Contrary to popular opinion, Champagne is not the most loved sparkling wine. That title belongs to the Italian variety named Prosecco. Champagne might be prestigious, but Prosecco is festive. There’s no better wine to raise a glass with.
One of the best things about this sparkling wine is that it doesn’t break the bank. An average bottle of Champagne costs around £40, while Prosecco is only £10. Sure, you can find an overpriced bottle too, but some of the best Prosecco wines on the market are super affordable.
Today, we’re going to review Ruffino Prosecco, a wine that falls into this price range. We’ll cover everything there is to know, from the brand’s history to wine flavour. Hopefully, this will help you decide if Ruffino Prosecco is good enough to be popped open on a special night.
Let’s start by answering some of the things you might be wondering about this brand as well as Prosecco sparkling white wine in general.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ruffino Prosecco the same thing as Champagne?
Prosecco and Champagne are two different types of wine that are often mistaken. That’s mainly because they are bubbly and similar in shade. But that’s pretty much all they have in common. Champagne comes from the same-named region in France. It’s a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes. Prosecco, on the other hand, is made solely of Glera grapes. In terms of flavour, Champagne is dry, toasty and has strong citrusy notes. Prosecco is more fruity, with hints of pear, apple and honeysuckle. When it comes to bubbles, they’re more distinctive in Champagne. Finally, these wine varieties have different price tags, with Champagne costing up to five times the average cost of Prosecco.
Is Prosecco healthier than other wine varieties?
Lately, we’ve been hearing a lot about the health benefits of wine. It’s said to contain antioxidants, have anti-inflammatory properties, regulates blood sugar and cholesterol and even prevents Alzheimer’s and cancer. Lots of research has been done on the subject, but there’s still a long way to proving wine actually does benefit our health. What’s more, this is sort of a paradox. Even if wine had lots of health benefits, it’s still an alcoholic drink, and regular consumption can do more harm than good.
Prosecco is a sparkling wine with low sugar content. As a result, it’s also lower in calories than other types of wine. Bubbly wines usually don’t have more than 80 calories per glass. For comparison, red wines can contain as much as 160 calories. So if you’re on a diet, sparkling wine is your wine of choice.
How long can Prosecco be kept for?
Prosecco is one of those wines that are supposed to be consumed young. Ideally, you should open up a bottle the year following the year it’s harvested.
How long can you keep Prosecco once opened?
If you store it in the fridge, Prosecco should taste good for another 3 to 5 days. A high-quality bottle will last a few days more. If you’re sure you won’t be able to bottom-up the bottle in one go, it’s definitely worth considering getting a more expensive variety.
What is Ruffino Prosecco?
Ruffino Prosecco is a relatively affordable sparkling wine produced in Italy. The perfect balance of price and quality is the reason this wine is sold and loved all over the world.
What Company Owns Ruffino Prosecco?
Constellation Brands owns Ruffino Prosecco, among more than a hundred other brands. The company is founded in 1945 by Marvin Sands in upstate New York. What started as a bulk wine distributor is now a multi-awarded company that has around 40 facilities and over 9000 employees. Today, the company’s corporate offices are located all around the world, from Mexico and Canada to China and New Zealand.
The larger the company grew, the more impact it had on the surroundings. This caused it to make their business more sustainable and act responsibly to help mitigate the impact they have on water, air and soil. To achieve this, they committed to decreasing the dependency on non‐renewable energy sources as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
In 2019, Ruffino won the Constellation Brands Environmental Sustainability Award for their efforts on reducing waste by recycling in Tuscany and the region of Veneto.
Is Ruffino Prosecco A Suitable Choice Of Wine For My Upcoming Celebration Party? What Do I Need To Know About This Wine To Make An Educated Choice?
First, let’s see what type of wine Ruffino Prosecco is, as well as how it compares to other Processo wines available on the market. To determine if a certain wine is worth the price it sells at, there are a few things to keep in mind:
Is Ruffino Prosecco An Aged Wine?
“NV” on the label stands for non-vintage, which means that Ruffino is a young wine. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t taste good. After all, not all wines are better when aged. Plus, we need to take personal preference into consideration.
Ageing affects wine in several ways. It strengthens the flavour and enhances the aroma, all the while making it low in acidity. As a result, all the notes are more pronounced.
While this is something we’d want from Cabernet Sauvignon, for example, Processo is a different story. In fact, ageing this type of wine will cause it to lose its acidity and crispiness. What’s more, ageing causes the wine to be less carbonate. But what’s Prosecco without its signature carbonation?
This is not to say that Prosecco goes from the barrel straight to the shelves. It’s aged for about a month, which is more than enough time to build up its flavour.
How Is Ruffino Prosecco Aged?
Prosecco wine is aged by the Charmant Method. The wine is mixed with sugar and yeast, and then placed in a stainless steel pressure tank. Those two added ingredients cause the second fermentation, and, since the barrel is closed, all the carbon dioxide is trapped in wine. This process lasts anywhere from one to six weeks.
But that’s as far as ageing goes when it comes to Prosecco. The wine is bottled as soon as the second fermentation is done, which causes the fruity flavour.
Is Ruffino Prosecco A Blend?
No, this is a 100% Prosecco wine. Under the DOC rules, Prosecco wines generally can be a blend of Glera with up to 15% of other grape varieties such as Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco or Pinot Grigio. But in the case of Ruffino, only Glera grapes are used for creating this Prosecco.
Where Does This Wine Come From?
Ruffino Prosecco is produced in the Valdobbiadene region, which is a part of the Veneto province in northern Italy. Located at the bottom of the Alps, this region has a cool climate that’s ideal for growing the Glera grape variety. The cold weather causes the grapes to be high in acidity and structure, with fruity notes.
What’s The Best Way To Serve Ruffino Prosecco?
Sparkling wines should always be served cold, and Ruffino Prosecco is no different. Ideally, you want it chilled between 6 and 8 degrees. You can achieve this by putting it in the fridge a couple of hours before serving. Or, you can use the ice bucket, and let it chill for up to 20 minutes. You shouldn’t serve this wine with ice, though, as this will water down its flavour.
Since this is a sparkling wine, you’d probably go for a champagne glass. But while the shape might prevent bubbles from dissipating, it will also taint the flavour. Instead, choose a large wine glass that will aerate the drink and enhance its dry nature.
Ruffino Prosecco can be served alone, but it also pairs well with light appetizers. Salty snacks are a great example. Whether it’s chips or popcorn, the saltiness is balanced out by the sweetness of Prosecco.
This type of wine also pairs well with cheese. Go for something creamy and strong, like Brie and Camembert.
As for the main dishes, you have plenty of choices. This versatile wine goes with seafood, whether it’s fish, shrimp or clams. Naturally, it pairs well with chicken, too. In fact, the only meal that might be too overpowering for this wine is a heavy red meat dish.
How about ending the night with a dessert? Lemon shortcake, Panettone, Cannoli… These are just a few sweet options that will complement the dryness of Ruffino Prosecco.
What’s The Colour Of Ruffino Prosecco?
The colour of Prosecco wine ranges from very pale to straw yellow. When it comes to Ruffino, it has the most saturated colour you can see in a Prosseco wine. In a way, you could say this wine looks exactly how it tastes. The orange-yellow shade reminds of apples and melons, both of which are also prominent flavour notes of Ruffino Prosecco.
How Sweet Is It?
As you already know, Prosecco wines aren’t sweet. This one in particular is extra dry. What this means is that it has no more than 2% sugar content. Still, thanks to fruity notes, it might appear sweet at the first sip. But as you improve your palate, you’ll be able to differentiate it from other wines that are actually sweet, like Moscato for example.
A Little Bit More About The Flavour Profile
There are a couple of things that influence the overall flavour, from notes and aromas to alcohol levels and acidity. When it comes to Prosecco, it can exhibit apple, melon, pear and citrus notes with a tinge of wisteria. It’s crisp, versatile and floral on the nose, with a tropical finish. Exactly what you want from a versatile wine.
Prosecco is all about sharp but simple notes. If complex wine is what you’re after, you won’t find that here. In that case, Champagne might be a better choice for you.
What More Can I Know About The Soil These Grapes Grow In?
We don’t have any first-hand information regarding the soil Ruffino grapes were grown. But, we can tell you a bit more about the soil in the Valdobbiadene region in general. It mainly consists of clay, sand and gravel.
- Clay soil is made of small grains that stay moist for a long time. In hot weather, this type of soil manages to stay cool, which prevents heat damage to vines. Grapes grown in clay soil produce rich bodied wine.
- Sandy soil is made of large particles, which makes it well-drained and good at retaining heat. This type of soil causes the wine to be light and delicate. But what’s great is that it’s resistant to phylloxera, a nasty enemy of grapes.
- By gravel, we mean pebbles of different sizes that are loose, granular, airy, and excellent at drainage. The wine produced in such soil is high in alcohol content and acidity.
Is This A Bulk Produced Wine?
Ruffino Prosecco is a part of the large parent company named Constellation Brands. With over a hundred brands the main company owns, keeping track of the production specifics is a Herculean task. Still, from what we do know, we can safely assume that Ruffino Prosecco is bulk produced.
What More Can I Know About The Constellation Brands?
Constellation Brands, Inc. is an American company that produces alcohol. It features more than a hundred brands in its portfolio, such as Corona, Svedka Vodka and Robert Mondavi. The company earns the most money from distributing beer, and they’re the largest beer import company in the US.
You should know that this company has been involved in certain controversies. Back in 2010, A French court convicted 12 wine traders of selling fake Pinot Noir, and Constellation was one of them. The whole thing ended with the company settling with a class-action lawsuit. The reason was simple – they should have been aware the wine wasn’t what they claimed it to be.
This year, they were sued after they have launched two new Modelo-branded beers. The first beer was aged in tequila barrels, but both U.S. and Mexican laws prohibit the use of the word “Tequila.” The second one used the term Bourbon to refer to the barrels where the beer was aged. The problem is, Bourbon has absolutely nothing to do with Mexico.
What Do Customers Say About This Wine?
Ruffino Prosecco seems like a crowd’s favourite. It’s rated 4.4 out of 5 on most wine review websites. Customers generally describe this wine as crisp, clean and sweet just the right amount. In the case of food pairing, opinions are divided. Some customers believe this wine is best when drunk alone, while others swear it tastes better when paired with a dish.
Is Ruffino Prosecco The Right Wine For Your Celebration?
In the end, everything comes down to value. The real question is – is this wine worth the price? And the answer is yes, it definitely is. At this price point, there aren’t a lot of wines that are pleasant in flavour and with delicate bubbles. But Ruffino Prosecco is all that, and more. It might not be the best bottle of Prosecco out there, but pair it with a light appetizer, and no one will know.
But being connected to a large parental company doesn’t do the brand much favour. Ruffino itself wasn’t involved with the controversies, yet the brand will always be tied to them. The company has moved on from those incidents, but they’ve yet to own up to their mistakes.
All in all, this is definitely not a bad bottle of Prosecco. In fact, for the price it sells at, you’ll hardly find a better one.
