and friends at the Loredan Gasparini winery, which is located in the epicenter of the highest quality Proseccos in the world, the Valdobbiadene and Asolo areas.

A couple of years ago we added Vin Hunter Prosecco Rosé to our holiday lineup and it earned rave reviews from our customers! Prosecco Rosé was approved for production in the Prosecco region only three years ago, so we were eager to travel to the source to see how this wine is made, where the grapes are grown and form a deeper connection with our producers.

Loredan Gasparini is a family business in every sense. Lorenzo Palla and his family steward the beautiful estate and vineyards, which were founded in 1951. Lorenzo and his right-hand-man Giovanni Dallozzo took Heinen’s wine experts on a tour of the picturesque region to see where the grapes are grown. In addition to ridiculously steep hillside vineyards, the specific soils and climate are perfect for producing world-class Prosecco.

It was on this trip that we opened a bottle of Vin Hunter Prosecco Rosé. When this beautiful pink wine was popped, we were immediately greeted by aromas of ripe berries. Luckily, glasses were nearby because if not, our excitement to taste the wine would have been satisfied by sipping straight from the bottle! We were amazed by the wine’s bright flavors of strawberry-like fruit, lively acidity and a bracingly crisp and clean finish.

As excited as we were to taste it for the first time at the winery, we are now are equally excited to share this delicious discovery with our customers for another holiday season. We hope you enjoy both of our Vin Hunter Proseccos as much as we, and our winemakers do.

Cheers!