You may remember my Facebook and Twitter teaser pictures from a couple of weeks ago - when I met Scavi & Ray at a trade show.  Well, after a chat with them,  I came away with some samples to review for you all on my blog.

By pure coincidence, I had been asked by a Prosecco Watcher the night before about this very brand.  I'd never heard of them, so started an Instagram conversation with them.  It only seems fitting that I happened upon them the very next morning!

I soon found out that they are sponsors of London Fashion Week, and if you pop over to their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/scavirayuk?fref=ts) you can read all about them and their involvement.

Scavi & Ray are a very stylish brand there is no question about that.  They have a large portfolio of Prosecco's - including a Hugo mix, a Gold Limited Edition and a Roscato.  They also create limited edition fashion bottles, with really stylish and creative designs.  You can check them out at.....http://www.scavi-ray.com/en/

Now onto my review.  There is a really cool way the small single portion 20cl "Piccolo" bottle is served.  I was given a little punch which, you use to spike the lid - and then you pop in the branded straw.  If you don't want to drink it like this, you can peel off the sleeve and open with the screw top.  This is a really easy and quick way for a bartender to serve the drink, and also really handy if you are standing around and don't want to carry a small bottle and glass.

The prosecco is really delicious.  It really appeals to my taste as it is light, dry and very citrusy.  The single serve is a fantastic idea, and I know I would buy one if I were out, my only complaint is it's too small!!

It is stocked in many bars around London, and some smaller independent off licences, including Independent Spirit in Bath.

I've been eyeing up this brand for a while now.  They caught my attention on Twitter a few months ago, and I've been meaning to try some, but hadn't due to starting a new job recently, which has been the main focus of my time really.

Well, the very kind people at Liquid Gold Drinks popped a bottle in the post to me last week, so I've finally got to try it.  A lovely vibrant aquamarine blue bottle arrived, and it was promptly put in the fridge to chill.  It was such a temptation seeing it in the fridge all week, but I resisted, and it was worth the wait.

Let me tell you a little bit about www.liquidgolddrinks.com first.  You can buy all of their products through their website, and the prices include postage.  The Prosecco is made by Vinicola Tombacco, a wine growing estate with a heritage dating back to the early 1900's.  Made for a discerning palette, using traditional techniques, the brand are seeking to breathe new sparkle into a somewhat formal industry, choosing to present their drinks in colourful metallic bottles.  They also make some amazing looking vodka's too. 

So onto the Prosecco - the bottle looks really great, it would be a fantastic gift or ideal for a celebration - it just adds that extra touch for a special occasion.  The Prosecco is a DOC - and was just right for easy drinking.  It was fresh and fruity, and very light.  I drank this with some nibbles, and it worked perfectly.  It's not too fizzy, again, I prefer that, as some varieties can be all bubble and no substance.  There were pear and apple flavours, and a dryness that reminded me of digestive biscuits - yum!

The bottle colour choices are Silver, Pink, Red, Dark Blue, Aquamarine and Gold, and cost £25 including postage for a 75cl, or £45 for 2 bottles.  I'll be ordering some in for Christmas, or that special occasion of there just being a bottle of Prosecco in the fridge!

Cheers!

So the Prosecco Panic warning a few months ago seems to be coming true.  An article yesterday in Drinks Business magazine reported the following...

"Speaking to the drinks business during a recent visit to London, Paolo Lasagni, managing director of Bosco Viticultori, said: “We haven’t got a drop of 2014 left.

“Right now there’s no Prosecco left – the 2014 vintage is finished and the 2015 vintage hasn’t been made yet. I’m quite sure some supermarkets will have had to cancel their Prosecco promotions as there isn’t enough to sell.

“The grapes will be picked in mid September and won’t be bottled until October, so things will be very poor from a supply point of view for the next month.

“It’s a very uncertain time at the moment as a lot of the supplier contracts aren’t closed yet. The next month will be very intense for us. Once the wine is ready, producers will be bottling like crazy in October to make sure there is Prosecco on the shelves in time for Christmas.”

Lasagni revealed that a lot of bars and restaurants in the UK are finding that they can’t buy Prosecco from their current distributors as they are out of stock, so are getting it through cash and carry instead.

He told db that the global thirst for Prosecco over the last year took producers by surprise. “No one expected such a huge increase in Prosecco consumption from the UK and the US, which are driving the growth.

“Grape prices were lower last year than they could have been, if they were slightly higher then global demand would have decreased. Supermarkets have been slashing their prices and selling Prosecco at cost price. Everyone has an eye on Aldi and Lidl,” he said.

Lasagni told db that around 80% of Prosecco sold in the UK is own-label – “The strength doesn’t lie with the producers, it lies with ‘brand Prosecco’,” he said, adding, “It’s a problem in Italy, a lot of producers don’t know how to build a wine brand.”

Time to stock up!

source - Drinks Business