Il classico, lo spumante
Il classico, lo spumante
There are three types of Colli Euganei Fior d’Arancio, (Euganean Hills orange blossom), covered by the DOCG regulation..
The classic version, best known to the public at large, is the sparkling wine, or spumante, with its Doc status since 1994, becoming Docg in 2011. This typical wine of the Euganean Hills was at one time regarded as a woman’s wine, with no pretensions, to be consumed just at anniversaries and celebrations. A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then as wine producers in the Euganean Hills have becoming increasingly aware that they have something special here.
The sweet wine, almost taken for granted, has begun to show its potential. It retains its original sweet wine soul, but has become understood and treated with increasing care.
The ugly duckling has turned into a beautiful swan. The sparkling wine has a new sweetness, accompanied by an intriguing acidity, and is never sickly. It is this acidity that preserves the aromas, which multiply and become elegant and sinuous in the mouth. It goes very well with deserts but has also become a favoured aperitif wine or one to sip between meals. It becomes a graceful glass with luscious Mediterranean fragrances, aromas of citrus, bouillon, sage and apricot with a low alcohol content of around 6 degrees, inviting the consumer to pour a second glass. It is often quaffed at the end of a demanding meal, when it succeeds in lightening the very soul.
One important note is worth making. The different terroirs of the Euganean Hills, each with their peculiar microclimate, together with the fact that Fior d’Arancio has quite individual growers, give rise to very different products. Within the category of what we refer to as sweet sparkling wines, there is a large range, from notably acidic versions with rather lower sugary residues, and with very fresh aromatic notes, to the more rounded versions with less floral and more fruity scents as well as on to almost “baroque” interpretations rich in the mature perfume of afternoon sunshine.
