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15 best proseccos that bring sparkle to any occasion, tried and taste-tested

From celebrity brands and budget bubbles to luxury labels, these are the proseccos to know

Aidy Smith
Wine and spirits journalist
Thursday 24 October 2024 14:30 EDT
We tested each prosecco once they were at the ideal drinking temperature of 8-13C
We tested each prosecco once they were at the ideal drinking temperature of 8-13C (The Independent)
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Prosecco is the Italian fizz that has become something of a British icon – from casual get-togethers to grand events, the best proseccos help any celebration go off with a bang. In fact, it’s officially the UK’s favourite sparkling wine.

If you’ve been scarred by a bad bottle, you might well find yourself wondering why it’s so popular. So many bottles fall by the wayside for two reasons: they’re either cloying and sweet or there’s nothing to them.

Get the right bottle, however, with refined bubbles, refreshing flavours and delicious fruits, and you’ll find yourself waving the flag for prosecco, too.

Originating from Italy’s Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions, prosecco offers a range of styles, from dry to sweeter variations, often showcasing notes of apple, pear and citrus – bottles can often set you back less than their champagne counterparts, too.

Here, our curated selection covers it all, from affordable gems to luxury fizz. Let’s pop that cork and dive straight in.

How we tested

Our expert tried and tested each and every bottle to find the best fizz of the year
Our expert tried and tested each and every bottle to find the best fizz of the year (The Independent)

Each bottle was chilled in the fridge to between 6C and 9C. Once opened, the sparkling wine was allowed to sit in the glass for 10 minutes, to open up and warm slightly to the ideal drinking temperature of 8C to 13C before tasting. Only the ones that impressed us the most made it into our final line-up.

The best proseccos for 2024 are:

  • Best overall – Il Colmo prosecco brut: £14.99, Virginwines.co.uk
  • Best budget buy – Tesco Finest prosecco Valdobbiadene DOCG: £9.50, Tesco.com
  • Best for parties – Kylie Minogue prosecco DOC rosé: £10.99, Waitrose.com 
  • Best for premium sipping – Le Colture Prosecco Superiore di Cartizze DOCG NV: £25.70, Corneyandbarrow.com
  • Best for pairing with food – Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference prosecco rosé: £9.75, Sainsburys.co.uk

Il Colmo prosecco brut

Il Colmo prosecco brut, best proseccos
  • Best: Overall
  • ABV: 11.5%
  • Tasting notes: Pear, apple, melon and lime

Sleek and modern, this prosecco is designed to impress. Exclusive to Virgin Wines, it offers crisp orchard fruit and vivacious bubbles that bring mountain-fresh vibes from the Venetian hills. Expect delicate flavours of pear, apple and melon, with a touch of lime and apricot on the finish. Crisp, crunchy, vibrant and refreshing all come to mind while enjoying the lively mousse. Il Colmo means ‘the pinnacle’, and, at this price, it’s difficult to argue against that sentiment.

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Tesco Finest prosecco Valdobbiadene DOCG

Tesco Finest prosecco Valdobbiadene DOCG, best proseccos
  • Best: Budget buy
  • ABV: 11.5%
  • Tasting notes: White blossom, peach, pear and lime

A true steal at less than £10, Tesco’s prosecco features notes of white peach, ripe pear and fragrant white blossom. This elegant sparkler is a standout find from the premium vineyards of the Valdobbiadene hills. It’s dry, zesty and refreshing, with just the right balance of fruit and acidity. The approachable alcohol percentage with the dry profile makes it easy-going, but with enough complexity to intrigue with each sip.

  1.  £9 from Tesco.com
Prices may vary
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BRT prosecco superiore DOCG brut

BRT prosecco superiore DOCG brut, best proseccos
  • Best: For orchard fruits
  • ABV: 11.5%
  • Tasting notes: Apple, citrus and honey

A top-end example from Duca di Dolle, this is a blend of 90 per cent glera, 5 per cent verdiso and 5 per cent perera, from some of the best vineyards in the Prosecco Superiore DOCG. With a pale straw colour, vibrant bubbles and aromas of apple and pear as well as lively floral and citrus notes, it is everything you could want from a prosecco. Its fresh, crisp finish makes each sip as refreshing as the last, and it pairs perfectly with mature cheeses and cured meats. It also works beautifully with shellfish.

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Villa Degli Olmi Corte dei Rovi prosecco NV

Villa Degli Olmi Corte dei Rovi prosecco NV, best proseccos
  • Best: For affordable luxury
  • ABV: 11%
  • Tasting notes: Jasmine, apple and citrus

What a wine this is. Villa Degli Olmi’s prosecco is a standout, crafted through natural fermentation from a fourth-generation family winery. This extra-dry sparkler showcases fragrant notes of jasmine, vibrant apple, and citrus, alongside a creamy mousse and a subtle mineral touch. It consistently outperforms more-expensive competitors, being awarded a host of competition medals.

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Bresolin organic prosecco extra brut

Bresolin organic prosecco extra brut, best proseccos
  • Best: For pairing with seafood
  • ABV: 11.5%
  • Tasting notes: Green apple, acacia, lemon, elderflower and pear

The Bresolin brothers are pursuing the admirable craft of organic wine, and their silvery prosecco shines with straw-yellow highlights and fine bubbles – it really is intriguing in the glass. Expect a fragrant nose of fresh apple and acacia blossom, while the palate is crisp, with notes of green apple, pear, elderflower, and vivid lemon. Exceptionally well-balanced, it finishes with a unique touch of salty minerality. With the delicious citrus, a subtle earthy quality throughout and refreshing salinity to the aftertaste, you’d be a fool not to enjoy this alongside seafood.

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Kylie Minogue prosecco DOC rosé

Kylie Minogue prosecco DOC rosé, best proseccos
  • Best: For parties
  • ABV: 11%
  • Tasting notes: Red cherry, strawberries and raspberries

Pink prosecco hasn’t been around long, and this Kylie Minogue fizz might surprise you, as the red fruits are subtle, fresh and mellow, avoiding the cloying and synthetic pitfalls that are the downfall of so many proseccos. Made from a blend of glera and pinot noir grapes in the Veneto region, this super dry and refreshing rosé fizzes with flavours of fresh strawberries, red cherries, and raspberries, balanced beautifully by background floral notes. The soft pale pink hue and charming heart design on the bottle – not to mention the aura of Kylie glamour – make it perfect for parties.

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Pasqua ‘Romeo & Juliet’ brut prosecco DOC

Pasqua ‘Romeo & Juliet’ brut prosecco DOC, best proseccos
  • Best: For romantic meals
  • ABV: 11%
  • Tasting notes: Apple, pear and citrus

This charming prosecco from Treviso, Veneto, is a light, aromatic delight, full of crisp citrus, apple, and pear flavours. Its soft bubbles and romantic label, inspired by the legendary love story of Romeo and Juliet, make it a perfect party centrepiece. Made from 100 per cent glera grapes and produced using the Charmat method, it’s bright, fresh, vivacious and brimming with orchard fruits and a touch of citrus. This pleasant tang overlaps into a pleasing mineral finish. Being so food-friendly and emitting lovey-dovey vibes, this is perfectly placed alongside a romantic home-cooked meal.

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Aqualta prosecco DOC

Aqualta prosecco DOC, best proseccos
  • Best: For versatility
  • ABV: 11%
  • Tasting notes: Apple, pear, melon and citrus

Exclusive to Majestic, this bottle offers a perfect balance between prosecco styles. Its seductive melon, pear and apple notes deliver residual sweetness but there’s also plenty of fizz and crisp citrus bite. The smoothness is to die for, and the fresh fragrance keeps you coming back. It stands out from other gleras, without taking the character in an extreme direction – it’s just quality fizz that’s absolutely mastered the balance.

Although this bottle is currently sold out online, you may be able to find it in your local Majestic store.

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Alberto Nani organic prosecco, extra dry NV

Alberto Nani organic prosecco, extra dry NV, best proseccos
  • Best: Aperitif
  • ABV: 10.5%
  • Tasting notes: Apple, pear, peach and pineapple

Sourced from mineral-rich clay soil hills, Alberto Nani’s prosecco is a vibrant, organic glera sparkler with a floral bouquet nose that’s taken over by ripe peach, crisp apple, and juicy pear in the mouth. Pineapple and cantaloupe bring a tropical punch but there’s also plenty of dry minerality. Combined with the beautiful golden hues, the intense effervescence and the creamy texture, this is a certified winner.

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Freixenet prosecco DOC

Freixenet prosecco DOC, best proseccos
  • Best: For celebrations
  • ABV: 11%
  • Tasting notes: Lemon, green apple and honey

Forever catching our eyes, Freixenet has some tremendous releases that often represent some of the best-value fizz on supermarket shelves. The signature bottle is hard to resist, but here we have substance as well as style. Crafted from glera grapes in Veneto, this prosecco bursts with ripe lemon, a hint of green apple, and a kiss of honey. Light, crisp and endlessly drinkable, it’s perfect for having a special glass of something without spending big.

  1.  £11 from Asda.com
Prices may vary
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Graham Norton’s Own prosecco frizzante DOC NV

Graham Norton’s Own prosecco frizzante DOC NV, best proseccos
  • Best: For floral notes
  • ABV: 11%
  • Tasting notes: White flowers, acacia, citrus, green and red apples

Everyone’s favourite talk show host has been behind some super wines for years now, and they just seem to keep getting better. Norton’s prosecco is extra-dry with 100 per cent glera grapes from Italy’s Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions. Expect gentler, finer bubbles in the glass and a rising aroma of white flowers and acacia that’s particularly inviting. The first sip justifies all the awards it has won, as green and red apples star in a palate that stands out as sublimely light. The perfect kiss of sweetness lurks in the background, but it’s so crisp that finishing the bottle is dangerously easy.

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Dolly Wines prosecco DOC

Dolly Wines prosecco DOC, best proseccos
  • Best: For gifting
  • ABV: 12.5%
  • Tasting notes: Peach, apricot, apple and pear

Yes, it is that Dolly. Ms Parton’s prosecco was launched just this year, and features a pale straw-yellow hue and fine bubbles. The stone fruit aroma of peach and apricot is very seductive – on the palate, these fruit-forward notes evolve into creamy orchard fruits with acidic zing. There’s a lot going on but the balance ends up exactly where it needs to be: bright and lovable. Perfect for drinking, nine to five.

  1.  £10 from Asda.com
Prices may vary
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Bottega gold

Bottega gold, best proseccos
  • Best: For glamour
  • ABV: 11%
  • Tasting notes: Green apple, pear, lemon and sage

Wherever you stand on golden bottles, they certainly grab your attention. Far too often, though, the contents can’t back up this level of glamour, but that’s certainly not the case here. Produced from premium Valdobbiadene grapes, this prosecco delivers a luxurious blend of green apple, pear and citrus, with floral and sage notes. It’s a complete package – think fine bubbles, soft and refreshing mousse, and cleansing acidity. It’s a Drinks Business Prosecco Masters 2021 gold medal winner, and you can taste why.

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Le Colture Prosecco Superiore di Cartizze DOCG NV

Le Colture Prosecco Superiore di Cartizze DOCG NV, best proseccos
  • Best: For premium sipping
  • ABV: 11.5%
  • Tasting notes: Apricot, peach, orange blossom and rose

Le Colture is a family winery slap bang in the middle of Italy’s prosecco country. Exclusive to Corney & Barrow, this Prosecco Superiore di Cartizze DOCG offers a masterclass in sparkling wine, with 500 years of winemaking expertise behind it. Known as the grand cru of prosecco, it’s almost champagne-like with elegant, perfumed aromas of orange blossom and rose, alongside apricot and peach flavours. Joining those rich and ripe fruits are savoury lees notes and a saline core. The harmony between everything is sublime, which is why this is a benchmark of premium prosecco.

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Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference prosecco rosé

Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference prosecco rosé, best proseccos
  • Best: For pairing with food
  • ABV: 11%
  • Tasting notes: Strawberries, raspberries, red cherries and grapefruit

This is another fruit-forward prosecco rosé that’s restrained with its sweetness. The glera and pinot noir blend brings delicate strawberry, raspberry and red cherry flavours to the fore, balancing fresh acidity, refreshing dryness and fruity sweetness in harmony. As the berries dissipate, a touch of grapefruit pith shows itself, too. It’s easy to love and would be ideal with antipasti or light dishes such as fish and tomato-based sauces.

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Why you can trust us

Aidy Smith is an award-winning TV presenter, broadcaster and journalist. He is the presenter of Amazon Prime’s award-winning drinks-themed travel series The Three Drinkers and is frequently heard across TV and radio. Seek out more of his drinks discoveries at @Sypped.

Proseccos FAQs

What do the different labels mean?

Read the labels carefully – all prosecco should be made largely from the glera grape and hail from certain areas of the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions of northern Italy.

  • DOC – which stands for ‘designation of controlled origin’, denotes standard prosecco. It’s readily identifiable from the blue stripe on the label at the top, and accounts for the vast bulk of prosecco made.
  • DOCG – stands for ‘designation of controlled origin and guaranteed’. This is more superior and is indicated by the brown label on the top of a bottle and can only be made in the Treviso province of Veneto on the hills between the towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene.
  • Spumante – tells you it’s the fizziest of prosecco but remember that other Italian sparkling wines, made from different grapes in different areas, can also be labelled vino spumante without being prosecco.
  • Frizzante – this simplymeans the fizz is less intense.

The verdict: Proseccos

Both Tesco’s Finest and Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference proseccos stood out when it came to affordable supermarket fizz. Whether you’re buying for larger crowds or just want to make some vibrant fizzy cocktails, these work wonders. Along with supermarket options, it seems there’s an abundance of celebrities who’ve tried their hand at creating the perfect prosecco. Dolly Parton, Graham Norton and Kylie Minogue were worthy contenders within this arena, with each bottle falling very close to that sweet £10 mark, too.

Prosecco isn’t just about cheap fizz, however – there’s a growing number of premium options offering more flavour, texture and body. Ranging anywhere from around £15 to £25, key examples here include Bresolin, Bottega gold and the Prosecco Superiore di Cartizze.

Ultimately, there can only be one top spot. Based on its mid-tier price point offering something special in terms of taste, approachability and key flavour, Il Como prosecco brut brings the medal home this time. Perfectly balanced, these bubbles flourish with orchard fruits and a succulently crisp finish. Housed within a stunning bottle, it makes for an impressive gift, too.

For more sparkling vinos, check out our review of the best pét nat wines

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