I come from a family that loves pies and fruit tarts. Unfortunately, my pie making skills always suffered when it came to making the crust. Thank goodness for the crostata – an Italian rustic fruit tart with a free-form crust. An apple crostata makes a delicious pairing with Prosecco. I paired my apple crostata with a Prosecco Le Colture Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze DOCG Dry, Cartizze known as the Grand Cru of Prosecco.

After two months of studying and tasting Prosecco with #WineStudio, I have a new appreciation and love for Prosecco. Prosecco can be highly aromatic, fruity, complex, display beautiful persistent tiny bubbles, and an amazing value. Before my two month Prosecco journey, I thought only French Champagne could deliver on terroir driven wines with delicate flavors, complexity and that sought-after steady stream of bubbles. If you are a fan of Prosecco or sparkling wine general, it is worth discovering the distinguishing differences in Prosecco.

October’s Prosecco tasting List

Bortolomiol Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Extra Dry Millesimato “Banda Rossa” 2016 – $22
Conte Collalto Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Brut – $18
Bellenda Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Brut “Sei Uno” Rive di Carpesica 2015 – $23
Malibran Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG “Credamora” Rifermentato in bottiglia – $23
Valdoca Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Brut Naturae “Rive di Santo Stefano” – $20
Massottina Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Extra Dry Rive di Ogliano 2016 – $21
Tenuta degli Ultimi Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Brut Rive di Collalto “Biancariva”
Colesel Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze DOCG Brut – $19
Le Colture Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze DOCG Dry – $40

My Prosecco Notes:

Conegliano Valdobbiadene is the birth place of Prosecco, located in Northeastern Italy about 30 miles north of Venice and 63 miles south of the Dolomites. The Conegliano Valdobbiadene zone is made up of steep hillsides and is the home of the enology school and research center known for perfecting the Italian method of sparkling wine production in autoclaves.
Autoclaves are pressurized tanks where the wine undergoes a second fermentation that preserves and enhances the aromas in the wine.
Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG produces Italy’s highest quality Prosecco.
Glera is the main grape variety used in making Prosecco. To qualify as a Prosecco Superiore DOCG, the wine must be at least 85% Glera.
95% of Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco is Spumante (sparkling or foamy)
The categories of residual sugar for Prosecco:

DRY 17-32 grams of residual sugar per liter (the sweetest)
EXTRA DRY 12-17 grams of residual sugar per liter
BRUT 0-12 grams of residual sugar per liter
BRUT NATURE or ZERO DOSSAGGIO less than 3 grams of residual sugar per liter
EXTRA BRUT less than 6 grams of residual sugar per liter

RIVE is a subcategory within the Conegilano Valdobbiadene with 43 registered geographic areas. Grapes have an even lower maximum yield, and wine must be vintage dated.
Superiore di Cartizze is located within the Conegilano Valdobbiadene, 106 hectares in size with among the steepest hills and known for the best grapes in the Appellation and Cartizze is known as the Grand Cru of Prosecco.
Additional Prosecco notes from September #WineStudio here.

Apple Crostata Paired with Le Colture Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze DOCG Dry

The apple crostata is not an overly sweet dessert; this works perfectly with the La Colture which is a sweeter style Prosecco. The bubbles in the Prosecco play a nice contrast to the pastry and almond cream. The sweet and tart apple mixture is echoed in the Prosecco with its hint of sweetness, balanced acidity, and notes of apple, almond and citrus.

Apple Crostata

Print Recipe

A rustic Italian fruit tart that simplifies the crust making of a traditional pie. The apple crostata pairs well with a Prosecco.

Course Dessert

Servings 6

Author adapted from Ina Garten, Patricia Wells and Suzanne Goin

Ingredients

Crostata Dough (makes pastry for 2 crostata)

2-1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
~1/3 cup ice water

Almond Cream

4 oz blanched almond flour I purchased at Trader Joes
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tablespoon rum or brandy
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk

Filling

1-1/2 lb (about 3) apples, peeled and cored, cut into 8ths and then each wedge into 3 pieces I used a mix of Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious and Gala
1/4 teaspoon + orange zest
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons sugar

Rolling out Dough

1 egg separating the yolk and white into two small bowls
1/2 cup biscotti cookies, crushed
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
orange zest for garnish

Instructions

Crostata Dough

In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, add 2-1/2 cups flour, sugar,and salt. Pulse on and off to blend. Add the butter cubes and pulse on and off until mixture is crumbly like coarse cornmeal, about 10 seconds. With the machine running, slowly add the ice water through the feed tube and process until mixture comes together, about 10 seconds.
Divide the dough into two, flatten each half into a 5 inch disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Dough keeps in refrigerator for 1 day and can be frozen for up to a week.

Almond Cream

In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, add almond flour and confectioners' sugar, pulse on and off to combine. Add the butter, flour, rum or brandy, egg and egg yolk, and blend until combined. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to assemble crostata.

Filling

In a large bowl, combine apples, orange zest, cinnamon, vanilla, and sugar. toss to mix.

Roll Out Dough + Assemble Crostata + Bake

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 425 F. Bring almond cream to room temperature. Take crostata dough out of the refrigerator.
On a floured surface, roll out one disk of the dough into a 12 inch circle. Gently wrap the dough around the rolling pin and transfer it to a parchment lined baking sheet.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg white. With a pastry brush, brush the dough with the egg white, leaving a 2 inch border at the outer edge of the dough. Using half of the almond cream recipe, spread a thin layer of the almond cream over the brushed egg white, leaving a 2 inch border from the edge.
Sprinkle the crushed biscotti cookies on top of the almond cream. (the cookies prevent the dough from becoming soggy). Arrange the apple mixture in the center of the dough.
Using the parchment paper lining the cookie sheet, fold the outer edge of the pastry over the inner circle of fruit. Care not to make any holes in the dough where juice could escape. In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk and heavy cream. Brush the edges of the pastry dough with the egg wash. Sprinkle the fruit center with one tablespoon of sugar.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden and fruit is tender when pierced. Let crostata cool. Garnish with more orange zest and serve with a glass of Prosecco. Cheers!

Disclosure: The wine samples were provided as part of #winestudio, an educational program organized by Tina Morey. Join the #winestudio conversation Tuesday at 9pm ET on Twitter.