What is sparkling wine?

How it is made

In the traditional method (méthode traditionnelle, formerly méthode champenoise), a still base wine gets a second fermentation in the bottle in which it will be sold. The dead yeast is then gathered in the neck by riddling and removed by disgorgement, and a dosage of wine and sugar syrup sets the final sweetness. In the Charmat or tank method, the second fermentation takes place in pressurised stainless steel tanks, which is faster and keeps fruity aromas; it is used for Prosecco and most Sekt. The ancestral method skips disgorgement and leaves the lees in the wine, and cheap sparkling wines are simply carbonated by injecting CO2, giving large bubbles that fade quickly. A fully sparkling wine holds 5 to 6 atmospheres, a semi-sparkling one 1 to 2.5.

Main styles and grapes

Labels show sweetness by residual sugar: Brut Nature under 3 g per litre, Extra Brut under 6, Brut under 12, Extra Dry 12–17, Dry (Sec) 17–32, Demi-Sec 32–50 and Doux above 50. Champagne is made mainly from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier; blanc de blancs is made only from Chardonnay and blanc de noirs from the dark grapes. Non-vintage Champagne must age at least 15 months and vintage Champagne at least three years. Cava is traditionally made from Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel·lo, and Prosecco from Glera. Our guide Champagne vs Prosecco vs Cava compares the three in detail.

Famous examples

Champagne is the reference, with Grand Cru villages such as Aÿ, Bouzy, Avize and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger; its name has been protected since a treaty of 1891. Abbey records from 1531 make Blanquette de Limoux one of the first known sparkling wines. Spain's Cava began at Codorníu in Catalonia in the late 19th century and took its name in 1970. Italy has Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore, plus bottle-fermented Franciacorta and Trento, and Lambrusco di Sorbara from Emilia-Romagna. England's Nyetimber and Chapel Down use the Champagne grapes.

Serving and food

Sparkling wine is served well chilled. Both the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and other standard serving tables give 6–10 °C for Champagne and other white sparkling wines. As with any wine, a lower temperature emphasises acidity and mutes aroma, so a complex vintage Champagne can be served at the upper end of the range and a simple, fruity Prosecco at the lower end. Sweetness matters when pairing with food: dry Brut or Extra Brut styles suit savoury dishes and aperitifs, while with dessert a wine should be sweeter than the dish, which makes Demi-Sec or Doux the better choice. Sweet, gently sparkling Moscato d'Asti is another classic partner for fruit desserts.

Sparkling wine: questions and answers

Other wine styles

• Red wine
• White wine
• Sweet wine
• Fortified wine
• Rosé wine