Sparkling Wine Varieties
Champagne
Most Sparkling wines are white, but they also come in varying shades of pink and red. Along with the grape variety, yield and origin, the method of production largely determines the quality of Sparkling wines. All Sparkling wines undergo a primary fermentation to produce a base wine. The best producers have a vast selection of base wines, which are blended together to produce the desired style.
The most cost-effective method for Sparkling wine production is the injection method. As the name implies this simple method involves the injection of carbon dioxide, the same process used in soft drinks, which produces big bubbles that dissipate quickly in the glass. This method is used for the cheap, commercial Sparkling wines.
The Charmat method sees the wine undergo a secondary fermentation in bulk tanks, before it is bottled under pressure. This method is used widely in Italy. The transfer method involves the wine undergoing a second bottle fermentation, which gives the wine yeasty complexity, before the Sparkling wine is transferred out of the individual bottles into a large tank. The Sparkling wine is then separated from the spent yeast cells and bottled under pressure. The traditional method or méthode Champenoise is the most labour intensive, costly and lengthy method, but it produces the highest quality Sparkling wines. The traditional method involves a second fermentation taking place in the same bottle that the wine is sold. The traditional method is used for the production of Champagne. The wine is left in contact with its lees (spent yeast cells) after the secondary fermentation, usually at least 15 months. The yeast cells are then removed from the wine, then the bottle is topped up with a dose of base wine and sugar before it is corked. Most Sparkling wine producers will make a Non-Vintage (NV) wine every year that is blended across vintages to produce a consistent product. In favourable years a Vintage wine may be produced. These wines tend to be more expensive and refined, offering a good expression of the region, variety, year and house style. You may often see a Blanc de Blanc style that is produced entirely from Chardonnay or a Blanc de Noir style, made entirely from Pinot Noir. After the wines have completed their second bottle fermentation, they are usually matured on the spent lees for longer, which imparts complex bread-like characters.
Australia produces a diverse range of Sparkling wines and has a history well steeped in great bubbly. Before the boom in Australian table wines, much of the wine produced here was Sparkling or Fortified. While sales of fortified wines are in decline, sales of Australian Sparkling wine are a rising category. The most prolific trailblazer in Australian Sparkling was Colin Preece, who made wines for Seppelt in the Great Western region of Victoria mid last century. Colin’s attention to quality and detail created a demand for Australian Sparkling wines that has grown rapidly over time. Many of his wines made over half a century ago are still drinking well today. In the 21st century, Dr Tony Jordan at Domaine Chandon and Ed Carr at Constellation/Hardys are leading the way, producing exceptional Australian Sparkling wines. Apart from Sparkling Reds, the finest Australian Sparkling wines are made from the classic Champagne grape varieties, mostly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
The cool regions provide the best base wines, which are usually picked early with high levels of acidity. With our broad climate spectrum we boast a range of Sparkling wine styles from the ultra-fine Tasmanian Sparkling wine to the more robust Victorian and New South Wales examples.
The finest Sparkling wine in the world is Champagne, which is only made from three varieties; Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier that are grown within the Champagne region in northern France. Here the cool climate and chalky soils produce wines with delicate fruit flavours with extremely high levels of natural acidity that are ideal for the production of Sparkling wines with great finesse. To ensure its quality standards remain high, the production of Champagne is highly regulated. The fruit must be grown within the region, strict yields must be adhered to and Champagne must be made using the tradition method. That means that Champagne is always sold in the same bottle in which it undergoes its secondary fermentation. Non-Vintage (U) Champagne must spend a minimum of 15 months on lees. In the best years Vintage Champagne might be released, and this must spend at least 3 years on lees.