Sparkling Wine

Discover sparkling wines selected by the chefs and sommeliers of starred gourmet restaurants. A selection by credible and legitimate professionals to help you find your favorite sparkling wine.

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Best sparkling wines

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Taste one of the best sparkling wines. Gift an exceptional bottle of sparkling wine. Enrich your bar or cellar with a prestigious bottle of sparkling wine. Find restaurants where you can taste rare sparkling wine references. Discover all the information to better understand sparkling wine and its specificities so you can easily choose your sparkling wine brand or bottle.

Crémant Sparkling Wine

Best sparkling wine brands

Refer to the opinions of chefs, sommeliers, and bartenders of starred gourmet restaurants worldwide to discover the best sparkling wine brands in the world. A ranking and comparison of the most highly valued sparkling wine brands and bottles in starred gourmet restaurants by experts in haute cuisine.

Sparkling Wine Reference | Origin | Information Champagne | France | Discover the best champagnes Clairette de Die | France | Discover the best Clairettes de Die Prosecco | Italy | Discover the best Proseccos Cava | Spain | Discover the best cavas Crémant | France | Discover the best crémants Vouvray | France | Discover the best Vouvray sparkling wines Saumur | France | Discover the best Saumur sparkling wines Blanquette de Limoux | France | Discover the best Blanquettes de Limoux

The best sparkling wines on the menus of starred gourmet restaurants.

Sparkling wine

Sparkling wine refers to a category of effervescent wine, also called bubbly wine. It is common to use the terms "bubbly," "bubbles," or "champagne" to casually describe sparkling wine. Be careful, however, as champagne is reserved exclusively for sparkling wines produced in the Champagne region. Champagne is therefore an appellation of sparkling wine. In popular usage, the term sparkling wine is often used to refer to an effervescent wine other than champagne. Champagne is a more expensive effervescent wine than other sparkling wines that do not benefit from this appellation. Sparkling wine can describe an affordable bubbly wine.

Sparkling wine takes its name from the foam produced by the beverage.

Production of sparkling wine

Sparkling wine can be produced anywhere in the world. It is made from grapes, yeast, and sugar. The bubbles are obtained through a second fermentation in the bottle (méthode traditionnelle / Champenoise method) or in a tank (Ancestral, Charmat, Transfer, or Soda methods). This second fermentation produces carbon dioxide that dissolves into the wine within the bottle.

Sparkling wine is the category of effervescent wines that contains the highest level of carbon dioxide (pressure greater than 3 bars) among all bubbly wines. The other categories of effervescent wines are pearl wine (the least bubbly effervescent wine, with pressure below 1 bar) and pétillant wine (carbon dioxide pressure between 1 and 2.5 bars). Sparkling wine is therefore the most effervescent of bubbly wines.

Sparkling wine can be physically and gustatorily distinguished from other categories of effervescent wines when poured into a glass and consumed. When served, sparkling wine generates a large amount of foam in the glass. It tends to create strong pressure on the cork upon opening, producing the characteristic sound of the cork being expelled under high pressure. The cork is thus ejected by the force of the carbon dioxide pressure. Likewise, this strong pressure can cause the beverage to foam as soon as the bottle is opened. Shaking the bottle beforehand can amplify this eruption phenomenon. On the palate, sparkling wine is highly effervescent due to the creation and motion of countless bubbles resulting from the dissolution of carbon dioxide.

Sparkling wine is contained in an airtight glass bottle. The mushroom-shaped cork, often made of natural cork or plastic, is secured by a brass, stainless steel, or copper wire cage (muselet). It is worth noting that the mushroom-shaped cork is not mandatory for bottle volumes under 20 centiliters.

Making sparkling wine

Technically, sparkling wine contains dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2) which produces the bubbles. Sparkling wine is obtained from grape must. Sugar and yeast are then added to the wine. It is during this stage that carbon dioxide is generated. These bubbles produce the tingling sensation in the mouth, since on contact with air and other foreign elements, carbon dioxide reacts. CO2 dissolves when air pressure drops, and the bubbles burst as they rise out of the liquid.

Sparkling wine differs from so-called still wines such as red wine, white wine, rosé, or yellow wine. Unlike still wine, sparkling wine requires the grapes to be harvested while still more acidic. Sparkling wines are often more acidic beverages than still wines. However, the addition of sugar helps balance them. Often, the grapes used to produce sparkling wines are hand-harvested by winegrowers to minimize tannin levels and other phenolic compounds compared to still wines.

Following the grape harvest, the must undergoes a primary fermentation just like a still wine. During this stage, a special sparkling wine yeast may be added. After primary fermentation, the grape varieties are blended in a tank. This is known as wine assemblage. Most often, sparkling wines are blends of several grape varieties.

Then comes secondary fermentation, which can follow the méthode traditionnelle or Champenoise method (wine, yeast, and sugar are added in the bottle), the Ancestral method (without removing dead yeasts), the Transfer method (the sparkling wine is filtered to remove impurities), the Charmat method (sparkling wine produced in stainless steel tanks, cooled, clarified, and bottled), and the Soda method (carbon dioxide injected into the wine — this method is used to produce inexpensive sparkling wines whose label states "aerated sparkling wine" and "obtained by adding carbon dioxide").

The origin of effervescence dates back several millennia. The first effervescent beverages were produced in Ancient Greece and Rome around 4000 BC. The first productions of effervescent wines are not precisely known.

There are several types of sparkling wines:

Sparkling wine (VM): Sparkling wine (VM) has a minimum alcohol content of 8.5% and a maximum of 9.5%. It requires a second fermentation with still wine and tirage liqueur (must, sugar, and wine). Sparkling wine (VM) does not require aging. Quality sparkling wine (VMQ): quality sparkling wine has the same characteristics as sparkling wine plus additional requirements. The grape must used to produce it must contain more than 9% alcohol. The beverage must benefit from yeast effects for 90 days and age for 9 months. Quality sparkling wine may come from a geographical area allowing it to obtain a designation of origin. It is then called quality sparkling wine produced in a specified region (VMQPRD). Champagne and crémant are examples of this type. Aerated sparkling wine: aerated sparkling wine is obtained by adding carbon dioxide to still wine. It does not necessarily require aging and has no minimum or maximum alcohol level. Pétillant wine: pétillant wine is produced by double fermentation. The second fermentation uses wines with a minimum alcohol content of 9%. Pétillant wine itself is at least 7% ABV. It does not necessarily require aging. There is also an appellation for pétillant wines produced in specific geographical zones, called pétillant wine produced in a specified region (VPQRD). Italian Frizzante and German Spritzig sparkling wines belong to this category. Aerated pétillant wine: aerated pétillant wine is obtained by adding carbon dioxide. It must have a minimum alcohol content of 9% but does not necessarily require aging.

Sparkling wine is always more or less sweet. All sparkling wines benefit from added sugar to reduce their gustatory acidity. This sugar is added during the second fermentation. Thus, a sparkling wine can be more or less dry or sweet on the palate. Sugar content is what distinguishes sparkling wines.

Sparkling wine is classified according to its sugar content:

Extra Dry: 12–20 grams of sugar per liter. Demi-Sec: 33 to 50 grams of sugar per liter. Doux (Sweet): more than 50 grams of sugar per liter.

Sparkling wine can be white, rosé, or red. Red sparkling wine is made from red grapes, while white and rosé sparkling wines are made from white grapes. The grape skin gives the red or rosé color. For rosé sparkling wine, there are dark-skinned white grape varieties used to produce rosé sparkling wine such as rosé champagne. Examples include rosé champagne in France, Asti Spumante and Lambrusco in Italy. There are even white sparkling wines made from red grape varieties such as pinot noir, called Blanc de Noir. The white grape juice is mixed with red grape skins to obtain this characteristic shade.

Sparkling wines are produced in many countries around the world. Sparkling wine is made from grapes, which can be grown in many regions of the globe. Each year worldwide, more than 1.58 billion liters and therefore 2.3 billion bottles are produced. Champagne alone represents 60% of sparkling wines produced in France.

List of quality sparkling wines:

Champagne, Crémant d'Alsace, Crémant (Anjou, Loire, Saumur, Touraine, Vouvray, and Montlouis), Crémant de Bourgogne, Crémant de Bordeaux, Gaillac sparkling wine, Saint-Péray sparkling wine, Clairette de Die, Crémant de Die, Crémant du Jura, Crémant de Limoux, Blanquette de Limoux, Asti, Prosecco, Cava, Bugey sparkling wine, Savoie sparkling wine…

There are also Australian, South African, Chilean, Canadian, American, English, Romanian, Hungarian, Italian, German, Portuguese, and Spanish sparkling wines.

Some sparkling wines are vintage. However, most sparkling wine productions are non-vintage. Sparkling wine is a beverage whose quality evolves only slightly over time.

Drinking sparkling wine

Sparkling wine is a beverage prominently featured on the menus of gourmet restaurants. It is a festive drink. Its translucent hue — sometimes golden, rosé, or red — and its sparkling bubbles make sparkling wine a celebratory alcoholic beverage.

In consumers' minds, sparkling wine often serves as an alternative to champagne, even though champagne itself is a sparkling wine. Sparkling wine is often considered by consumers as a bubbly wine cheaper than champagne. Culturally, sparkling wines other than champagne are referred to as "mousseux." The term commonly designates an affordable effervescent wine. The price of a good bottle of sparkling wine varies widely, from less than €10 to several hundred euros for the most renowned bottles.

Sparkling wine has a major place on the menus of starred gourmet restaurants. There are many sparkling wines, each with their own history and terroir. Sparkling wines are as much alcoholic beverages as they are stories of women and men. Sparkling wine can also feature in dishes prepared by chefs, particularly in sauces. It is also used in cocktails such as the Kir Royal, made of sparkling wine and crème de cassis. On the menus of starred gourmet restaurants, sparkling wines other than champagne are usually less expensive. It is important to keep in mind that champagne is not necessarily the best sparkling wine. Sparkling wines other than champagne can also be superior in terms of taste.

Sparkling wine can be enjoyed at every stage of the meal, whether as an aperitif, with the starter, or with dessert. It is best served chilled and traditionally in a coupe. The slender glass highlights the carbon dioxide bubbles rising upward. It is the imperfections and foreign particles in the glass that allow the bubbles to form.

An authentic ranking and comparison to choose your sparkling wine

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Select one or more selection criteria for your sparkling wine according to your preferences. Rank sparkling wines according to your criteria. Select your sparkling wine reference. Buy one of the best sparkling wines online at the best price. Savor one of the best sparkling wines!

The selection of premium sparkling wines

How are sparkling wines selected on Bestwine • Online? Bestwine • Online lists the sparkling wines featured on the wine lists and in the cellars of the most renowned gourmet restaurants worldwide. References championed by the greatest chefs and sommeliers, who are themselves praised by critics. Only sparkling wine references sold online are presented to you so you can buy them easily.

How is the best sparkling wine reference updated? The reference of the best sparkling wines is updated daily by integrating new references from the wine lists of gourmet restaurants made available to us. We also update commercial and promotional offers so you can buy a quality sparkling wine online at the best price. We commit to presenting only sparkling wine references from the wine lists of awarded gourmet restaurants.