Sparkling Wines | Prices, Types & Reviews
Written By: Brian Freedman on Wed, Jul 12th 2006
Sparkling wine is any wine with bubbles in it. The bubbles can get there by a number of processes, and the ways in which that fizziness is imparted affects the flavor and texture of the sparkling wine that results. In fact, the way in which the still wine (non-bubbly) is made sparkling (bubbly) is just as important as the grapes that were used in the first place. Because of all these factors that affect the finished product, there are many different varieties of sparkling wine.
Champagne is the most famous sparkling wine. This is the bubbly that comes from the Champagne region of France, is made from specific grapes, and produced according to a very strict method called methode champenoise. If the bubbly doesn't meet those three criteria, then it's not Champagne. Then there's Prosecco, the wonderfully light and vaguely lemon-y sparkling wine from Italy. Cava is Spain's answer to Champagne and Prosecco, and it's even lighter than the latter. Indeed, there are as many different kinds of sparkling wines as there are personal preferences. The trick is to taste as many of them as possible, and discover for yourself which one you like most.
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