FIOL translates as ‘sons’ in Italian. In Venetian colloquy however, FIOL derives from 1400 year old slang and means ‘the cool guy.’ In this particular instance, FIOL is a community of friends that share a passion for wine and ‘enjoy life with a sparkle‘…and thus have created a delicious Italian prosecco that embodies just this.
FIOL Prosecco DOC is a true passion project, a labour of love if you will, for a group of young Italian friends longing for a venture that would reflect and define their spirited, long standing friendship while establishing a sort of legacy. With over 600 years of wine making in each of their families, this team explored the Italian winemaking experience with an original, youthful and enthusiastic eye. Cue FIOL Prosecco, a delicious bubbly that after four short years, is already enjoying success in seven worldwide markets. Very impressive. My ‘fiols’ and I have a BBM group…
FIOL is balanced, extra crisp and easy to drink. It pairs well with essentially everything and I dare say, is perfect on its own. This prosecco is 100% DOC (meaning it is a regulated high quality grape) and is the perfect ingredient in a number of cocktails such as the FIOL Spritz and FIOL Hugo (Recipes below). But the quality and deliciousness of this Italian prosecco is not even the main point.
In 2014, FIOL won Forbes ‘Coolest Label’ competition. Team FIOL started an online competition where student graphic designers could submit possible labels. FIOL needed a hallmark that embodied FIOL as a ‘statement of a [young and sparkly] lifestyle, for someone who has the freedom to choose an amazing drinking experience over just another name or label.‘ The final product does just this: It is simple, edgy and really, really cool- very FIOL.
I was lucky enough to meet two members of the FIOL team, Gaia and Giacomo, who have both invited me (and admittedly everyone else in the iYellow wine cave) to visit them in Italy. ‘Yes!’ I exclaimed and pictured sitting in a vineyard laughing, eating and drinking with these cool and charismatic entrepreneurs all of us sharing in core of what it is to be FIOL. Gaia and Giacomo exuded such excitement and energy that I wanted to not only drink FIOL but I wanted to move to Italy and be their friend. – (As you probably guessed, I’m not that cool). With inviting smiles and enthusiastic hand gestures, their determination to give the world the most genuine and rousing prosecco drinking experience was infectious and inspiring.
I know tastes are subjective, especially in wine, but I implore you- Drink this bubbly, folks. Drink it with your best friends, your fiols, and enjoy every second. Make a cocktail, sip it on it’s own or do both. And once you fall in love with it, as I have, come visit my new friends and I on a vineyard in Italy.
Pick up a bottle at the LCBO for $15.60
FIOL SPRITZ
1/3 FIOL
1/3 Aperol or Campari
1/3 Soda
1 Slice of Orange
1 Olive
FIOL HUGO
2/3 FIOL
2/3 Soda
1/3 Elderflower Syrup
