Sandro Bottega (Bottega Spa), ‘Prosecco is an anti-stress “pill”, ideal after a day of voting’.
“During the Conclave, the ideal wines for the electors to consume are light and savory ones. Therefore, among the structured ones, Chianti and Brunello are the most suitable to drink before the white smoke. Sparkling wines such as Prosecco are instead an excellent option at the end of the daily voting for the election of the new Pope because they act as an anti-stress”, declared Sandro Bottega, wine entrepreneur at the head of the historic company Bottega SpA of Bibano (TV), one of the leaders in Italy for the production of Prosecco . The Conclave that will lead to the election of the successor to Pope Francis will begin today, Wednesday 7 May at 4:30 pm and will last until one of the candidates obtains two thirds of the votes. The cardinal electors, in the meantime, will stay at the Casa Santa Marta where they will consume their meals and every day they will be transferred by bus to the Sistine Chapel for the vote. “For such important days,” explains Sandro Bottega, “we can make some distinctions about the type of wines that could be consumed. Alcohol, obviously, is almost always present in this type of product, but when the wine is of a savory nature it brings wisdom and therefore I recommend a glass of Chianti or Brunello di Montalcino – two red wines – on the occasion of the electors’ meal that will take place on the days of the voting for the new Pope. Sparkling wines like our Prosecco are instead anti-stress because with their bubbles they make the alcohol enter the blood more quickly and bring tranquility. They can therefore be consumed especially at the end of a day of voting on the occasion of the Conclave. Finally, Barolo and Amarone are red wines with a higher alcohol content that combine well with the euphoria for the election of the new Pope and therefore could be consumed after the final white smoke.” The 2013 Conclave for the election of Pope Francis lasted two days, as did the one that led to the pontificate of Benedict XVI in 2005. To find the last Conclave that lasted more than two days, we need to go back to 1978 when the white smoke for Pope John Paul II arrived on the third day. “Regardless of the length of the Conclave, in general we at Bottega Spa advise voters to drink water for breakfast, for lunch, if possible, a glass of non-alcoholic or low-alcohol wine (even better if rosé) if it is an ‘important’ meal; a glass of white wine, even a structured one, if it is a light dish such as a plate of pasta. For dinner we always suggest a savoury red wine such as Chianti and Brunello which gives wisdom in view of the votes or a glass of sparkling wine, from the classic method to prosecco, to be paired according to the foods which is an anti-stress ‘pill’. Finally, for the key day, when the white smoke is near, we recommend drinking a glass of Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze, a slightly sweet Italian sparkling wine and then toasting the end of the Conclave with a glass of Amarone or Barolo, wines with a high alcohol content”, concluded Sandro Bottega, wine entrepreneur and leader of Bottega Spa, among the leaders in Italy for the production of Prosecco.