subject: California Sparkling Wine And Other Sparkling Types [print this page] Sparkling wine may surprise many people with its variety and the number of options available for that celebratory glass of bubbly. And although the most famous, regal, bottles come from the Champagne region of France, other types such as California sparkling wine often fits the bill just as well. Sparkling wine can be white, ros, or red, ranges from sweet to dry and crisp, like a California Brut. Though there are fewer types of sparkling white wine than other wines, many people overlook most of their options.
Sparkling wines are often made from red wine grapes as well as white wine grapes. Champagne, for example, often uses Pinot Noir grapes, but the juices from the grapes are not allowed any contact with the skin, thus protecting the light color. Similar fermentation is used for all types of wine, but sparkling wine undergoes a second period of fermentation in the bottle, where sugar and yeast lead it to release the CO2 bubbles that make it sparkle. There is a lot of room for differentiating sparkling wines at many steps of this process.
The most important thing to know about this bubbling beverage is that while Champagne has been the de facto choice for nobility and people celebrating for centuries, it is not a synonym for sparkling white wine. It's the name of a specific region in France that produces some of the most popular, well-known bottles of the drink. The people there have fought hard to prevent other makers from using the name, and they won. So now, you just need to know that if you can't afford champagne, other sparkling white wine options exist.
Many wine retailers in California argue that for the vast majority of palettes, there's a California sparkling wine that will perfectly meet their needs. Whether you want a sweet bottle to go with dessert to the most brut, better for enjoying at the table with a wide range of flavors. Most of California's sparkling wine makers use the champenoise method, although we lack the strict regulations as far as labeling, sugar content, and maturing that are in place in France. This leads to bottles being stored for a wider range of times, but the warmer climate in California means that they can produce vintage-quality wines every year, even without the longer fermentation.
More conventional sources for sparkling wine production include France, obviously, as well as Italy, Spain, and even Germany. Spanish Cava and Italian Prosecco have been gaining ground internationally for their ability to approximate the quality and flavor of Champagne without the same egregious price tag. And many of these same high-quality European grapes and methods are grown and used across the United States. Most recently, Riesling-growers in New York state have started making a few popular varieties using the French method as well. These makers give U.S. drinkers access to bottles very similar to their European inspiration without the same price and difficulty.
Although this short list of international, U.S., and California sparkling wines might suggest that there are too many options for choosing the right bottle to be easy, the reality is that if you know the occasion and the price you can afford, this extra information will help facilitate the process. That's really all you want so you can get on to sharing the delicious bubbly beverage with friends and family!
