Variety of sparkling wines

A sparkling wine is one of the most popular drinks on holidays. Whether it's a graduation, wedding, corporate party, birthday or New Year, sparkling wine will create the necessary festive mood. Let's learn more about sparkling wines and select the most popular ones that are worth paying attention to.

Grapes and terroir

By terroir, we mean a set of elements that allow us to obtain raw materials for the final wine; therefore, not only the soil, but also the microclimate of the area and the quality of the grape variety.

The most suitable for the production of sparkling wines are, of course, territories with a moderately cold climate, with low-strength soils, as well as calcareous or partially clayey soils (but also gravelly and loose) with moderate fertility. It is important that these lands are located in foothills or hills with good exposure.

Grapes for sparkling wines differ depending on the characteristics that need to be obtained. The most popular varieties, such as pinot noir, chardonnay, are suitable for both the classical method and the Sharma method; on the contrary, aromatic grape varieties, such as Moscato, Malvasia, are mainly predisposed to the Sharma method.

The most popular varieties for the production of sparkling wines:

1. chardonnay
2. pinot noir
3. pinot meunier
4. pinot bianco
5. glera (prosecco)
6. Riesling
7. Müller Thurgau
8. Cortez
9. moscato
10. malvasia
11. pinot grigio
12. sauvignon blanc

Variety of sparkling wines

Sparkling wines are produced in different countries using different production methods.

There are three main methods:

1. classic - ego is used to make champagne wines, francacorta, etc. Its essence is that secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle and thus the wine is saturated with carbon dioxide.
2. the Sharma-Martinotta method is the production of prosecco. In this case, secondary fermentation takes place in the tank.
3. production gasification — artificial saturation of wine with carbon dioxide.

We will highlight some popular sparkling wines that are worth paying attention to.

Prosecco

Prosecco is the best-selling sparkling wine in the world, with delicate aromas of flowers and fruits, a lively, undemanding drink with a light structure and great pleasure. It is the quintessence of fun, simple, direct, irresistible and ideal for accompanying an infinite number of dishes.

For the production of Prosecco, grapes of the Glera variety are used (according to regulatory documents, its share in the blend must be at least 75%), as well as some other varieties to a lesser degree.

This sparkling wine is produced by the Sharma-Martinotta method, which involves secondary fermentation in a tank. In this way, the wine is saturated with carbon dioxide.

Prosecco is a universal wine that conquers everyone with its lightness, brightness and friendliness

Coffee

The best and most popular Spanish sparkling wine is coffee, which is produced using the same technology as French champagne. This wine is traditionally made from three varieties of grapes, namely Macabeo (Viura), Xarello and Parellada. However, other grape varieties, such as Chardonnay, are sometimes used.

Coffee is a great aperitif and goes well with many dishes.

franciacorta

You will never find the word "spumante" on the labels of this Italian white wine, as these famous bottles want to be identified only with Franciacorta, the name of the territory of their origin.

Franciacorta has a delicate and harmonious aroma, with shades of bread crust and yeast, as well as citrus and dried fruits.

The taste is dry, balanced, rich, elegant and spicy, as well as a thin and persistent perlage.

Champagne

Champagne is synonymous with special occasions, class and luxury in the world. The undisputed star of major events, this sparkling wine has always been ideal for launching a ship, celebrating a champion or toasting a gathering.

Champagne is an inimitable territory in terms of production quality: partly because they invented the classical method there and began to apply it at least 200 years before others, partly because of the characteristics of the territory. The classic method is that the secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle. Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay are today the main and most popular varieties for making this sparkling wine.

Champagne is an excellent aperitif, and can also be combined with canapes of shrimp in jelly or classic caviar, but it also surprises with bold combinations with the more prosaic Felino salami. From simple baked fish to cod in cream, going through the simplicity of catfish with lentils, Champagne will be able to break the hearts of even the most skeptical.