For many of us, prosecco is a cheaper alternative to Champagne, and choosing a bottle often comes down to which label appeals to us when we’re in the liquor store. But is there that much difference between proseccos? For the most part, the answer is no. Lots of bottles of this type of sparkling wine tend to taste alike, as our intrepid team of testers found out after slogging through 10 bottles in a blind tasting. But there were a couple of standouts, and one lowly brand that none of us would touch again. Read on to find out which proseccos took flight on our taste buds, and which crashed and burned.
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The Winner: Torresella Prosecco
Score: 4.4
$14 from Wine.com
The Torresella prosecco was the last bottle of the night and was served after several mediocre showings. One panelist’s comment said it all: “I might like this even better if I hadn’t already tried 10 bottles.” Another called it the Keanu Reeves of proseccos (a good thing, mind you, and we’d had a lot of bubbly up to this point so the comments were becoming more colorful) and testers noted that it was dry, crisp, smooth, and contained strong floral notes.
The Runner-Up: Ruffino Prosecco
Score: 4.2
$17 from Wine.com
Ruffino was a favorite of two of our testers and was noted for its balance, with one calling it the “perfect combination of dry and sweet.” It’s made from grapes grown in Valdobbiadene in Treviso, Italy — one of the most well-known regions for prosecco — and exhibits both fruit and floral notes.
Bread & Butter Prosecco
Score: 3.7
$15 from Wine Transit
While this was generally liked by most of our panel, one found the Bread & Butter label to be aggressively tart with “assaulting” bubbles. The rest, however, liked this one for its citrus and apple notes, which weren’t overly sweet.
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Hi! Prosecco
Score: 3.6
$14 from Wine.com
The Hi! brand was the second most expensive bottle of bubbly tasted and garnered generally good reviews, although it was noted — both negatively and positively — for its lack of fizz compared to other bottles. In terms of tasting notes, it seemed to hit differently on every palate. One panelist noted hints of cherry and ginger, another compared it favorably to “a pinot grigio” and yet another sensed a “hint of tequila.”
Cupcake Prosecco
Score: 3.5
$11 from Wine.com
With its status as the cheapest prosecco in this taste test, we were pleasantly surprised to find out that the Cupcake bubbly fell squarely in the middle of the pack, although it wasn’t without controversy. While some noted its “clean” and “lemony” characteristics, others felt it was “bland,” “unremarkable,” and even “kind of pukey.”
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Tesoro Della Regina
Score: 3.4
$20 from Pike’s Wine & Liquor
This prosecco, with notes of tart apple, stood out for its abundant bubbles. One panelist felt the fizz in this bottle was so aggressive that she compared it to Pop Rocks, while another compared it favorably to the level of effervescence in Topo Chico seltzer water. After a spirited debate, one panelist suggested that if this bottle “sat out for just a little bit (before serving), it could be really smooth.”
Le Colture Cruner Prosecco
Score: 2.9
$18 from Wine.com
The most expensive bottle of prosecco tested, this was a rousing disappointment, particularly when the labels were revealed at the end of the night. Noted as both “bitey” and “aggressive,” more than one on our tasting panel felt like the Colture Cruner had a higher alcohol content than other bottles. Others just noted that it was unremarkable.
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Giuseppe & Luigi Prosecco
Score: 2.6
$14 from Applejack Wine & Spirits Shop Now
Our prosecco panelists felt the Guiseppe & Luigi was bitter and lingered unpleasantly on the tongue. One noted its “wangy aftertaste,” which was “not very pleasant.”
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LaMarca Prosecco
Score: 2.5
$19 from Wine.com
For one of the pricier bottles on this list — and a brand that many of us had sipped before — we were surprised by our lack of enthusiasm for this prosecco when revealed. A couple of tasters commented that this tasted “cheap,” while another noted that she’d rather use it in a mimosa than drink it straight.
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The Loser: Tiamo Prosecco
Score: 1.8
$14 from Wine.com
For its price, this prosecco should taste much, much better than it does. It was the only bottle that inspired multiple stank faces and notes that included “tastes like vinegar;” “has a dark ending;” and “started out good … then felt assaulted.”
