Beginner's Guide to Bubbly

For a sparkling wine to be labelled as Champagne it must be made in the Champagne region of France and use only Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier or Chardonnay grapes that grow in the region – a blend of all three, or sometimes a single grape variety. Its bubbles are the result of the wine undergoing fermentation twice: once in barrels and finally in bottles.

 

 

In the glass: Look for fine bubbles and notes of citrus and cherry. The ageing process on yeast particles (called lees) can result in flavours of toast, brioche or biscuit.

 

This is the South African version of Champagne, made according to the traditional method. Any grape can be used to make Cap Classique but you’ll find that the traditional Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay are the most common.

 

In the glass: As with Champagne, you’ll find fresh, light citrus and brioche flavours. 

 

Produced according to the Champagne method from grapes in the Catalonia area of Spain, Cava also naturally ferments in-bottle and is commonly made with Macabeo, Parellada and Xarello grapes.

In the glass: Expect zesty lime and lemon flavours, quince and tart apple, and a distinctive nuttiness.

 

Prosecco is made using Glera grapes in the Veneto region of Italy, north of Venice. The wine also gets its sparkle from natural fermentation, but this takes place in wine vats rather than in the bottle, resulting in bubbles that are lighter and frothier than those in Champagne.

In the glass: Prosecco has fruit and floral aromas, along with hazelnut, vanilla and honeycomb.

 

When a bottle is labelled “sparkling wine” it’s likely to be less expensive, as it didn’t spend months in the bottle producing its own bubbles. Instead, carbon dioxide is injected into the wine to create the fizz.
 

 

Brut is the most popular style these days, containing up to 12 grams per litre of residual sugar. The latest trend internationally is zero-dosage bubbly, meaning no sugar is added. At the other end of the scale, try a demi-sec with 32–50 grams of sugar or a doux with 50+ grams of sugar. Both are good matches with rich desserts.

 

Fun fact: the average flute holds around one million bubbles! If you look closely, the effervescence will reveal more about what you’re drinking. Do the bubbles glide up the glass in fine lines of beads creating a fine mousse at the top? Typically, the smaller and finer the bubbles, the better the quality of the wine.

 

 

The ideal serving temperature is 8–10°C, no colder. Tilt the glass when pouring to prevent the wine from losing its bubbles. While flutes are still widely used, white wine glasses are increasingly being favoured by the pros.