What is a Sparkling Wine?
Sparkling wine is produced worldwide from still wine that is carbonated via a secondary fermentation to create that famous fizz. The two most common sparkling winemaking methods are the “traditional” method and “charmat” or “tank” method. There are many different styles to choose from, including white sparkling wines, red sparkling wines, and rosé sparkling wines. Champagne is arguably the most famous sparkling wine made only in the Champagne region of France…but more on that later.
Several grape varieties are used to make sparkling wines. Here are some of the most popular:
Chardonnay
Pinot Meunier
Pinot Noir
Chenin Blanc
Prosecco (Glera)
Riesling
Garnacha (Grenache)
Albariño
What’s the Difference Between Champagne and Sparkling Wine?
While Champagne is the undisputed king or queen of French fizz, it's just one player in the kingdom of sparkling wine. So let's uncork the truth.
People often confuse Champagne as the only sparkling wine, but that's not the case. Champagne is sparkling wine, but not all sparkling wine is Champagne. As we covered earlier, Champagne hails from the Champagne region of France. It is bound by strict rules, including the types of grapes used, sourcing, vineyard practices, fermentation, bottling, ageing, etc, and is protected by the AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) designation. The most popular and common grapes used for the production of Champagne include chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier, and the French fizz is famous for its complex, elegant flavours, ranging from crisp and toasty to rich and nutty.
Hailing from all over the globe, sparkling wines derive their names, styles and identity from their regions of production e.g. Prosecco from Italy, Cava from Spain, sparkling shiraz from Australia, and so on. There are loads of tasty and chic styles and brands available to suit any taste, ready to clink at your next occasion.
What are Different Sparkling Wine Styles?
Decoding what your bottle of bubbly tastes like is easier if you get to know a few terms. The flavour profile of sparkling wines ranges from brut to dry to sweet and, lastly, dessert wines. Let’s explore the scale here:
Brut Nature - bone dry, minimal sweetness
Extra Brut - extremely dry
Brut - good balance of dry with a hint of a sweet flavour profile
Extra Dry - slightly sweeter
Sec/Dry - off-dry and sweeter
Demi-Sec - noticeable sweetness, often falls in the class of dessert wines
Doux - dessert wines
Shop For Sparkling Wines At BWS
BWS is an incredible place to explore different types of sparkling wines, from Champagnes to sparkling reds, crisp whites and pretty pink rosé sparklings. We sell a huge range of quality sparkling and Champagne brands across each of our 1400+ stores in Australia. Can’t get to a store? No worries! Just jump online and select your Champagne or sparkling of choice, and we can have it delivered right to your door.
Here’s a quick tip on the top brands of sparkling wines at BWS:
Maschio
Let’s raise a glass and celebrate the diverse and delicious world of bubbles!