It’s a well-known fact that there is a wine for every occasion. When it comes to a celebratory event of any description, there is no better way to toast success or a joyous moment than with a sparkling white wine. Sparkling white wines are synonymous with weddings, anniversaries, New Year’s Eve parties and in many forms of motorsport, whereby the top three race finishers will typically stand aloft a podium and spray each other with copious quantities of champagne! Whilst this is an accepted practice in motorsport, most consumers prefer to drink sparkling white wine for its delightfully sweet and fizzy composition.
Sparkling white wines invariably comprise high levels of carbon dioxide, although the sparkling effect can be produced using several different techniques. Indeed, there are four primary methods of producing sparkling white wine, which are through carbon dioxide injection, which is known as the Metodo Italiano (Charmat) process, the traditional method (or méthode traditionnelle as it is often seen on labels) and the transfer method. Sparkling white wines produced through carbon dioxide injection involve the use of a carbonator, which simply adds carbon dioxide to a liquid, and is often the method of choice for cheaper white wine producers. The Metodo Italiano method, or Charmat process as it is more commonly known outside of Italy, which is where the technique originates, refers to a process whereby the wine undergoes a secondary fermentation stage in steel tanks and is then bottled under pressure. Certain types of grape such as the Prosecco are better suited to secondary fermentation in tanks than more standard varieties used in white wine making, such as Chardonnay.
The traditional method also employs a secondary fermentation, however, in this instance the process occurs in a bottle and is induced through the addition of a quantity of yeast and rock sugar. The bottles are then crown capped and aged for up to three years before they are riddled, which is the name given to the process of removing the sediment or lees that build up in the wine. In the Champagne region of France, the traditional method is known as the méthode Champenoise and is used in the production of world-famous brands such as Moët & Chandon. The transfer method incorporates the initial steps of the méthode Champenoise until after the secondary fermentation is complete, after which time the individual bottles are transferred into one large tank in which the wine is then filtered. The transfer method is unique in its ability to allow for complex blending after the wine has been bottled.
There are several different kinds of sparkling white wine produced in a number of different countries. Without any doubt whatsoever, Champagne is the most widely recognised and celebrated variety – indeed, the aforementioned motorsport podium sitters would expect nothing less than several large bottles of expensive Champagne to expend all over each other. Whilst Champagne as a product of the traditional method is produced all over the world, the name itself can only be sold in relation to that which is produced from the Champagne region of France. Furthermore, because this region is widely regarded as having a certain prestige in the wine-making industry, certain bottles of Champagne are not sold on the cheap.
Indeed, the finest Champagnes can cost hundreds or even thousands of euros depending on where they are sold. Such products originate from particular producers, or ‘houses’ as they are often called, and are named and priced by the bottle and year (Champagne is not typically vintage but where it is the grapes used must be 100% from the year specified). Some of the most exquisite Champagnes on the market include Moët & Chandon’s ‘Dom Pérignon‘ and ‘Dom Pérignon Rosé‘ varieties, Krug’s ‘N. V. Grande Cuvée Brut’, Henriot’s ‘Cuvée des Enchanteleurs’ and Philipponnat’s ‘Clos des Goisses’. There are also many other varieties of Champagne that are more affordable, including Laurent-Perrier’s ‘Grand Siècle’, Charles Heidsieck’s ’1985 Champagne Charlie’ and Lanson’s ‘Noble Cuvée’. Ultimately, Champagne is the sparkling white wine of choice for any major celebratory occasion.
Nevertheless, there are many other types of sparkling white wines than Champagne. French Crémant wines, for instance, are exquisite sparklers and there are seven distinct appellations available: d’Alsace, de Bordeaux, de Bourgogne, de Die, du Jura, de Limoux and de Loire. Sparkling white wines are also extremely popular in other countries, where a very high standard of production is maintained. Indeed, the Franciacorta from Lombardy in Italy is a refreshingly sweet sparkler that is sold throughout the world. Moreover, Cava is a white sparkling wine that has a distinctly pinkish colour to it and heralds from various Catalonian regions. Germany, Australia and the USA are also international producers of sparkling white wines.
