Time for Prosecco!

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While I think any day is a good day for a sparkling beverage like prosecco, the holidays are definitely the perfect time to open a bottle of bubbly on a regular basis. Italians don’t need a special occasion to enjoy prosecco, their famous sparkling wine, and neither should we. It’s consumed regularly at bars, cafes, and restaurants, especially in the Veneto, where prosecco is produced.

After the end of our stay in Venice last September, we ventured into the edge of the Dolomite mountains for lunch, since none of us had seen the mighty Dolomites. The area around Agordino felt more like Germany or Austria, with Tyrolean architecture everywhere.

We spent two days at an agriturismo outside of Valdobbiadene, one of the top regions for DOCG prosecco. Due Carpini has a few rooms in two houses and is surrounded by vineyards growing glera grapes, the primary grape for prosecco.

Prosecco is produced in a large area of the Veneto and Friuli in northeastern Italy, but only a few small areas have received the Italian government’s DOCG designation, which represent the highest quality and standards for any Italian wine.

This is from the website of a winemaker in Asolo:

Consumers in Italy and the United States are still often confused by the differences between Prosecco DOCG and Prosecco DOC.

It was back in 2009 when the Prosecco DOCG was officially recognized by the Italian government’s agricultural ministry and the National Committee for Italian Wines (which regulates the DOCG and DOC systems).

With the creation of the new designation (DOCG means designation of controlled and guaranteed origin while DOC stands simply for designation of controlled origin, without the guarantee), the production area for top Prosecco was limited to the provinces of Valdobbiadene (the most famous), Conegliano (the historic center for Prosecco production, which stretches back to the 1700s), and Asolo (the least known of the top townships for Prosecco production, where Bele Casel grows its wines).

To add the “guaranteed” to the labeling, the grapes used to make the wine must be grown in one of those townships.

The DOC, on the other hand, was expanded to included a wider swath of the Veneto region and it also included Friuli-Venezia Giulia (known simply as Friuli), where Prosecco and vinified has been grown for some time now.

The bottom line is the following: Prosecco grown in Asolo, Valdobbiadene, and Conegliano is hillside Prosecco while the Prosecco grown in the greater Veneto and Friuli is valley-floor Prosecco. The hillside Prosecco has to be hand-farmed because the slopes of the hills in those township are famously steep. Valley-floor Prosecco is generally machine farmed.

There are more than 20 growers around Valdobbiadene, but since we weren’t going to bring prosecco home, we didn’t visit them and do any tastings. Instead, we spent our days walking and driving around the vineyards, drinking prosecco by the pool and enjoying a wonderful trattoria in town. Our dinner, with prosecco of course, was so good at Ombra Longa. While there, a server walked by with a large platter of seafood. When we asked about it, she replied it was their version of Spanish paella and that it had to be ordered 24 hours in advance. So we did. The perfect dinner with prosecco, of course!

ABQ the Mag - Best of City

Best Italian - Five Years in a Row!

Around The World Dinner at Teddy Roe’s

12/28/23

New Year’s Eve at M’tucci’s

Holiday Cookie Box - $19

Please call the restaurant closest to you.

Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Frosting, Biscochitos, Dark Chocolate Cookies, Mini Olive Oil Loaf

Some of the New Menu Items at M’tucci’s Bar Roma

Weekend Specials

M’tucci’s Italian

Ravioli - Morbier/Ricotta Filling - M’tucci’s Italian Sausage, Mushrooms, Red Onions, Spicy Tomato Cream Sauce, Shaved Parmesan & Fresh Basil $25

24 oz. T-Bone - Salt Water Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus, Grilled Lemon, Balsamic Reduction $42

Pan-Seared Ahi Tuna - Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Sautéed Arugula, Grilled Artichokes, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce $27

Sackett Farms Pork Shoulder - Tomatillo Braise, Calabacitas, Caramelized Onions, Corn, Crushed Tomatoes, Feta, Parsley $27

Weekend Cocktail

Dirty Snowman - Bacardi Rum, Green Chartreuse, Cream, Coconut, Fresh Lime Juice, Simple Syrup, Muddled Mint


M’tucci’s Moderno

14 oz. NY Strip - Crispy Salt Water Potatoes, Sautéed Broccolini, Italian Salsa Verde $37

Pan-Seared Striped Sea Bass - Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Sautéed Broccolini, Roasted Artichoke, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce, Prosciutto Powder $29

Chicken Portobello - Roasted Portobellos, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Julienned Spinach, Roasted Garlic Demi-Glace, House Made Spaghettini $23

Weekend Cocktail

Christmas Chai Cheer - Vara Brandy, Espresso, Chai Tea, Simple Syrup, Orange/Vanilla Whipped Cream

M’tucci’s Twenty-Five

Chicken Caprese - Seared Garlic & Herb Chicken Breast, Marinated Tomatoes, Fresh Mozzarella, House Made Linguine, Tomato Cream Sauce, Garnish with Fresh Basil, Maldon Salt & Balsamic Reduction $25

Pan-Seared Alaskan Halibut - Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Braised Greens, Artichoke Hearts, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce $39

14 oz Ribeye - Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Charred Broccolini, Creamy Horseradish Remoulade $43

Weekend Cocktail

Smooth Talker - Frangelico, Giffard Banane du Bresil, Licor 43, Tito’s Vodka

M’tucci’s Bar Roma

Ravioli di Mare - House Made Five Cheese Ravioli, Shrimp, Portuguese Susage, Clams, Spicy Marinara $27

Pan-Seared Mahi Mahi - Garlic Whipped Mashed Potatoes, Sautéed Arugula, Roasted Artichokes, Capers, Lemon Caper Butter Sauce $33

Weekend Cocktail

Royal Burro - M’tucci’s El Tesoro Reposado, Angostura Amaro, Giffard Violette, Fresh Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup

Live Music for December

M’tucci’s Bar Roma - 6:30pm Wednesday & 1:00 Sunday

Every Sunday: The Dee Brown Situation

12/20 Gilbert Uribe

12/27 RJ Perez 

M’tucci’s Moderno - 6:30 Thursday & 7:30 Friday

12/15 Matt Jones

12/21 Javier Ortega 

12/22 Cali Shaw

12/28 Rj Perez 

12/29 Shane Wallin

M’tucci’s Twenty-Five - 6:30 Thursday & 7:30 Friday  

12/15 Gilbert Uribe 

12/21 Johnny Lloyd 

12/22 Oscar Butler 

12/28 Shane Wallin 

12/29 Matt Jones

Thanks for reading. See you next Friday. Ciao!