Tre Mat, Finalizzato, Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore NV - 75cl

Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore is the top tier of Prosecco, and the difference from the supermarket stuff is mostly geography. These are steep hills between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, farmed by hand because a tractor would fall straight off them, and the wine that comes off them has a definition flat-land Prosecco never quite manages.

Tre Mat's Finalizzato is Glera from those hillsides. Pear and white blossom on the nose, a little green apple behind, and a chalky note underneath that most people do not expect from Prosecco at all. The palate is dry rather than off-dry — worth saying, since plenty of Prosecco is sweeter than it lets on — with a soft foaming mousse and a clean finish that leaves you reaching for the next mouthful.

At £30 this is more than you would spend on a party bottle, and it drinks like it. Prosecco to sit down with rather than hand round.

How to Serve

6 to 8°C, properly cold. A tulip glass rather than a flute. Drink it young — this is not a wine for the cellar.

Where to Drink It

The River Cafe in Hammersmith, for the Italian list. Planque in Haggerston, for something more freewheeling. Dandy on Maltby Street.

Food Pairings

Prosciutto and grissini before dinner. Or fritto misto, where the bubbles scrub the fry straight off your palate.