Ruffino Prosecco – Cheap, Citrus-y, Fun and Delicious

Let’s continue the sparkling wine into the new year theme, but moving on from the Portuguese sparklers to an Italian prosecco.

Prosecco is a great sparkling wine option for bargain hunters, as it tends to be very reasonably-priced.  One brand that I’ve found to be a reliable bargain is Ruffino.  It’s a wine that pretty easy to find too, with good distribution.  Ruffino is part of the Constellation Brands wine portfolio — and if you don’t know Constellation is one of the biggest wine/beer/spirits companies on the planet.

Given that this wine comes from one of the “big boys” some wine snobs might right it off as being a cheap “bulk” wine.  So what?  It’s affordable and it tastes great!

It’s a bit tangy on the nose, offering lemon and orange peel aromatics.  The palate brings crisp acidity and lemon flavors, along with a touch of mineral toward the finish.  This is an extra dry wine, which has a touch more residual sugar than a brut and you can taste that slight sweetness. The mouthfeel is good, with an adequate sparkle but it’s not quite as bubbly as some others.  The finish is like salty citrus.

After I took my notes on this wine, my wife showed me her new trick to add even more fun to a sparkling wine — cotton candy.  Add a little cotton candy to the glass before you pour the prosecco.  It will dissolve and lend its color to the wine.  Then add another tuft as a garnish.  Who knew you could have this much fun with prosecco?

Wine: Ruffino Prosecco
Variety: Glera (prosecco)
Vintage: non-vintage
Alcohol: 11%
Rating: 86
Price: $13

Find Ruffino Prosecco with Snooth

Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.

Want another opinion?  Check out these reviews:

• Drink Big Apple
• Wine and Walnuts
• Wine Enthusiast