Nothing makes an occasion more festive than Sparkling Wine
The pop of the cork, the rise of tiny bubbles and the gentle whoosh of foam in the glass—it’s romantic and special.
Sparkling wines are not just for holidays and celebrations, they make a fine choice for everyday meals and pair exceptionally well with a variety of foods. From fried chicken to lobster bisque, the range of food pairings are endless, but nothing beats potato chips or truffle fries for a flavor match made in heaven.
Sparkling wine hails from the Champagne region of France and wines grown and produced there are labeled Champagne. In the United States we call our bubbles Sparkling Wine and they are made in a variety of methods. The traditional method called Méthode Champenoise, and the tank method called Charmat. The many styles include Blanc de Blanc–made entirely of white grapes, Blanc de Noir, and Rosé. Sparkling wines come in a range of sweetness levels from sugar called dosage that is added to the wine before corking the bottle. The most popular style is Brut, with less than half a gram of sugar per glass. Extra Brut and Brut Nature have even less sugar resulting in a bone-dry wine.
An old school, ancestral style of sparkling that has recently gained in popularity is Pét-Nat, short for pétillant-naturel. Unlike Charmat and traditional method sparkling, which undergo a secondary fermentation—Pét-Nat is bottled before primary fermentation is complete and sealed with a crown cap not a cork. Pét-Nat is typically cloudy in appearance and full of quaffable funk and flavor. Seek it out.
Along the Wine Road, we have an impressive list of wineries now producing Sparkling Wine. Some you have heard of, and others you have yet to explore. To help you with that, we have even provided a Google Map to help you plan your route.
