I really liked @scubadoo97 idea for blind tastings, so today, I went out and bought this
It's a prosecco by Foss Marai and it had a 90 score at Total Wine & More.
https://www.wine-searcher.com/wine-324420-0000-foss-marai-prosecco-extra-dry-veneto-italy
I don't know much about proseccos but I'm going to conclude that this is a decent bottle, reasonably priced at $20 (tad high-end for a prosecco).
I decided to do a side-by-side comparison with the Kirkland brand.
Smell:
Foss Marai - win, it's complex fruity, grapes with hints of honey. It smells "natural," I guess another word could be funky.
Kirkland - it's ok, it's completely different beast. It's much more astringent, clean smelling. It almost smells like a soda pop.
Bubbles:
Kirkland - small win, this is one bubbly drink, five minutes later and the bubbles are raging.
Foss Marai - no more bubbles.
Taste:
Now here's the real eye-opener, they taste completely different. If you didn't tell me they're both proseccos, I wouldn't have put them in the same category.
Foss Marai - win. big win. Very dry. Lots of complex flavors that I've already mentioned: honey, grapes, musk. You can taste the earth in here. It's interesting, it entertains my tastebuds and I want more.
Kirkland - taste is ok, it's not bad, it's not great. It's very clean, like it was manufactured in a factory. Single lemony note.
Both go down very easy.
Winner: Foss Marai. But I come away with Kirkland being very drinkable at $7 (less than half the price of the Foss Marai) and Kirkland may work better in mixers with it's simple, clean, bright notes.
Actually, you really can't compare, they taste so different. I should've compared it with a more commercialized, standard prosecco that had simpler flavors.
I'll try them in some prosecco cocktails and report back.
Both make popcorn delicious!
