A Guide to Understanding Sparkling Wines
Champagne, Prosecco, Cava, Sparkling... what's the difference?
During a visit last week to California’s Domaine Carneros - a well known sparkling winemaker in Los Carneros - a friend asked why the estate said they made “champagne-style” wine and not actual “Champagne.”
And so, welcome to your deep dive on sparkling wines.
Let’s start with the basics. Sparkling wines are produced using two primary winemaking methods: traditional and tank. They also fall into four main categories: sparkling wine, Champagne, Prosecco, and Cava. ⤵️
Traditional Method
The Traditional Method, or “méthode traditionnelle,” originates from the Champagne region of France. Only wines produced in this region can be called Champagne (instead of méthode traditionnelle on the label, you may also find “méthode champenoise”.)
👉🏼 Champagne producers have successfully lobbied to restrict the use of méthode champenoise to wines produced in their region. Other sparkling winemakers must label their wines as Traditional Method, méthode traditionnelle, or their local language equivalent.
Traditional Method is both labour and cost-intensive so is generally only used for high-end sparkling wines.
Fermentation and second fermentation
All sparkling wines undergo two fermentations. First fermentation begins the same as any other wine, where the grape’s natural sugars are converted to alcohol in an open system, allowing the resulting carbon dioxide to escape. The resulting liquid is referred to as the “base wine,” and this is when the blend, or “cuvée,” is mixed (known as “assemblage” in Champagne).
💡 The Monk Dom Pierre Pérignon is largely credited with inventing the concept of second, or bottle, fermentation, driven by his obsession with removing a Champagne’s effervescence, which at the time was considered a fault in the wine.
Second fermentation occurs when the cuvée is bottled with yeast and a small amount of sugar (this mixture is known as the “liqueur de tirage”). These bottles are capped with temporary plugs and stored horizontally, trapping the resulting carbon dioxide.
Non-vintage Champagnes must age “on the lees” (or “sur lie”) for 15 months, while vintage Champagnes must age for at least three years. That said, many top producers will choose to bottle-age between six and eight years.
👉🏼 Vintage vs. non-vintage (NV)
Have you ever noticed that most bottles of sparkling wine are missing a vintage (year) from the label? This is because the majority of sparkling wines are “non-vintage,” meaning they are produced using a blend of wines (the cuvée) from several years. This blending ensures consistency in flavour and quality year-after-year, something that many producers strive for.
Vintage sparkling wines (those with a year on the label) are among the highest quality, produced using the winemaker’s top grapes from a given year. In Champagne, a bottle can only be vintage-labelled if 100% of its grapes are from a single year, and vintage Champagne from the more prestigious producers is both rare and highly expensive.
For other sparkling wines, the grapes from a single year generally only have to reach levels of 85% to achieve “vintage“ status.
Riddling
After aging, the dead yeast (“lees”) is removed through a process called riddling. Bottles are placed in special racks, pointed down at a 35° angle, and are gently agitated daily (or every two days in Champagne) before being dropped back into the racks at a gradually increasing angle. After 10 to 14 days (or 8 to 10 weeks in Champagne), the bottles are completely upside down with the lees and other sediment in the neck of the bottle. (While manual riddling is common, many winemakers now use machines known as gyropalettes.)
Disgorging and dosage
Disgorging or “dégorgement” removes the lees from the neck of the bottle. This is traditionally done by manually freezing a small amount of liquid in the neck and removing the ice plug containing the lees.
💡 The process of dégorgement was invented by Madame Clicquot in 1816.
Immediately after disgorging and before final corking, the sparkling wine levels are topped up with a special mixture of base wine and sugar, known as “liqueur d’expédition.” This process, called “dosage” determines the sparkling wine’s sweetness.
Once this is complete, it’s time for final bottling.
Tank Method
The Tank or “Charmat” Method was developed in Italy in 1895 and can produce sparkling wines at significantly lower cost than the Traditional Method.
Second fermentation
In the Tank Method, second fermentation occurs in a closed system, trapping CO2. The length of fermentation is controlled by the winemaker; longer fermentation results in finer bubbles and more aromatic wine.
Following first fermentation, the base wine is mixed in a stainless steel, pressurized tank along with sugar and yeast to form the liqueur de tirage. Once second fermentation is complete, the lees are filtered out, minimizing contact.
👉🏼 Reduced lees contact makes the Tank Method popular for winemakers who want to emphasize a grape’s fresh fruit aromas and flavours.
Dosage
Like Traditional Method wines, Tank Method sparkling wines are topped up with liqueur d’expédition after bottling. Tank Method wines do not typically undergo a bottle aging period.
❗️An important note
There is an unfortunate misconception that Tank Method sparkling wines are lower quality than Traditional Method wines due to their lower production costs and subsequent retail prices. In actuality, Tank Method is used worldwide to produce many high quality, fine sparkling wines.
Sparkling Wine
Simply put, sparkling wine is any wine that bubbles when poured, caused by escaping carbon dioxide. These wines come in a range of colours (white, rosé, and red), styles (sweet, dry, or off-dry), alcoholic strengths, fizziness, and flavours/aromas.
“Sparkling wine” can be used as a catch-all term for any “bubbly” wine produced around the world.
Champagne
Unlike “sparkling wine,” Champagne cannot be used as a catch-all. “Champagne” refers to a specific region in France and is the birthplace of sparkling wine. Only wines produced in this region can be labelled as Champagne.
Champagnes are typically made from a blend of white (Chardonnay) and black (Pinot Noir) grapes, but styles like Blanc de Blancs (made exclusively from Chardonnay and my personal favourite) and Blanc de Noirs (black grapes only) also exist. Rosé Champagne, made by adding a small amount of red wine to the cuvée, has also seen a rise in popularity.
All Champagnes are made using the Traditional Method.
Prosecco
Prosecco is a light sparkling wine from Italy, made primarily from the Glera grape using the Tank Method. Only sparkling wines made in the Prosecco producing region can be labelled as such.
The most common styles are dry and extra dry.
Cava
Cava is a Spanish sparkling wine made using a local adaptation of the Traditional Method and produced mainly in Catalonia. Cava must spend at least nine months on its lees before disgorgement.
The primary grapes for producing Cava are Macabeo (making up about half of the blend), Xarello (providing its signature fennel and apple aromas), and Parellada. Cava is typically dry and features citrus and orchard fruit aromas like apple, lime, and lemon. Cava that’s aged longer on the lees have a richer body and nutty, toasty qualities with baked apple and almond notes.
The Last Word
The world of sparkling wines offers a delightful experience for every palette and occasion. Understanding the different production methods and styles will not only help you hone in on what you like, but will also enhance your appreciation and enjoyment of these crisp, effervescent delights. Enjoy!