Celebrating something? Bring on the bubbles! But… which bubbles to choose for your occasion? Sparkling wine is widely produced around the world and shows a great variety in sweetness and flavour. There are also different production methods to get your wines sparkling. Let us take you on a virtual tour and share some insights on some of the most fabulous (and famous) sparkling wines of the world.

Champagne of France

When you think of France, you think of Champagne. Champagne is a sparkling wine that is produced in the Champagne region of France and is a rather expensive sparkling wine. It was continuously marketed as a symbol of the ‘good’ life and admit it, we feel quite special when we’re sipping a glass of this delicious bubbly.

Champagne is an honoured drink that is often used to accompany a festive celebration as an aperitif, but it can also be served during the meal or with dessert. Regularly, people use a bottle of champagne in an extravagant way as well, by smashing it to inaugurate a new ship or spraying it around to celebrate a victory. You can get a base-model Champagne from $30. The great to excellent ones are found within the price range of $50–$100 and if you really want to take it to the next level you can go for a prestige champagne. Then you would spend over $100 for a bottle.

Italian Prosecco 

In Italy the general term for sparkling wine is Spumante. There are a lot of different sparkling wines in Italy, of which Prosecco might be the most widely known. Prosecco positions itself at the sweeter end of the sparkling wines. It is fresh with fruity and floral notes. Although it was widely consumed as an aperitif, it is nowadays perceived more as a refreshing drink to enjoy anytime and everywhere. Prosecco is a great accompaniment to a summer salad with smoked seafood and even pairs well with pasta and poultry.

Prosecco is very reasonably priced. A base model Prosecco shouldn’t be more than $12. It is no surprise that this drink became a popular choice to attend all sorts of social gatherings around the world.

Cava of Catalonia

Spain is famous for its sparkling wine, Cava, which is mainly produced in the province of Catalonia. Cava has bubbles as fine as Champagne, but is lighter on the palate. Just like all sparkling wines, Cava is perceived as a festive drink and marks celebration. For the Spanish, it is essential at Christmas and New Year’s Eve, but any celebration will do. The drink pairs well with savoury foods and light meals, such as tapas.

In terms of pricing, Cava is a more affordable sparkling wine. Nevertheless, the flavour is more complex than that of Prosecco. You can find cheap cava under $10, but if you’d like a good one, the top tier bottles can be found within the price range of $30–$50.

Bottles of Bubbly in Canada and South Africa

So far, we’ve only discussed European sparkling wines, but there are great bubbles to be found elsewhere too. In South Africa there is a growing production of premium sparkling wines, named Cap Classique or MCC (for Méthode Cap Classique). These bubbles are as fine as Champagne with fresh and light flavours.

If you’d like to switch it up at your next celebration, you could go for the unusual Canadian Icewine. Although Icewine itself was not invented in Canada, Sparkling Icewine is unique to the country. It is a sweet wine, although the bubbles make the taste softer. It can be paired with a wide range of foods, going from spicy dishes to desserts with a fruity touch.

What’s your bubbly of choice? Tell us why you like it!

Written by Elise Coudré and edited by Jashan Sippy. 

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