Photo by Michelle McEwen on UnsplashSparkling wine is often synonymous in people’s minds with Champagne — and for good reason. Champagne is one of the world’s great sparkling wines, produced in the Champagne region of France using specific grapes and a time-honored method. But the name Champagne is legally protected: no sparkling wine made outside that region can use it, no matter how similar the style. The good news is that wonderful sparkling wines are produced all over the world, often at a fraction of the price.
What sets sparkling wine apart from still wine is carbon dioxide — the same gas that gives fizz to sparkling water, but created here in a far more interesting way. Rather than being added artificially, the bubbles in sparkling wine are the natural byproduct of a secondary fermentation. In the traditional method (Méthode Traditionnelle), this second fermentation happens inside the bottle itself, producing the fine, persistent bubbles associated with Champagne and other premium sparklers. In the Charmat Method, the secondary fermentation takes place in pressurized stainless steel tanks before bottling — the approach used for Prosecco and many other approachable, fruit-forward sparkling wines.
- Champagne — Sparkling wines that are produced in the Champagne region of France
- Understanding the Codes on a Champagne Label — The codes will start with two letters followed by a series of numbers to tell you about the growers and producers
- Most Champagnes are non-vintage (NV) — Learn why Champagne usually does not have a vintage date on the label
- Blanc de Blancs — A white sparkling wine made from white wine grapes
- Blanc de Noirs — A white sparkling wine made from red wine grapes
- Cava — A sparkling wine produced in Spain
- Prosecco — A sparkling wine produced in Italy
- Asti Spumante — A different style of sparkling wine also produced in Italy
- Frizzante — This is yet another sparkling wine produced in Italy. This sparkling wine has a lighter sparkle than Spumante (Also known as ‘semi-sparkling’)
- Other Sparkling Wines — All other sparkling wines produced outside of the Champagne region of France
- Crémant — All French sparkling wines produced outside the boundaries of the Champagne region that are produced in the traditional method
- Crémant de Bourgogne — Sparkling wine produced in Burgundy France
- Sekt — A German term for sparkling wines