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Learning module The Abridged Guide to Sparkling Wine Bubbly, lightly carbonated or fizzy, sparkling wines are ubiquitous throughout the wine world. Like port and late harvest and dessert wines, sparkling wines can be made from just about any grape variety. Old benchmarks are being joined (and sometimes challenged) by newcomers, resurgences of forgotten and obscure types and even new creations. In this module we will address the methods of producing sparkling wines, regional styles, terminology and a little history as well as grape varieties used in many of the most common sparklers of the wine world. |
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Sections: History | Production Methods | Terminology | Vintages | Styles
Although they have come to be thought of as a festive beverage for celebrations or a companion to desserts in the US, more and more people are coming to see sparkling wines as a table wine to pair with a broad range of foods. There is also much confusion about the origins of the methods of producing sparkling wine.
Contrary to common belief, the monk Dom Pérignon did not invent the Méthode Champenoise. While Englishman Christopher Merret is credited with the discovery, that credit may be only legend as sparkling wines occurred naturally throughout the world as rapidly cooling post-harvest temperatures arrested fermentation and Spring warming restarted it again. Obviously, these naturally carbonated wines appealed to people enough to inspire efforts to replicate the wines. Before the English imported still wines (for the production of sparklers) and finished sparkling wines from France, ancient Romans made their own sparkling wines. As with many things that evolve out of serendipitous discovery, sparkling wines were no doubt around for centuries before people whose names have been remembered and passed on throughout the ages made their contribution to perfecting the drink.
While carbon dioxide bubbles can be injected into sparkling wines much like they can be into carbonated soft drinks (and some are made that way), a second fermentation process is the preferred method since it also tends to impart a greater richness and breadth of aromas and flavors - particularly so in the case of the Méthode Champenoise. There are two ways to carry out the secondary fermentation on finished wines. These two processes differ in where the second fermentation takes place. In the Méthode Champenoise (also referred to as "classic", "metodo classico", and "traditional") and the "transfer" method, the second fermentation process takes place in a bottle. In the the Charmat (or "bulk") process the second fermentation occurs in a large tank. Usually, the method employed in production is indicated on the label. The phrase: "Fermented in this bottle" indicates the wine was made with Méthode Champenoise. In the European Union, the phrase is restricted for labeling of sparkling wines made in Champagne by that method. Other French sparklers made outside of Champagne may be labeled with the phrase: "Méthode traditionelle". The phrase: "Fermented in the bottle" indicates the "transfer" process was used. In the case of wines injected with carbon dioxide, the label should bear the word: "aerated" or some indication that carbonation was added.
Grapes for most sparkling wines are harvested considerably earlier than those meant for still table wines. This keeps the alcohol levels in the finished product in check, but also accounts for the delicate and subtle character of sparkling wines. Whole bunch pressing is the desired method of pressing the grapes because the resulting juice is both low in phenolic compounds and sediment and has very delicate flavors. Once the grapes are gently pressed, the juice is fermented without the skins. (This is why even sparkling wines made with Pinot noir grapes are white. Rosé sparklers are made from rosé wines obtained through the saigneé method). This typically is done in large steel or wood tanks or vats. The resulting still wine called a "base wine", is then ready for the second fermentation process. And this is where the Méthode Champenoise and the Charmat process differ. In order to carbonate the wine, a solution of old wine, sugar and yeast is added to the base wine. In the Méthode Champenoise this second fermentation takes place in the bottle and in and the Charmat process it takes place in a large tank.
The Méthode Champenoise is quite complex and involved as well as respected, so we will describe it here in detail:
Once the wine is finished with the first fermentation and blended, it is poured into thick bottles, topped off with a solution of wine, sugar and yeast called "liqueur de tirage", sealed, typically with a crown cap like those used on beer bottles (but not the twist-off type) and laid on its side for an extended period of time. This period may be as long as several years. During that time, the yeast converts the added sugar to alcohol and carbon dioxide, which dissolves in the wine. The lees imparts a richness to the wine as it ages.
Before the sparkling wine is finished and can be sold, the lees must be removed from the bottle. The first step top achieving this is referred to as called "remuage" a French term meaning "re-wetting") or "riddling" in English. The neck is gradually rotated and inverted from a 45° angle into a neck-down position. Each time, the bottle is tapped to help move the lees into the top of the neck. The process takes approximately eight weeks when done by hand but can be done in eight days by a computer-operated machine called a Gyropalette.
The plug of lees is removed in a process called "dégorgement" or "disgorging" in English. In this step, the neck of the bottle is dipped in freezing brine or glycol, which flash-freezes the plug of lees (and some of the wine) into a solid mass that comes out easily as one piece when the cap is removed. Brine is used for the same reason as glycol: they both lower the temperature at which the solution freezes. This allows for a colder dipping solution and faster, more thorough freezing. Modern producers insert a small plastic reservoir, called a "bidule" into the neck to facilitate extraction of the frozen plug.
The final step, called "dosage", involves topping the sparkling wine off with sweeter wine to achieve a desired style. The bottle is then sealed with the distinct mushroom-shaped cork, held in place with a wire basket, covered in foil and either aged or released to market.
The "transfer" method follows the Méthode Champenoise up to the point of completion of second fermentation and aging. There is no need for riddling of disgorging. The bottles are not dipped in a freezing solution. Instead, the bottles are emptied into a large container in a high-pressure environment (to keep the carbon dioxide from leaving the solution) and the wine is is filtered to remove the lees. The filtered wine is then bottled in a high-pressure environment. At the end of the day, this method is quicker (from three to twelve months from harvest) and less expensive than Méthode Champenoise. The transfer method is thought to produce more consistent wines but it also may rid the wine of flavors attributable to the lees.
The Charmat method (named after Eugene Charmat, but also known as "metodo Italiano") utilizes a continuous, pressurized environment for second fermentation in stainless steel or glass-lined tank for the second fermentation and filtration processes. The finished sparkling wines are also bottled in a high-pressure environment.
The resulting wines can be as different as the process with which they are produced. Charmat and transfer methods give wines with larger, coarser and shorter-lived perlage (bubbles) than those made by the Méthode Champenoise. However, the gas injection of carbon dioxide makes for the largest and most short-lived perlage. The Méthode Champenoise also results in greater complexity.
There are a few terms unique to sparkling wines. Here are the most common ones:
Blanc de Blanc: A (white) Champagne made from white grapes only. Literally, "white from white".
Blanc de Noir: A (white) Champagne made from black grapes. Literally, "white from black". Since Champagne can me made from both white and black grapes - after the juice is pressed fro the crapes and skins are discarded - the need for the distinction arose.
Cuvées de prestige Sparkling wines blended form the best, and most delicate wines. These do not necessarily need to be labeled as vintage wines but usually have been aged for a substantial period.
Dryness. This is a scale of the amount of residual sugar in the finished sparkling wine. The drier, the less sugar in the wine. Historically, original Champagnes were sweet to one degree or another. Although not all produces follow the French nomenclature, learning it can be instructive. Following is a list of common terms. Included are the Common Market Standards for residual sugar.
Doux: Sweet champagne which pairs beautifully with desserts and containing at least 5% residual sugar.
Demi or Demi-Sec: Medium-sweet champagne containing 3.3% to 5% residual sugar.
Sec: A drier champagne with 1.7 to 3.5% residual sugar.
Extra Dry or Extra Sec: An off-dry, lightly sweet champagne with 1.2% to 2.0% residual sugar.
Brut: A very dry champagne containing 0.5% to 1.1% residual sugar.
Natural (Extra Brut, Brut Sauvage, Ultra Brut, Brut Integral, Brut Nature or Brut Zéro): The driest champagnes possible, usually containing no more than 0.5% residual sugar.
Vintage and Non-Vintage Sparklers.
Around the globe, most sparkling wines are non-vintage wines. Particularly in the case of wines emulating Champagne, this probably stems from how they are made - namely the early harvesting of the grapes. It is common for these wines to be blended from fruit sourced from various vineyards as well as several vintages to achieve the best expression of the winemaker's style. However, these expressions do not have much longevity. Vintage Champagne, on the other hand, is made from fruit harvested in a single vintage. These wines are usually longer-lived (about 10 years). An alternate labeling system reflects the year of bottling of non-vintage blends. Since non-vintage champagnes do not have much of a lifespan, this is a useful indicator of the wine's age and potential. Ultimately, regardless of style, sparkling wines are best consumed without any additional cellaring.
As we said at the beginning of this module, there is a wide variety of sparkling wines made around the world. The sparkling, fizzy beverage takes on almost as many names as there are wine growing regions in the world. This section is an overview of the global spectrum of sparklers.
France | USA | Italy | Germany | Spain | Portugal | New Zealand | Australia
South Africa | South America | England
| Country | Wine Names | Varieties |
Production Methods |
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| France |
Champagne - sparkling wine made in the Champagne region of France. Crémant - any French sparkling wine not made in the Champagne region. These are named as follows: "crémant d'Alsace", "crémant de Bourgogne" etc. Pétillant - French term for semi-sparkling wine. Vins Moussant - an all-encompassing term for any sparkling wine regardless of origin. |
Burgundy: Aligoté, Chardonnay, Pinot blanc, Pinot gris, Pinot noir. Champagne: Chardonnay, Pinot meunier and Pinot noir. Loire: Chardonnay, Chenin blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet franc, Cabernet sauvignon, Gamay, Pinot noir. Malbec and a few more obscure varieties (Melon/Muscadet) are also used here. |
The majority of
France's sparkling wines are made with the traditional method -
including Crémant.
By French law, these sparkling wines must spend at least fifteen months sur lie (non-vintage wines) and at least there thirty six months (in the case of vintage Champagne). Premium champagnes may spend up to 7 aging in the bottle prior to being released. |
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| USA |
Champagne Sparkling Wine In the USA, wine regulations dictate that terms like "champagne" may only be put on labels if they are used in combination with the name of the AVA of origin. Nonetheless, high-end producers prefer the term: "sparkling wine". |
California (typically North Coast producers) has traditionally been associated with sparkling wines in the USA, using traditional varieties (Chardonnay, Pinot blanc and Pinot noir. Pinot meunier is not widely planted in the US). However, Washington's Willamette Valley has recently entered the game. Additionally, wineries in Michigan, the northeast (particularly New York's Finger Lakes and Canada's Niagara regions) also produce quality sparklers from traditional Champagne varieties as well as Riesling and others. In California, Italian varieties also lend themselves to being made into sparkling wines. |
Most of
the sparkling wines made in the USA are produced with the
traditional or classic method used in Champagne. In California,
sparkling wines date back to the late 19th century when the Korbel
brothers emigrated from Czechoslovakia to Sonoma and began making
sparkling wines with the méthode champenoise. Initially,
unconventional varieties like Muscatel, Riesling and Traminer were
used. As American viticulture evolved, traditional grape varieties
came to the forefront.
Although there are no mandated standards for labeling sparkling wines in the US, American producers tend to follow the Common Market Standards for residual sugar in labeling their wines. American sparkling wines also tend to be blended from fewer component wines: 30 to 60 base wines from 4 to 6 vintages in Champagne, and about 20 base wines from 1 or 2 vintages, in California. Not only French regulations but a consistent climate contributes to this difference. Loosely related to this climatic discrepancy is the difference in aging: several years in Champagne and as little as a few month in the US. |
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| Italy |
Asti - A sweet and low alcohol, lightly sparkling wine. Very good dessert wine. Brioso- Synonym for: 'Frizzante'. Franciacorta - A sparkling wine made with traditional Champagne varieties in the Lombardy region by the same name. Frizzante - An Italian word meaning semi-sparkling wines. Lambrusco - A fizzy, usually red, dry to sweet frizzante with lower alcohol levels. From northern Italy, made from grape of the same name. Moscato d'Asti - A frizzante wine made in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. Very good dessert wine. Prosecco - The quitessetntial Italian white sparkling iwne made from the grape of the same name. Since "secco" means "dry" in Italian, "prosecco" indicates a higher level of dryness. Spumante - Italian term for sparkling wine. Also refers to sparkling wines made outside of Asti. Vivace- Synonym for: 'Frizzante'. |
Asti is typically made from the Moscato (muscat) grape. Prosecco is made from the grape of the same name. Franciacorta: with Chardonnay, Pinot meunier and Pinot noir. |
Both traditional and Charmat (metodo italiano) methods of sparkling wine production are used in making spumante because there are no laws regulating sparkling wine production in Italy. Prosecco is typically made with the Charmat method. Frizzane wines are produced with a modified tank method where the second fermentation process is interrupted leaving some residual sugar. Franciacorta are made with the Méthode Champenoise.
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| Germany |
Deutscher Sekt - Sekt made from grapes grown in Germany. Sekt - Easier on the tongue than Qualitätschaumwein (a compound word which means: "quality sparkling wine") this is the German designation for the highest quality category of German sparkling wine. Plural: "Sekte". The presence of the name of a region on the label distinguishes the bottling as a regional sekt. Varietal names may also be used in labelling, for example: Rieslingsekt. In other German speaking countries, it is an all-encompassing term for German sparkling wine. Schaumwein - The lowest quality level of German sparkling wine. |
The best sekt producers use traditional Burgundian varieties grown in Germany but also: Riesling, Ruländer (Pinot gris) and Weissburgunder (Pinot blanc). Some producers import the base wines from France, Italy, and Spain. |
Most sekt is made by the
bulk method (transfer, or a modified Charmat
method). The high end sekt producers usually employ the Méthode
Champenoise and vintage date their bottlings.
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| Spain |
Cava - White (sometimes pink) sparkling wine from the Penedès region of Spain. (Actually, Catalonia, about 25 miles southwest of Barcelona). The name is derived from the "cellar" in the Catalan language. |
Cava is typically made of white grapes indigenous to the Iberian Peninsula such as: Macabeo, Parellada, Subirat Parent and Xarel-Lo as well as Chardonnay. Recently, Pinot noir was added to the list of grapes permitted in white Cavas. |
Cava is produced with the Méthode Champenoise yielding wines of various levels of dryness.
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| Portugal |
Vinho Alvarinho - A Portuguese white sparkling wine made with the Albariño grape. Vinho Verde - The name for Portuguese sparkling wines made in a pétillant style. Translated as: "Green Wine" meaning 'young' and 'fresh' rather than literally green in color as these wines are both white and red in color. |
White Vinho Verde is made with Alvarinho (Albariño, and a touch of Monção), Arinto, Loureiro (Loureira), Padernã and Trajadura (Treixadura). Red Vinho Verde is made with relatively unknown grapes: Azal Tinto, Borraçal, and Espadeiro. Vinhão. |
Grapes for Vinho Verde are picked particularly early. This results in lower sugars (and lower potential alcohol) as well as higher acid (including malic acid) content of the grapes. The carbonation, then, is the by product of malolactic fermentation. Modern Vinho Verde wines undergo malolactic fermentation in bulk and are then bottled.
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| New Zealand |
Sparkling Wine - New Zealand does not have a specific name for its sparklers, so this term and Méthode Champenoise and Brut, etc are common on New Zealand labels. |
The New Zealand sparklers are made with the traditionsal Champagne varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot noir and Pinot meunier. |
New Zealand producers employ the Méthode Traditionelle
(Champenoise).
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| Australia |
Sparkling Shiraz - The hallmark sparkling wine of Australia made to be dense in color and flavor. Sparkling Wine - Australians also produce traditional sparkling wines. |
Sparkling Shiraz is made with the Shiraz (Syrah, Sirah) grape, but occasionally red Bordeaux varieties (Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot) may be blended in The traditional sparkling wines are made with champagne varieties (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.) |
While Sparkling Shiraz is made with the Méthode Traditionelle, the grapes are harvested at the same time as grapes for dry table wines (not early as for traditional champagne) resulting in higher alcohol wines. Additionally, the dosage used in these wines typically contains more sugar. This helps rein-in some of the astringency (from tannins) accentuated by carbonation. |
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| South Africa |
Cap Classique The contemporary name for South Africa's sparkling wines made with the classic Champagne method. Kaapse Vonkel - Meaning "Cape Sparkle", this is the original Cap Classique (early 1970s) and a proprietary name of Simonsig Estate. It is in production to this day. |
Chenin blanc and Sauvignon blanc, sourced from various growing regions in the Cape, have been the traditional Cap Classique varieties. They are being supplanted by the traditional varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot meunier and Pinot noir. Kaapse Vonkel is made with these traditional grapes. |
As the name suggests, Cap Classique is made in the classic Méthode Champenoise - including whole bunch pressing.
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| Chile & Argetina |
There are no regional names for the sparkling wines produced in South America. Most commonly, they are labeled with "Méthode Champenoise" or "Méthode Traditionelle" as well as some indication of dryness. |
These sparkling wines are made with the traditional Champagne varieties: Chardonnay and Pinot noir. |
Chilean and Argentinian wines are made with the Méthode Traditionelle.
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| England & Wales |
No specific regional names exist. Instead, combinations of terms reflecting dryness, variety of grape, the word cuvée as well as Blanc de Blancs or Blanc de Noirs are commonly used in labeling. |
The wineries of southern England and Wales (whose climate approaches that of northern France) producing the best of the region's sparkling wines make them from the traditional varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot meunier and Pinot noir. Some wineries use relatively unknown hybrid grapes which give less than impressive wines. |
The English are purists and use thetraditional Méthode Champenoise.
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