The festive season certainly provides a great excuse to offer your guests sparkling wine - but of course you can opt for sparkling wine any time of the year and on any occasion! You normally associate sparkling wine with a celebration, but that’s probably an association with how much you’re spending - so the bigger the celebration the more you might spend and this is where sparkling wine is strongly associated with ‘champagne’.

Read on to help demystify sparkling wine, to understand what it actually is, the different types of sparkling wines and how they differ from each other. Hopefully this will then help you this festive season or the next time you fancy buying some sparkling wine but aren’t sure what to go for!

What is ‘sparkling wine’?

Basically, sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it, which makes it fizzy. Sparkling wine is normally white or rosé, but red styles of sparkling wine are also available. The sweetness of sparkling wine can range from very dry brut styles to sweeter doux styles. So we have already differentiated by colour and by sweetness, but another very important element is how the carbon dioxide is introduced into the wine, i.e. how the sparkling wine is actually made.

Sparkling wine is produced all around the world and is often referred to by a local name or a region, but as with any wine its appeal is entirely down to personal taste, what it is being paired with and also, cost. Due to the significant processes involved, producing a sparkling wine can be costly, which will of course be reflected in the end user price - and you can pay a premium for a ‘brand’ - but again this is all down to personal taste!

Is sparkling wine the same as champagne?

Before we get on to consider the different methods of producing sparkling wine it’s important to address this question - ‘is sparkling wine the same as Champagne’? A very good answer to this question, which I am going to unashamedly borrow, is ‘All Champagne is sparkling wine, but not all sparkling wine is Champagne’. Champagne is a winemaking region in northern France. All sparkling wines made in Champagne are governed by strict regulations; only certain grapes and production processes are allowed. If they comply with these regulations, the sparkling wine can be called Champagne. Anything produced outside Champagne in France, cannot be called champagne, even if the method of production is the same.

How is sparkling wine made?

There are several different methods for producing sparkling wine and for introducing carbon dioxide into the wine.

The 2 main processes however, which we will cover here, involve natural fermentation, either in the bottle as in the ‘traditional’ or ‘Champagne’ method, or in a stainless steel tank. 

Traditional method

Otherwise known as ‘Champagne method (Méthode Champenoise)

The ‘traditional’ method is arguably the most well-known method of producing sparkling wine and the most respected in terms of quality. It produces a wine with lots of tiny bubbles, synonymous with quality, the result of the higher pressure in the bottle during fermentation.

However, many stages are involved in a lengthy production process and therefore it is the most costly method.

Essentially there are 2 fermentations involved. The first takes place in the stainless steel vat or oak barrel, but the second takes place in the bottle.

Processes include the following:

• The individual grape varieties are pressed and still wines are produced during the first fermentation

• Wines are then blended to create a cuvée or a mix of vintages, depending on the type of sparkling wine being made

• Yeast and sugars are then added to the still wine, which is the heart of the ‘traditional’ method

• The wines are then bottled, with a crown cap in place and stored horizontally - this marks the start of the second fermentation, which can take up to 8 weeks

• The second fermentation creates the carbon dioxide and the sugar turns to alcohol - the yeast dies and remains in the bottle

• The wine ages ‘on the lees’ (the dead yeast) for a predetermined time - see below - the longer the time the greater the character and flavour of the wine 

• The dead yeast is collected in the neck of the bottle, through a ‘turning’ process called ‘Riddling’   

• This sediment is then removed from the bottle via the ‘Disgorging’ process - the bottles are placed upside down into freezing liquid which causes the yeast to freeze in the neck of the bottle. This is then ejected out of the bottle under pressure. 

• Dosage - a mixture of wine and sugar is then added to fill up each bottle, before corking 

Examples of sparkling wines made by the ‘traditional method’, include the following:

Champagne

The iconic sparkling wine made by the ‘traditional method’ - only produced in the Champagne region, in northern France. 

The typical ‘blend’ or ‘cuvée’ for Champagne is the 3 grapes, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, however other specific styles include, ‘Blanc de Blancs’ - 100% Chardonnay, ‘Blanc de Noirs’ - 100% black ‘pinot’ grapes and Rosé.

Seen as a symbol of luxury, the price tends to be higher than most sparkling wines. The longer the wine is aged on the lees, the more yeasty the flavour - think bread and buttery brioche flavours. A non-vintage Champagne, which has to age a minimum of 15 months on the lees, tends to be fruitier (apple, peach) in taste. A vintage Champagne has to age a minimum of 3 years.

Ideal for a celebration and for pairing with seafoods including lobster, oysters and crab.

Champagne brands and styles:

People tend to buy into specific brands because they like the ‘brand style’ - but you tend to pay a premium for this. It’s really worth trying some of the French ‘grower’ champagnes, which can really deliver value and quality, without the ‘brand’ premium.

English sparkling wines

Produced mostly using traditional Champagne grapes (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier), which are very well suited to the climate and soils in (mainly) the south of England.

The style tends to be quite fruity, with citrus fruits, gooseberries and green apples. Prices are quite high and on a par with Champagne, but England is producing some really superb examples of top-quality sparkling wines! 

See our wine travel blogs here featuring English vineyards and sparkling English wines.

Cava

A sparkling wine from Spain, traditionally from Catalonia (Catalunya), produced primarily from the Spanish grape, Macabeo, but also Parellada and Xarello.

Yeasty, brioche with fresh citrus and apple flavours - and hints of almond. Pair with traditional Spanish food, especially seafood. Great value for money - quality without such an expensive price tag!

Crémant

A sparkling wine that can be produced in several areas of France such as Limoux, Loire and Burgundy. 

Crémant means ‘creamy’ in France which reflects a nutty, buttery flavour - but also typically citrus and floral flavours. Pair with canapés, pastries, mushrooms or as a delicious apéritif! Again represents good value for money, excellent quality without the Champagne price tag.

Sekt

Sparkling wine from Germany and also Austria, known for its excellent acidity, freshness and lower levels of alcohol. Lovely fruity and floral aromas, for example apples, pears and white flowers. Can also be produced by the Tank method.

Tank method

Also known as the ‘Charmat’ method. Here, the second fermentation process takes place in a large steel tank, rather than the bottle, creating larger bubbles.The tank method is the main process used for Prosecco wines. The base wines are mixed with the sugar and yeast mixture in a large tank and during the 2nd fermentation the CO2 released causes the tank to pressurise. The wines are then filtered and bottled without ageing.

Purists may argue that the tank method of producing sparkling wines doesn’t produce such a high quality wine, however it produces a style and taste that appeals to many, which isn’t so heavy on your pocket! Tank method sparkling wines have a much fresher taste, with stronger yeasty flavours. 

Prosecco

Prosecco comes from Italy, from the regions of Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, to be precise and is made from the Glera grape. It comes in fully sparkling style (spumante) as well as semi-sparkling (frizzante) style.

It is enjoyed traditionally in Italy with cake, being slightly sweeter than either Champagne or Cava, but works really well on it’s own or with canapés, especially Italian varieties! It has a fresh, slightly sweet, fruity style - citrus, green apples and pears and is made to drink young.

Other Italian sparkling wines, produced by the tank method include ‘Asti’ wines, deliciously sweet, low alcohol sparkling wines made from the Moscato grape varietal, parigin well with cake and creamy desserts.  Others include ‘Lambrusco’.

Other popular sparkling wines:

American Sparkling wine

Most American sparkling wine is produced in California. The rules for the production of American sparkling wines are not as strict as in Europe, but they can age for several years.The traditional blend of grapes is often used, ie Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier.

Australian speaking wine

The most popular Australian sparkling wine is red and made from Shiraz grapes. It is quite sweet and full-bodied.

Conclusion

Hopefully this article provides an overview of the many different types of sparkling wine available and helps you in selecting a wine for a specific occasion. To repeat what we said in the introduction, it all comes down to how much you want to spend, the type of occasion, food pairing and personal taste. There is always a special occasion for Champagne, but you have lots of options for every-day drinking sparkling wines too!