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Sparkling wine

1. The different production methods

The traditional method

The traditional method consists of creating bubbles in the bottle. It's the result of adding a liqueur de tirage (a mixture of wine + yeast + sugar) to a base wine (dry, still wine) bottled with a temporary cork. The action of the yeast in contact with the sugar in this liqueur creates both alcohol and carbon dioxide.

To evacuate dead yeast at the end of fermentation, bottled wines are stored for varying lengths of time, depending on the region. This deposit is discharged from the bottle (dégorgement), and the addition of liqueur d'expédition determines the wine's sugar content. The wine then receives its final corking.

The ancestral method

This method is similar to the traditional one, but more delicate. The base wine is partially fermented, cooled and bottled. Alcoholic fermentation continues in the bottle, without the addition of tirage liqueur, and produces the carbonic gas for the bubbles.

To evacuate dead yeast at the end of fermentation, bottled wines are stored for varying lengths of time, depending on the region. This deposit is discharged from the bottle (dégorgement). The wine then receives its final corking. Unlike the traditional method, the wines are not dosed: it's the natural sugar content that defines the wine's style.

The closed-tank method (or Charmat method)

Unlike ancestral and traditional methods, in which bubbles set in the bottle, with the closed-tank method, bubbles set in the tank.

A liqueur de tirage is added to the base wine, in a pressure-resistant vat at a temperature of 20°C. After 10 days' fermentation, the sparkling wine is filtered and returned to the vat with its carbon dioxide before bottling.

2. Grape varieties

Depending on the style of sparkling wine, some grape varieties are more appropriate than others.

For highly aromatic sparkling wines, Muscat is a common choice.

For non-aromatic sparkling wines, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Blanc are often preferred.

3. Sparkling wine-producing regions

The most prestigious sparkling wine-producing region is undoubtedly Champagne.

Its method of production has inspired many wine-producing regions, both in France and abroad: France with Crémants d'Alsace, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Limoux and Loire, Spain with Cava, South Africa with the Cap Classic method,...

Italy, meanwhile, is famous for its Prosecco, produced using the closed-tank method.

4. Some legendary sparkling wines

Cradle of the prestige of effervescence, Champagne is worthily represented by such legendary Houses as Billecart-Salmon, Bollinger, Dom Perignon, Krug, Louis Roederer, Moët & Chandon, Ruinart, Veuve Cliquot...

5. Sparkling wines and their pairings

Sparkling wines are generally associated with festive occasions. Fruit and cream desserts, refined seafood and shellfish dishes, and foie gras all lend themselves well to bubbles.