Sparkling wine is not champagne. Yes, champagne is sparkling, but it can be called champagne only if it comes from the region of the same name in France. Sparkling wine can come from anywhere. Sparkling wine is light and delicate in body, fresh and fruity in flavor and a fine accompaniment to nearly any meal.
Instructions
1. Learn what puts the sparkle in sparkling wine. Carbon dioxide gas is imparted into white wine through either the Me?thode Champenoise, the Transfer Method or the Charmat Process. Directly injecting carbon dioxide through carbonation is another method but only for the more inferior sparkling wines.
2. Know read the label. Brut means dry. Extra Brut means extra dry. These sparkling wines have very little residual sugar. The French term Sec means extra dry, Demi-Sec means half dry or semi dry and Doux means sweet.
3. Discover Italian sparkling wines. Referred to as Spumante, there are four types of Italian sparkling wines: Prosecco, Franciacorta, Asti and Moscato D?Asti.
4. Seek California sparkling wine. Anderson Valley, Green Valley, Russian River Valley and Carneros are considered the best appellations in California for sparkling wine production because of their cool climates.
5. Find out about Spanish sparkling wine. Called Cava, Spanish sparkling wines are produced in the northwestern region of Penedes.
Tags: sparkling wines, Brut means, California sparkling, California sparkling wine, Italian sparkling, Italian sparkling wines
