Bottomline:  The word "champagne" is not to be used unless the product comes from a specific region in France.  However, "sparkling white wine" is really about the same thing and is produced in several regions throughout Europe and probably in the USA as well.

For what it is worth, I'm a fan of prosecco.  I find it to be a little sweeter than champagne, and more enjoyable.  However, everyone's palette is different, and I would not get into an argument about which is 'better'.  It's all a matter of taste.  I find champagne to be over-priced and not much different from things labeled as 'sparkling white wine' anyway.

I have actually never had prosecco. It sounds very good! Is there a certain brand that's better than others? I have learned over trial and error, that when it comes to champagne, all are not equal in the least. In my opinion, this is one of those times where price point and brand matter alot. My first ever experience with champagne was when I was around 14 years old on a New Year's Eve. Needless to say, at the whopping price of $14 for a huge bottle, I was not only unimpressed, but hated it. It tasted like fizzy rotten fruit juice. Yep, I prayed to the porcelain God on that one. Fast forward a bunch of years, and I went to the other end of the spectrum, and bought a bottle of Veuve Clicquot for quite a bit more than $14. Suddenly champagne was AWESOME! Unfortunately, now that I've had some of the good stuff, "regular" champagne isn't quite the same. Oh well, I've had worse problems. 

Good info there, Goose.

BYOB, something I've observed concerning wines in general:  How good a wine tastes, and how much you may enjoy it, depends in part who you are sharing it with.  I really mean that, and I'm sure others will agree.

I myself, am not a wine snob by any means.  All I know is that one of the greatest wines I ever had was with 3 couples sitting on top of a medieval tower in Florence on a warm September evening watching the sunset.  The bottle was simply labeled 'red table wine' and cost less than 8 euro.  In fact, it was so good we downed 2 more bottles that evening as we sat and talked.  You get the picture.

Goose wrote:

As for food pairings with prosecco,,,,,,,,,
In the summer, when you can get good melons, serve it with melon wrapped in prosciutto appetizer course.

Scallops are another good pairing.

But, as you said, you are looking for something simple.
Sautteed shrimp over rice or pasta.
Sauteed chicken cutlets in butter, like chicken picatta.

I'd stay away from anything with chiles.

Yes, chiles seem like they would overpower the lightness of the prosecco. Scallops sound like they would go very nicely. And melons wrapped in prosciutto .............Mmmmmmmm, good stuff.

I'm thinking I like the pasta idea over rice with the prosecco for some reason. It just seems like it would be 'right' with a light pasta. I may have to resort to my usual method of standing in the grocery store, staring like an idiot at products until inspiration strikes. Maybe I should buy 2 bottles of prosecco, and peruse one while deciding what to eat with the other. 

Goose wrote:

Hey, I found another fun site.
The Prosecco-food pairing wheel.

http://mionettoproseccousa.com/prosecco-pairing-wheel/

Oh boy. Imagine a beautiful summer evening on your deck.
Prosciutto with melon.
Grilled asparagus.
A caprese salad of Mozzerella, Tomato and basil
And Prosecco to wash it down.
Mama mia!

People ask me why I write about food so much.
My answer. I'm not cynical about food. 

Mangia bene. Ridi spesso. Ama Molto

It's snowing again here, so believe me, in my mind I'm on that deck.

You just had to bring up a caprese salad, didn't you. Dammit. My grocery bill is gonna suffer this weekend for sure.