As the weather warms into spring in the Midwest and Northeast, it's time to lay in a few bottles of my favorite warm weather wine, Prosecco.

Not extremely well known in North America, Prosecco is dry, lemony, bubbly...and affordable. Crafted in the Veneto region of northern Italy, in the foothills of the Italian Alps, Prosecco is made from mostly Prosecco grapes, a varietal grown almost exclusively in Italy.

It's crisp, clean flavor and tiny bubbles work nicely with seafood, especially calamari and crabmeat. Other good combinations include green salads and all but the heaviest pastas.



Prosecco is best when drunk within three years of its vintage. Serve Prosecco well chilled in a tall, fluted glass.

One of the most tasty and easy to find in North America is Zardetto Prosecco, which retails for between $15 and $20/bottle.

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