Differences in Sparkling Wine Production

The main difference between sparkling wines is the region they come from. For example, Champagne is from the Champagne region of France, Prosecco from Italy, Cava from Spain and English sparkling wine or Californian sparkling wine speak for themselves. All sparkling wine is made in two stages of fermentation, the first to ferment the sugars into alcohol and the second to create the fizz. Prosecco is made by a different method, making it the odd one out of the group, in that the second fermentation step takes place in a large tank prior to bottling resulting in a sweeter and less bubbly wine. The other sparkling wines are made using a long second fermentation step in the bottle. This is known as the ‘traditional’ method.  The wine is sealed in a bottle with a simple cap, additional yeast is added and it is then left to ferment for over a year creating a pressure within the bottle of around 5-6 atmospheres, nearly 2 times higher than Prosecco. The bottles are placed on a riddling rack and turned regularly so the sediment settles in the neck of the bottle. The necks are then frozen and the ‘lees’ (sediment) is pops out when the cap is opened and then a ‘dosage’ (sugar mixture) is added, the bottles corked and then laid down for months or years. The extra fermentation produces persistent bubbles and complex flavours. A variety of grapes are used in sparkling wines: Champagne is usually Pinot noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay, Cava can be Macabeu, Parella, Xarello grapes, Prosecco can be Glera, Perera, Bianchetta, Verdico, Pinot Gris and English sparkling wine could include Pinot noir, Seyval blanc, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay, but many other varieties can be used.