Bubbles and Celebrations

Sparkling wine brings a little energy to the glass, whether you’re celebrating, serving dinner, or putting on your favorite playlist.

Some styles are crisp and citrusy. Others offer ripe fruit, floral aromas, or toasty flavors. They can range from very dry to sweet, so finding your favorite starts with understanding the style.

Champagne comes from the Champagne region of France. Sparkling wines made elsewhere have their own names and traditions, including Cava, Prosecco, and Crémant.

You don’t need a special occasion to explore them.

Ever wonder how the bubbles get into your glass? The method a winemaker uses helps shape the wine’s aromas, flavors, and texture.

In Champagne, a second fermentation takes place inside the bottle. Other sparkling wines may develop their bubbles in a sealed tank, during a single fermentation, or through added carbonation.

Here’s a closer look at some of the main methods and what they bring to your glass.

Traditional Method

Used for Champagne, Cava, and many other sparkling wines, this method creates bubbles through a second fermentation in the bottle.

Here’s how it works on a very basic level:

• Step 1:  A base wine is made.
• Step 2:  A mix of yeast and sugar is added, causing a second fermentation in the bottle (this is when the bubbles form).
• Step 3:  The wine ages on the lees (dead yeast), adding flavor and  texture.
• Step 4:   The bottle is carefully turned and tilted (riddling) to collect the sediment.
•  Step 5:  The neck of the bottle is frozen, and the sediment is removed (dégorgement/disgorgement).
• Step 6:   The wine is topped off, corked, and ready to party!
       

Tank Method (Cuve Close/Charmat)

• Instead of individual bottles, the second fermentation happens in a large sealed tank.
• Most sparkling Prosecco is made this way, helping preserve its fresh fruit and floral character.

Carbonation (The Soda Method)

• Carbon dioxide is added directly to a finished wine to create its bubbles. The production method alone doesn’t tell you everything about how enjoyable the wine will be.

Champagne may be the most famous, but amazing sparkling wines are made all over the world! Here are some top picks:

Cremant

• French sparkling wine outside of Champagne but made using the traditional method.
• Popular types: Crémant d’Alsace, Crémant de Bourgogne, Crémant de Loire.

Cava

• Spain’s answer to Champagne, mainly from Catalonia.
• Traditional method, but usually more affordable than Champagne!

Asti and Moscato d'Asti

Both come from Piedmont, Italy, and are made from Moscato Bianco grapes.

• Moscato d’Asti: Sweet and lightly sparkling, often with floral, peach, and grape aromas.
• Asti Spumante: Fully sparkling and available in styles ranging from dry to sweet. Check the label rather than assuming every bottle is sweet.

Prosecco

• Prosecco comes from northeastern Italy, including designated areas in Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia.
•  Most sparkling Prosecco is made using the tank method, which helps preserve its fresh fruit and floral character.

Expect flavors that may remind you of apple, pear, citrus, or white flowers. Those fruity aromas don’t automatically mean the wine is sweet. Check the sweetness wording on the bottle.

Franciacorta

• Italy’s high-end sparkling wine, made in Lombardy using the traditional method (just like Champagne).
• Rich, complex, and totally underrated!

New World Sparkling Wines

• California, Australia, and New Zealand are producing fantastic sparkling wines.
• Often made with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, just like Champagne.

These common label terms help you choose a style:

Brut Nature: Very dry, with little remaining sugar and no sugar added after the second fermentation.

Extra Brut: Very dry, with a small amount of sugar.

Brut: Generally dry and a useful starting point if you prefer little noticeable sweetness.

Extra Dry: Sweeter than Brut, despite the name. It may offer a gentle touch of sweetness.

Dry or Sec: Sweeter again. On a sparkling wine label, “Dry” doesn’t mean what you might expect.

Demi Sec: Noticeably sweet.

Doux: The sweetest category on this list.

Acidity affects how sweet a wine seems, so two bottles in the same category may taste different.

Try a Brut and an Extra Dry sparkling wine from the same producer or range, if available. Taste them side by side and notice the difference in sweetness and mouthfeel.

Chill the bottle in the refrigerator for several hours. For quicker chilling, place it in a bucket containing ice and water for about 30 minutes.

Start with a well chilled bottle. Remove the foil and keep your thumb firmly over the cork while loosening the wire cage.

Point the bottle away from people and breakable objects, holding it at roughly a 45 degree angle. Hold the cork and cage securely while slowly turning the bottle. Control the cork as it eases out with a quiet sigh.

A tulip shaped sparkling wine glass gives aromas room to develop while helping retain bubbles. A flute emphasizes the bubbles but offers less room for aromas.

A wide coupe generally loses bubbles more quickly. If you enjoy its vintage look, that is a preference you can make knowingly.

Start with the wine’s sweetness and flavor intensity, then consider the dish.

Dry sparkling wines: Try Brut or Extra Brut with fried chicken, potato chips, oysters, or creamy cheeses. Their acidity can bring refreshing contrast to rich foods.

Styles with a little sweetness: An Extra Dry sparkling wine can be a starting point for mildly spicy dishes. For more heat, a sweeter style may work better, depending on your taste.

Sweet sparkling wines: Try Moscato d’Asti or a suitably sweet sparkling wine with fruit tarts or lighter cakes. Aim for a wine at least as sweet as the dessert so it doesn’t taste sharp beside it.

Richer, toasty styles: Try a traditional method sparkling wine with roast chicken, mushroom dishes, or buttery pastry.

Prosecco is a wine name, while Demi Sec is a sweetness category. Choose the actual style on the bottle rather than assuming all Prosecco is sweet.

Whether you’re celebrating a big occasion or just making an ordinary day feel special, there’s a sparkling wine for every moment. With so many styles and flavors, finding your favorite bubbly is part of the fun.