This time of year I always get a lot of questions about sparkling wines. To those who only drink them during the holidays, they can be confusing. It is also easy to buy a sparkler (and spend a lot of money) and get home and not like what you have purchased.
It is not necessary to spend a lot of money to get a decent, drinkable bottle of sparkling wine. This blog is intended to be educational and easy to understand. A follow-up blog will give some recommendations. Please note..... There are many, many different types and variations of sparkling wine. The purpose of this blog is to help you with the most common types the casual wine drinker will encounter while shopping.
What is champagne and sparkling wine? Champagne is a wine that is allowed to undergo a second fermentation in the bottle. This second fermentation is what produces the bubbles or carbonation in champagne and other sparkling wines.
The only sparkling wine that may be called “Champagne” is sparkling wine that is produced in the Champagne region of France. While frequently called champagne, all other wine by law must be called sparkling wine!
There are several characteristics that greatly affect the price you will pay for various sparkling wine including area of origin, type, variety and method of production
Let’s first look at the most common types of sparkling wine and where they come from:
Type Country of Origin
Champagne France
Sparkling wine Primarily France, USA, Spain, Italy (but others)
Cava Spain
Prosecco Italy
Asti Italy
NOTE: People frequently ask for a “Spumonte.” Spumonte is a “generic” Italian term (definition: foamy) used to refer to multiple types of sparkling wine. Asti Spumonte is a loose definition of sparkling wines from the Asti region of Italy but is not a true type of sparkling wine.
Method of Production
Methode Champenoise (also called Traditional Method)
or
Method Charmat
The Traditional method is the original (and most expensive) type of sparkling wine. After the wine is bottled, additional yeast and sugar is added to each bottle and it is capped. The bottles then are aged an extended period of time and the carbonation develops.
The Charmat method is the more modern (and commercial, bulk) process for producing sparkling wines. With the exception of Prosecco, most inexpensive sparkline wines are made by the Charmat (bulk) process. In this method, wine is placed in a stainless steel tank and carbon dioxide is added to the tank. The wine absorbs the CO2 and gets its fizz.
Variety
The most common types of sparkling wines you’ll find in an American liquor store are as follows:
Blanc de Blanc
Made from the Chardonnay grape
Blanc de Noir
Made from the Pinot Noir grape
Rose
Typically a “cuvee” blend with some added Pinot Noir red wine to the mixture
Cuvee
The most expensive type, these sparklers are made from a proprietary blend of multiple wines and vintages to create a unique wine
Sweetness
The most common reason people like or dislike a sparkling wine is due to the amount of sweetness in the wine. Generally speaking, I have found that most casual wine drinkers (read those who only drink sparkling wine during the holidays each year or for a special occasion) prefer a sparkler that is slightly sweet. Here are the most common types of sparklers based on sweetness
▪ Brut (less than 15 grams of sugar per liter) (Not Sweet)
▪ Extra Dry (12 to 20 grams of sugar per liter)
You may also find a couple of other "sweeter" sparklers in nice wine stores. Your typical grocery/discount store will not typically carry these
▪ Sec (17 to 35 grams of sugar per liter)
▪ Demi-Sec (33 to 50 grams of sugar per liter) (Very Sweet)
Vintage or Non-Vintage
Unless you are going to spend well over $100 for a bottle of Champagne, you will only encounter Non-Vintage sparkling wine. It may be labeled as NV or may make no reference whatsoever. A Vintage Champagne will always have a year prominently displayed on the label.
Here are a couple of common examples to help you...
Moet & Chandon Dom Perignon
Vintage (most commonly found today is 2000)
Champagne (from the Champagne region of France)
Methode Champenoise
Cuvee
While not labeled as such, this is a very dry, brut Champagne
Korbel Brut
Non-Vintage
California
Brut
Methode Champenoise
Andre or Cooks
Non-Vintage
Brut, Extra Dry, Rose, et al
California
Charmat/Bulk
Martini and Rossi Asti Spumonte
Non-Vintage
Italian
Moscato Grape
Sweet
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