prosecco

Many people have discovered prosecco as a pleasing, budget-conscious alternative to champagne when it comes to celebrating festive occasions. Not all proseccos are created equal, however. Finding bottles labeled with "DOC" (Denominazione Origine Controllata) or "DOCG" (Denominazione Origine Controllata Garantita) is a guarantee of quality, meaning that the grape used and the wine making process originated in a specific region. Vigna Dogarina's DOC prosecco comes from the most prestigious prosecco region in Italy, Valdobbiadene, located in the Veneto region and is available in two varieties, Brut and Extra Dry, retailing for $16 to $20 per bottle. Vigna Dogarina Brut has a delicate floral perfume and pleasant notes of wisteria. It is the driest prosecco of the range and the low residual sugar level brings out an appealing freshness and acidity with hints of green apple. The Extra Dry features fragrant floral qualities accompanied by attractive notes of acacia and meadow flowers, wild apples and honey. Its slightly higher residual sugar allows a rounder and softer effect on the pallet and brings out floral and fresh fruit aromas.

Welcome to the first in a new series of exclusive photo features showcasing seasonal style essentials inspired by classic icons of elegance, sport and design, photographed with the most beautiful and coveted cars on the road. The emphasis is on luxury of course, but of the timeless variety as opposed to mere extravagance.

In our recent Classicist column on the 2010 Jaguar XK convertible coming out this August, we remarked on the sleek new cat's stylistic heritage dating back to 1948's XK120, as driven by the likes of Gary Cooper, Humphrey Bogart and Clark Gable, as well as later models like the D-Type (or XK-SS) made famous by the great Steve McQueen. The first in our new series of exclusive shoots is inspired by them and stars the XK in homage to these stylish icons, both man and automotive (read all about the new XK here).

In particular, the influence of Gable (with his XK120 in 1954, top right) and McQueen (with his XK-SS, center right) can be seen in the summery style essentials we've assembled for this shoot. For the pastoral setting we drew on another classic Jaguar reference, an image of writer Truman Capote in a Jaguar XK-E, the model most closely aligned with the new XK, in the Hamptons in 1965 (bottom right).

In the spirit of summer we've chosen a classic combination of navy and white, popular as fashionable resort wear for a nearly a century and still going strong in the right circles. While navy blazers of the type shown here originated as part of English cricket club scenery and other elegant sporting occasions such as the Henley Royal Regatta, without gold buttons it needn't be unnecessarily nautical or costume-y.

The jacket shown here, in tropical weight wool with soft shoulders by the dashing Italian house of Etro, references its sporting antecedents with grosgrain tipping on the lapels, pockets and cuffs; however, since it is finished in the same color as the jacket the effect is a subtle one, while the slim cut updates the look with Italian flair. A cream linen camp shirt by Paul Stuart and white linen pants by Polo Ralph Lauren round out the rest of the ensemble.

As an alternative on cooler days or evenings - which we've certainly had plenty of this summer - we've also included a variation of the navy blazer by Brooks Brothers made of butter-soft goat suede with spiffy sporting details including a throat latch, stand-up collar, action back and pure Irish linen lining, which calls to mind the jacket worn by Gable above.

While a polka dot foulard silk scarf by the venerable British clothier Turnbull & Asser (shirtmaker to the Prince of Wales) provides not only another classic touch and added dose of sprezzatura, it also protects against the elements while piloting the XK with the top down at serious speeds. A hefty dose of McQueen meanwhile can be seen in the rakish cap, sunglasses and watch. For the feet and the road, a pair of pebble-sold leather driving moccasins by Tod's keep the haute Italian vibe going.

The checked linen driving cap - this model is made by Brooks Brothers - of the type favored by McQueen has no brim to collide with a car's headrest, and is infinitely more elegant than a baseball cap. Also on view: iconic Italian Persol sunglasses, in particular the model made famous by McQueen in The Thomas Crown Affair. Starring in this feature are a foldable version of McQueen's faves, as well as a couple of other killer Persol models; all are available at Ilori. Also included is a pair of shades by Paul Smith. The watch is a classic and vintage stainless steel Rolex GMT-Master II, available at Tourneau, of a similar design to the Rolex Submariner model favored by McQueen (and which recently fetched a record price at auction). Read on for details of the rest of the accessories after the jump.

Martini & Rossi, the Italian winemaker founded in 1863 and famous for its iconic vermouth, has launched a new sparkling rosé in time for summer.

Cultivated in the finest growing areas of the Piedmont and Veneto regions in Italy, it's made with handpicked Moscato Bianco, Malvasia and Brachetto grapes.

Light, crisp and aromatic with hints of citrus, elderflower and soft peach, it's a relatively inexpensive way to add a touch of luxury to summer cocktails and al fresco dining.

Available in a 750 ml bottle and 187 ml 4-packs, the new rosé completes Martini & Rossi's "sparkling trio," which includes a naturally sweet Asti and an extra dry Prosecco.

Italy is once again the world's largest wine producer, an honor it hasn't had since back in 1998. This year's big harvest is expected to give Italy the edge over France. The Coldiretti farmers lobby estimates the production of Italian wine is up eight percent over 2007 to 4.7 billion liters, compared with 4.44 billion liters in neighboring France, where production fell five percent. The bumper crop of grapes is attributed to good weather, especially in Sicily which battled a deadly fungus last year. Production estimates by Assoenologi, an association of Italian wine producers, are slightly lower at 4.45 billion liters, or an increase of five percent which would still give Italy a squeaker of a win.

Bloomberg reports that more Italian consumers are taking another look at prosecco, the Italian sparkling wine, this season for their celebrations. For the most part prosecco is cheaper than its popular French rival, champagne.

Italian prosecco is in the process of re-branding itself as the "softer, lighter" bubbly, not to mention cheaper. Production has already increased thirty-fold over the past four decades, with plans for greater distribution particularly to emerging wine markets like China, where marketing drives the majority of sales, relegating prosecco to champagne wannabe status. Hence Italy's support of reserving the name prosecco for wine produced only within the region, a formerly Slovenian area that's been growing grapes since the 1500s, to up the exclusivity factor. Oh, and then there was that little Paris Hilton promo. Italian winemakers disparaged the pairing (she was, after all, promoting an Austrian-crafted sparkling wine in a can), but Paris certainly knows a thing or two about aspirational status.

Paris Hilton is in trouble again but this time, I can't really say is is her fault. The Sunday Times reports that winemakers of northern Italy are fighting to defend against what they say are two threats to their industry, one from Hungary and one from Paris Hilton. The battle with Hungary is over the term "Tokai" which the European granted Hungary exclusive rights to use to describe sweet wine made in the Tokaj region of Hungary. Italians say that wine makers in Friuli-Venezia Giulia have been using the term tocai for centuries. The terms "Tokai, Tokaj or Tocai" are all protected under the same umbrella. The Italian Tokai, is a very different wine from the Hungarian wine, it is light and slightly tart.

The Paris Hilton scuffle has to do with her promotion of Rich Prosecco, she's actually been promoting the fizzy drink in a can since 2006 but the recent ad campaign showing her wearing only gold paint has focused new attention to the drink and its name. Italians are angered that the drink, which is not being marketed in Italy, is being called prosecco which generally refers to the Italian sparkling wine made of grapes grown in Veneto, Valdobbiadene and Conegliano wine regions. The Rich Prosecco is, at least according to their website, made of these grapes, but putting the drink in a can and mixing it with fruit juice is considered sacrilege. Winemakers are considered that the Paris-powered beverage could give end up tarnishing the entire Prosecco range of Italian sparklers which are often considered another option to Champagne.