The Best Prosecco for Mimosas, According to Our Taste Test

Mimosas are a go-to brunch cocktail whose popularities are rivaled only by the savory, spicy Bloody Mary. A two-ingredient mimosa is simply made by combining orange juice and sparkling wine. While any sparkling wine can technically be used, Prosecco is a common choice, for a few reasons. 

The Italian sparkling wine, which hails from the Veneto region and is made primarily from the Glera grape, has fresh flavors and exuberant bubbles thanks to the carbon dioxide pumped into the wine during tank fermentation. Since Prosecco is rarely barrel-aged, its citrusy, lemon-tangerine acidity is preserved in the bottle.

Prosecco also offers tremendous value, with solid bottlings that cost $20 or less. It’s the perfect match for the sweet, fruity flavor of orange juice. To help you choose the right Prosecco for your next mimosa, we tasted six side-by-side.

How we selected the Proseccos

We sourced six popular Proseccos that are commonly used as a cocktail ingredient in a mimosa or paired with an amaro or liqueur in a spritz. All of the bottles selected are under $20, produced in large quantities, and widely distributed. The Proseccos can be found at major liquor or wine stores, as well as grocery stores or online.

Since we selected the most popular Prosecco from each brand, there was some variation in the style of each wine. There was an equal split between brut and extra dry Proseccos. Brut Proseccos are drier (meaning less sweet), with 0–12 grams residual sugar, whereas extra dry Proseccos have more discernible sweetness, with 12–17 grams residual sugar.

How we tested

Six Food & Wine editors participated in the taste test. All of the prepared mimosas were sampled one after the other, with no knowledge of the Prosecco brands.

Each Prosecco was well chilled in advance, and the sparkling wine was mixed with equal parts orange juice. We prepared the mimosas with Uncle Matt’s Organic Orange Juice, the winner of our orange juice taste test. This pulp-free orange juice offered balanced sweet and tart flavors with vibrant, fresh orange notes.

We only tasted the Proseccos in prepared mimosas, not on their own. The editors scored each mimosa on a scale of 1 to 5, with a focus on flavor and texture. For flavor, we looked for a fresh citrus flavor, and a balance of acidity, sweetness, and bitterness. For texture, we looked for a mimosa with vibrant bubbles that were not overpowering.

Best overall: Casabianca Prosecco Superiore Brut

Described as “crisp and zesty” by executive wine editor Ray Isle, Casabianca’s brut Prosecco took best in show for a few reasons. The editors praised its fresh citrus flavors, very active bubbly texture that tingled when sipped, and how it complemented the orange juice with ease.

“This is a citrus explosion,” said editorial director Dylan Garret. “The Prosecco brings notes of lemon peel and citrus, and it matches and integrates perfectly with the orange juice.”

This sparkling wine from Casabianca is a Prosecco Superiore, a higher-end designation that denotes quality. In contrast to Prosecco DOC, Prosecco Superiores have stricter production standards, including smaller yields and high-quality vineyards.

Most classic: Mionetto Prosecco Brut

Mionetto’s Prosecco is a classic, and this entry-level brut bottling has become a stalwart sparkling wine mixer at bars everywhere. (Try its higher-end Mionetto Luxury Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Brut — but hold the orange juice.)

Our editors discerned a pleasing orange peel bitterness in the mimosa made with Mionetto. The touch of bitter amplified the fruity sweetness of the orange juice and offered increased interest.

“This one is delightful,” said social media editor Alexa Rockwell. With a less aggressive bubble, this Prosecco lent ample fizziness to the mimosa without being over-the-top. “It’s very smooth and easy to drink,” added Rockwell.

Best balance: La Marca Prosecco Extra Dry

The only extra dry Prosecco of our winning bunch, La Marca’s fruit-forward Prosecco offered ripe citrus notes that paired well with the orange juice. Its just-bubbly-enough texture blended seamlessly with the juice — Senior Photo Editor Doan Nguyen called out the cocktail’s “great mouthfeel.”

It especially won over Garret. “This is the one — it’s super juicy, super fruity, and the elements of citrus between the Prosecco and the orange juice blend seamlessly,” he said. Garrett accurately identified that La Marca’s Prosecco was a little less dry than the others, and for him, the increased sweetness was the best match for the orange juice in a mimosa.

The full list of contenders, ranked from highest to lowest