Sparkling Wine

Sparkling Wine Guide

How Sparkling Wine is Made

Sparkling wine starts like regular still wine, so the quality of the base wine is crucial. Only the best grapes from the finest sites become sparkling wines of the highest quality, but the base wine is only the beginning.

To produce sparkling wine, winemakers must induce a second fermentation. They add yeast and sugar to the wine—the liqueur de tirage—either while the wine is in a large, pressurised tank or in bottle. The yeast converts the sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide, and since the gas has nowhere to escape, it is absorbed by the wine, creating those fine bubbles.

After the secondary fermentation, if fermented in a tank, producers need only filter the wine and bottle it. If fermented in a bottle, however, the winemaker must undertake the complex task of removing the spent yeast from each bottle, which is sometimes still done manually. In both cases, it’s common to adjust the wine’s final sweetness by adding the dosage before bottling.

Types of Sparkling Wine

Sparkling Wine by Production Method

There are two main types of high-end sparkling wine: those made with the Italian (Charmat-Tank) method and those made with the traditional method, or Champenoise.

Sparkling wine made with the Italian method undergoes the second fermentation in a large stainless-steel tank. The result is an effervescent wine that preserves the original fruit aromas and freshness of the base wine. The most popular example of this style is Prosecco.

Sparkling wine made with the traditional method, perfected in Champagne, undergoes its second fermentation in the bottle. The yeast transforms the base wine into sparkling wine, and after consuming the added sugar, it dies. The spent yeast (or lees), still in contact with the wine, imparts nuanced bakery aromas to the final product.

The ratio between wine and spent yeast is higher in a bottle than in a fermentation tank; therefore, wine made with the traditional method is much more complex. Some sparkling wines spend months, years, or even decades gaining complexity before they are released to the market.

Sparkling Wine by Sweetness

Categorising sparkling wine by sweetness level is useful. The driest styles contain no added sugar and are often labelled as zero-dosage. Extra Brut wines contain small amounts of sugar. The Brut category also includes wines with relatively low sugar levels, so they still taste dry on the palate. For increasingly sweeter styles, you’ll find the categories of Extra Dry, Dry, and Demi-Sec.

Sparkling Wine by Style

Producers often create sparkling wine by blending base wines made from different grapes and plots. The grapes used, their origin, and the blend of wines that form the final sparkling wine result in a range of styles.

Famously, blanc de blancs wines are made exclusively from white grapes, often Chardonnay, while blanc de noirs are white sparkling wines made from red grapes. Rosé is a style of its own, created by adding tiny amounts of red wine to the blend.

Champagne is known for crafting complex wines by blending base wines from different vintages, although they will also produce wines when conditions are favourable. You’ll also find sparkling wines made from a mix of vineyards and even regions, while some come from a single vineyard.

Finally, sparkling wine producers often create wines in different quality tiers, with the finest known as Tête de cuvée. These wines can be incredibly rare and expensive. However, most wines produced—even in famous regions like Champagne—are approachable and fairly priced.

French Sparkling Wine Regions

France is well known for its sparkling wine, arguably the finest on earth. However, there’s more to the French sparkling catalogue than Champagne.

Champagne dominates the fine sparkling wine market thanks to the region’s cold climate, chalky soils, pristine grapes, and centuries-old expertise. Winemakers here are the only ones permitted to label their wines as Champagne.

Equally talented producers in other French wine regions use the term Crémant for wines made with the same traditional method. These wines may share similarities with those from Champagne but have distinct personalities. And, as these regions are less renowned for sparkling wine, their wines are often of excellent value. Let’s explore the finest sources of sparkling wine in France.

Champagne

The vineyards surrounding Épernay and Reims, northeast of Paris, are some of the northernmost on earth. Here, the grapes struggle to fully ripen, making them perfect for refreshing sparkling wine.

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier are the main grapes in Champagne, each thriving in different areas. Together, they produce sophisticated wines, particularly when winemakers blend wines made from different areas and vintages. Even the least expensive Champagnes combine dozens of base wines, and the most complex examples blend hundreds.

Wine to Try

Casters Liebart Tête de Cuvée Rene Marcel

Located just outside Épernay, Casters Liebart produces exemplary sparkling wine led by their Tête de Cuvée: Rene Marcel Brut. Made with 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay, this wine is rich, with aromas of leavened bread and baked apples, followed by a long aftertaste. Ideal with creamy sauces, oily fish, and grilled seafood.

Sparkling Wine from the Loire Valley

The Loire Valley enjoys an Atlantic breeze flowing west to east through its valleys. Expansive areas along the Loire River produce world-renowned wines, many of which are sparkling. Crémant de Loire is perhaps the best known, made in the broader regions of Anjou, Saumur, and Touraine with Chenin Blanc and other local white varieties. Other notable sparkling wines from the Loire include Saumur and Vouvray.

Wine to Try

Cremant de Loire: Domaine de Sainte-Anne White

A golden-coloured wine with aromas of white apple and pear, and hints of toasted nuts. Hand-harvested by a sixth-generation winemaking family, this blend is 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir. Ideal with white fish and mussels in white wine.

Crémant de Bordeaux

Bordeaux is home to some of Europe’s most robust, age-worthy red wines. However, producers in the area also make exemplary sparkling wine, labelled as Crémant de Bordeaux. Instead of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, they use Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, and Muscadelle, and sometimes their famous red grapes, to create refreshing, fragrant sparklers with persistent effervescence and aromas reminiscent of baked goods, toasted nuts, and honey.

Wine to Try

Crémant de Bordeaux: Bonhoste B de Bonhoste Rosé

A salmon-hued, dry sparkling wine with notes of currants and raspberries. Made with 70% Cabernet Franc and 30% Merlot, this elegant wine comes from a small, family-owned estate and pairs beautifully with seafood and small plates.

Crémant de Bourgogne

Burgundy, south of Champagne, is no stranger to harsh growing conditions. Unsurprisingly, the regions share similar grape varieties. Here, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir ripen enough to produce exceptional still wines and are also used to make sparkling wines as Crémant de Bourgogne. These wines are the closest in style to Champagne, often showing a riper nose and fuller body.

Wine to Try

Crémant de Bourgogne: Dampt Frères Brut

The renowned Domaine Dampt Frères produces this refreshing sparkling wine with 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay. It offers aromas of lemon, cherries, and strawberries on a palate graced by tingling effervescence and minerality. Ideal with turkey, veal, pork, and butter-seared shellfish.

Crémant d’Alsace

Alsace, with its German influence, is known for rich white wines. Winemaking traditions run deep on the Alsatian slopes along the Rhine River. Although the region’s sparkling wines are often overshadowed by its Grand Crus, they offer excellent value. Unsurprisingly, Riesling plays a significant role in Crémant d’Alsace, giving the wine a rich, unctuous mouthfeel and floral aromas. Producers in Alsace have been crafting world-class sparkling wines for generations.

Wine to Try

Crémant d’Alsace: Joseph Cattin Brut Cattin White

An extraordinary sparkling wine made with Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois, harvested from vineyards near Colmar. Aged between 12 and 15 months, it offers aromas of golden apples and white stone fruit over a crisp and balanced palate. Pairs well with quiche, cured meats, and roasted poultry.