Bubbles Beyond Champagne

The Other Sparkling (just don’t call them Champagne!)

We just discussed Champagne, generally considered the end game when it comes to sparkling wines; the benchmark by which other sparkling wines are judged.

Let’s be clear, though – it doesn’t mean that other sparkling is not also delicious. And often, although not always, available at a lower price.

There is a myth that sparkling wines should be saved for a special occasion. And it is just that, a myth.

All sparkling wines are incredibly food friendly. The fruitiness and acid make them a natural pairing for cheeses, fried foods, shellfish, and well, just about anything. They can also be drunk by themselves, as an aperitif.

As we know, Champagne isn’t Champagne unless the grapes are grown in the Champagne region of France, and the sparkling made using the Traditional Method. In this method, the grapes are first fermented to make a still wine (no bubbles) called a base wine. Sugar and yeast are then added to these base wines, which then undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle, thus creating the “bubbles”. These wines are aged on the lees for months or years before disgorgement (removing the lees and other precipitate) and dosage (refill and added sugars for balance and sweetness). This aging process creates the coveted brioche and creamy flavors in a Champagne. For more details, you can refer to an earlier article.

Let’s face it, not everything can be Champagne, nor can the majority of us afford Champagne on a daily basis. Never fear, there is sparkling wine available from many other places in the world, some using the traditional method as in Champagne, some not.

There is lots of sparkling available, and covering every single one would be impossible. Let’s look at a few, focusing only on the larger categories.

France (not Champagne). Sparkling wines made in France outside of Champagne will often be designated as Crémant. These are sparkling wines made using the Traditional Method but may not adhere to the aging rules set in Champagne, and often, are made using grapes more commonly found in the region they are made. For example, a Crémant de Limoux will commonly contain chardonnay, chenin blanc and mauzac grapes, a Crémant de Loire chenin blanc, and a Crémant de Bourgogne pinot noir and chardonnay.

Cremant tends to be slightly less structured than Champagne due to, often, shorter aging times on the lees, as well as the grapes used. The fruit profile will also depend upon the grapes used.

Spain. Cava is the best-known Spanish sparkling. Made in the Penedes region south of Barcelona, this sparkling wine also uses the Traditional Method of production, but is comprised primarily of macabeo, xarel-lo and parellada grapes.

South Africa. Called Méthode Cap Classique or MCC for short. Initially based upon chenin blanc, today the majority of MCC is made using some combination of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier. To be called MCC, it must be made using the Traditional Method.

Italy. Italy is best known for Prosecco. The region of Prosecco is in the wine region of Veneto, in north-eastern Italy north of Venice. It is generally produced from the glera grape, although it may occasionally also include small amounts of pinot bianco, pinot grigio or other indigenous grapes.

The best grapes are grown in the region of Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobiadene, which was elevated to DOCG status in 2009.

Prosecco, however, is not made using the Traditional Method, but rather a process called Charmat method (or tank method). In this process, the wine undergoes the second fermentation in large, pressurized tanks rather than in bottles. It is then bottled under pressure to preserve the bubbles in the wine. This is a much less labor and time intensive method, resulting in Prosecco being available at a lower cost. Shorter aging times in larger tanks tends to preserve the fruity, easy-drinking style of these wines, but also tends to produce less complexity and depth.

Look for fresh fruitiness, peach, pear, citrus with a floral component, such as honeysuckle.

Somewhat lesser known, however, is Franciacorta, produced in the Lombardy region in north-central Italy. Franciacorta is made using the traditional method, and like Champagne, is made from chardonnay and pinot noir, although pinot blanc is also allowed. Franciacorta also spends some considerable time aging on the lees, much like Champagne, giving it that brioche, leesy quality prized in Champagne.

Emilia-Romagna is also known for Lambrusco, a frizzante (slightly fizzy) wine made from any of the Lambrusco class of grapes, with some savory character, and a wonderful match for the foods in that area (cured meats and cheeses).

Inexpensive examples of Lambrusco are produced using the Charmat method, much like Prosecco. Higher quality examples are made using the ancestral method wherein the wine is bottled while still undergoing the first fermentation. Premium examples use the traditional method. The ancestral method produces wines that have less bubbles than those produced by the Charmat method. The Traditional Method Lambrusco tend to be more elegant with longer lasting bubbles but lacks the rustic charm of the less expensive versions.

Lambrusco can run the gamut from dry to sweet. Look for designations such as secco (dry), semisecco (semi-dry), amabile (sweeter) and dolce (sweet) to guide your buying choices.

Like Prosecco, the Lambrusco made using the Charmat method will tend to be simpler with more purity of fruit, while more premium Lambrusco will start to exhibit darker fruit and a more rustic savoriness.

Typical characteristics of Lambrusco include watermelon, strawberry, raspberry, red and black cherry, dried herbs, violet, rose, earthiness and minerality.

Finally, the Piedmont region of Italy is also known for producing Asti, an aromatic, semisweet sparkling wine made from moscato grapes. Asti, like Prosecco, is made using the Charmat (or tank) method.

Asti should not be confused with Moscato d’Asti – the latter is the more prestigious cousin, made in small batches, and using specially selected muscat blanc à petit grains grapes. These wines are delicate and only lightly sweet, low in alcohol and less effervescent than Asti.

Look for flavors of peaches, pears, mandarin oranges and Meyer lemon, with aromas of orange blossoms and honeysuckle combined with a balanced sweetness.

Germany. In Germany, look for sekt (the term for sparkling wine in Germany). Similar to other regions, the bargain sekt is made using the Charmat method. Higher quality sekt is made using the Traditional Method. Like Prosecco, sekt can also be found in a range of sweetness from bone dry to sweet. Look carefully at the label to help you distinguish between all the options (reading a German wine label is a topic all on it’s own!). Sekt can be made from a variety of grapes, although much German sekt is based on riesling.

United States. While there technically isn’t a region in the United States that specializes in sparkling wines, there certainly are a few premium producers to consider. Seek out producers like Schramsberg in California. Other regions/producers include Wiemer and Ravines in the Finger Lakes, Gruet from New Mexico, and many others.

All regions:

Pét-Nat. Short for pétillant naturel, which roughly translates to “naturally bubbly” in French. Simplistically, these wines are bottled during the first fermentation (as opposed to second fermentation for Champagne and other sparkling wines that use the traditional method). Because the fermentation then occurs in the bottle, the CO2 from the fermentation is trapped, thus providing the bubbles. This method of making a sparkling wine has also been referred to methode ancestral (in France) and col fondo in Italy. This is a much less controlled method of making sparkling wine, and can produce widely variable results bottle to bottle and batch to batch. This has been a very trendy wine style recently, and wines made this way can be found in many places, from any variety of grapes.

Fun sparkling. Sparkling wines can be made from any grape, in any style from frizzante to full bubble. These are not classified wines, as they do not necessarily follow any wine laws for any given region. However, they can also be quite delicious.

Where to start exploring?

So where do we start exploring? Lovers of bubbles already know that there are lots of different products out there at different price points and from different places around the world.

Some are serious, some are just plain fun, and there is everything in-between. With so many options, it’s hard to know where to start, but here’s a few suggestions:

Champagne – Solemme 1er Cru Brut. Made from higher level vineyards, this is 50% chardonnay, 33% pinot noir and 17% pinot meunier. Crisp and bright, with green apple and citrus notes, fine bubbles and a light brioche flavor.

Prosecco – Luca Ricci Conegliano di Valdobiadene Extra Dry. Made from grapes sourced from the prized Conegliano di Valdobiadene region, this wine has just a touch of sweetness, with peach and apple flavors, and a floral bouquet.

Cava – Juvé & Camps Brut Nature. 55% xarel-lo, 35% macabeo, 10% parellada. With a pale golden color, this Cava has flavors of ripe, white fruit combined with notes of toasted bread and baked goods. Fresh, with a long finish of white fruit and citrus.

Cremant de Limoux – Saint-Hilaire Blanquette de Limoux. Made in the Limoux region of France from primarily mauzac grape, with some added chenin blanc and chardonnay grapes. One of the original producers of sparkling type wines, look for flavors of crisp apple and pear, balanced by a slight yeasty character.

Asti – Vietti Moscato d’Asti. Made from 100% moscato grape from the region of Moscato d’Asti. The grapes are hand harvested from vines with an average age of 40 years. Fresh with fine bubbles, this wine is sweet and delicate on the palate, with intense aromas of peach, apricot, rose petal and hints of ginger.

Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc – Steenberg Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc. Made in the Western Cape in South Africa, this is made to be a fresh, fruity, and fun sparkling wine. Retaining a lot of sauvignon blanc character, the nose is intense with melon and lime. The palate has tropical fruits, pineapple, pear, guava and a zippy acidity.