We’ve got our first houseguests in the new place tonight; a special welcome to Jackie, Colin, and Brooke! Thanks for stopping over on your way home from Florida, and hope that you enjoy the visit as much as we do. Grapes are only for the adults on this trip, and we’re going to stay in white country tonight. No reds, no blushes…but whites both sparkling and flat are fair game. So keep your arms inside the vehicle at all times, people, the car is leaving the station now and headed for Italy.

2013 Ruffino Prosecco, Italy.

Our first stop is the 2013 Ruffino Prosecco named above. On a hot summer night this sparkling Italian is a refreshing way to finish up a long car trip or a long day at the office. We poured in our favorite champagne flutes and chased away our thirst and our fatigue. That’s easy to do when you’re seeing good friends, and we were soon all smiles as we caught up with each others’ lives and watched the kids color their color books and our driveway. Much merriment in the new house tonight!

I found the Ruffino to be nice and crisp. It’s very even-toned, and I would definitely say you have notes of pear and apple in this sparkling wine. It’s not too sweet, and it is not too harsh. Thirsty as I was, I found the Ruffino to cleanse my palate and a nice complement to the hors d’oeuvres—the cheeses, turkey pepperoni, and fresh veggies. All three adults seemed to dig into this wine, and it was soon exhausted and time to turn our sites to the next stop—the Avanti.