Martini & Rossi Asti Spumante

Martini & Rossi Asti Spumante is a sweet Italian sparkling wine made from 100% Moscato Bianco grapes, bottled at 7.5% ABV in a standard 750ml format. Produced in Piedmont's prestigious Asti DOCG zone, this expression earned 92 points from Tastings.com in 2022, reinforcing its reputation as one of the most recognized Asti spumante wines worldwide.

Quick Facts: ABV: 7.5%  |  Origin: Asti DOCG, Piedmont, Italy  |  Style: Sweet Sparkling (Spumante)  |  Producer: Martini & Rossi (Bacardi)

Production & Heritage

Martini & Rossi traces its roots to 1863 in Turin, Italy, where it became one of the world's best-known vermouth and sparkling wine houses. Now under Bacardi ownership, the brand sources Moscato Bianco grapes — also called Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains — exclusively from vineyards within the Asti DOCG appellation. The wine is produced using the Asti Method, a variation of the Charmat process that employs a single fermentation in pressurized stainless steel tanks. Fermentation is halted early to preserve the grape's natural residual sugar and intensely aromatic compounds, and the juice is kept cold and free from oxygen prior to fermenting on demand. This technique distinguishes Asti from Champagne's secondary bottle fermentation and from Prosecco's complete fermentation cycle, yielding a wine that tastes remarkably close to fresh Moscato grapes.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens with fresh grape juice and perfumed tropical flowers, followed by layers of jarred peaches, vine peach, and apricot candy. Beneath the fruit sits a surprising thread of sweet wild sage and delicate spice.

Taste: On the palate, fine persistent bubbles carry bright peach and pear flavors at the entry. The mid-palate broadens into ripe melon, pineapple, and a touch of apple. A gentle sweetness holds everything together without cloying, balanced by the wine's natural acidity and effervescence.

Finish: The finish is moderate in length with a clean, fruity fade of apricot and grapefruit zest. A light floral quality lingers alongside soft bubbles, leaving the palate refreshed.

How to Drink Asti Spumante

Serve well chilled between 6–8°C (43–46°F) in a flute or tulip glass to concentrate the aromatic bouquet. This is a wine that thrives on its own as an aperitif or dessert pour. For mixed drinks, it works beautifully in a Bellini, where peach purée amplifies the wine's natural stone-fruit character. A Sparkling Sangria using fresh summer fruits builds on the melon and pear notes already present. It also pairs naturally with elderflower liqueur and fresh mint in an Asti Spritz, a lighter alternative to the classic Aperol version.

Best For

• Toasting at bridal showers and celebratory brunches
• Serving alongside a fruit-forward dessert course
• Introducing new wine drinkers to Italian sparkling wine
• Warm-weather aperitif on a patio or garden setting

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Asti Spumante taste like? Martini & Rossi Asti Spumante is a noticeably sweet sparkling wine with dominant flavors of ripe peach, pear, melon, and pineapple, lifted by fine bubbles and balanced acidity. Floral and sage undertones add complexity beyond the fruit.

How does Asti Spumante compare to Moscato d'Asti? Both wines come from 100% Moscato Bianco grapes grown in the same Asti DOCG region, but Moscato d'Asti is a frizzante (lightly sparkling) wine at roughly 5.5% ABV with gentler bubbles. Martini & Rossi Asti Spumante is fully sparkling with more pressure in the bottle and a slightly higher alcohol content around 7.5% ABV, resulting in a more effervescent drinking experience.

Is Asti Spumante good for beginners? Its approachable sweetness, low alcohol, and vibrant fruit character make it one of the most accessible sparkling wines available. It requires no acquired taste for tannin or acidity, making it an ideal starting point for anyone exploring Italian sparkling wine.

Where is Asti Spumante made? Martini & Rossi produces this wine in the Asti DOCG zone within Piedmont, northwestern Italy. The house, founded in Turin in 1863, draws its Moscato Bianco grapes exclusively from DOCG-certified vineyards in the region.

What foods pair well with Asti Spumante? Fresh fruit tarts and panna cotta complement the wine's peach and melon sweetness. Mild soft cheeses like mascarpone or fresh ricotta echo its creamy texture. Lightly spiced Thai or Vietnamese dishes create an appealing sweet-savory contrast, and almond biscotti or amaretti cookies mirror the stone-fruit and floral aromatics.

What sizes does Asti Spumante come in? The standard bottle is 750ml, and Martini & Rossi also offers a 187ml single-serve format and a larger 1.5L magnum in select markets.

Is Asti Spumante worth the price? Martini & Rossi Asti Spumante positions squarely as a value-tier sparkling wine, delivering DOCG-certified quality and a 92-point Tastings.com score at one of the lowest price points in the Italian sparkling category. For the quality of fruit and production integrity, it consistently over-delivers relative to its cost.

Why Asti Spumante?

What separates Martini & Rossi Asti Spumante from the sea of sweet sparkling wines is its single-fermentation Asti Method, which captures the aromatic intensity of Moscato Bianco grapes at their freshest. The 92-point score from Tastings.com in 2022 confirms that this is not merely a crowd-pleaser — it performs at a level that impresses critics as well. As one of the few sweet sparkling wines carrying genuine DOCG certification, it meets the strictest Italian quality standards for origin and production. For a wine at this price tier, the combination of verifiable regional pedigree, transparent production, and consistent critical recognition is difficult to match.