The 5 Things You Need To Know About Sparkling Wine

Let’s play the word association game: I’ll give you a word, and you respond with the first thing that comes into your head.

Ready? Here goes: Champagne.

Did you say “New Year’s Eve?” If so, I’m going to let you in on a secret that will change your life: You don’t have to wait till New Year’s Eve to pop the cork on Champagne. In fact, the cork doesn’t even have to be in a bottle of true Champagne, which, bon vivant that you are, you know is always from France. What? You didn’t know? Then this, my friend, is the post for you.

Five Essential Sparkling Wine Facts

No. 1: Sparkling wine has many aliases. The granddaddy is Champagne, which is sparkling wine made within the Champagne region of France. But let’s not forget Crémant (sparkling wine made in France, but outside of the Champagne region), Prosecco and Asti Spumante (sparkling wines from Italy), Cava (sparkling wine from Spain), Sekt (German sparkling wine) and plain old sparkling wine (from the U.S.).

Bring On The Bubbly

No. 2: Sparkling wine (aka: bubbly) is made by trapping carbon dioxide in the wine bottle, usually during fermentation. The carbon dioxide gas builds up pressure in the bottle, which forms streams of bubbles. The most famous method for creating sparkling wine is the traditional or classic method (in French it’s called Méthode Champenoise) whereby a winemaker creates a base wine, known as a cuvee, and adds a bit of sugar and yeast, initiating a second fermentation in the sealed bottle. During this fermentation the carbon dioxide is trapped, creating those delightful bubbles.

No. 3: Any grape can be used to make sparkling wine, but often winemakers will use the famous grapes of the Champagne region: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Prosecco and Cava, however, both use grapes that are indigenous to their respective countries. The main grape in Prosecco is Glera, and Cava is a blend of Xarel-Lo, Macabeo and Parellada.

How Sweet Do You Like Your Wine?

No. 4: You can tell a sparkling wine’s sweetness by looking for key words on the label. Here’s what to look for, in descending order from bone dry to super sweet:
– Brut Natural has no sugar added.
– Extra Brut is very dry.
– Brut is dry.
– Extra Dry or Extra Sec means the wine is dry, but has a touch of sugar.
– Sec is slightly sweet.
– Demi Sec is sweet.
– Doux is very sweet.

Once you know your wine tribe (take the quiz here), you can gravitate toward a specific sweetness level. My suggestions are:
– Accessible Tribe members, go with a Demi Sec or Sec.
– Balanced Tribe, consider an Extra Dry.
– Developed Tribe, you’ll be most comfortable with a Brut.
– Complex Tribe, try an Extra Brut or Brut if you’re pairing with food, and a Doux in place of dessert.

No. 5: OK, you probably can get by without knowing this, but it’s still a fun fact. Germany consumes the most sparkling wine per capita in the world. So Prost to the effervescent Germans, and cheers to you and your mastery of sparkling wine!