Collection: Sparkling wine

Sparkling wine is quite simply wine with bubbles, and the bubbles come from the carbon dioxide formed during a second fermentation. How that fermentation takes place determines the style. With the traditional method (also called méthode champenoise) the second fermentation happens in the bottle, which gives fine, persistent bubbles and the characteristic notes of bread and brioche from the time on the lees. With the tank method (Charmat) the fermentation takes place in a large tank, and the result is a fresher, more fruity style.

With us, the majority of the sparkling wines come from Italy. Here you will find, among others, wines from Lombardiet and Piemonte as well as more atypical regions such as Valle d'Aosta and Marche, covering both the traditional method and the fresh, fruity tank method, known among other things from Prosecco made on the Glera grape.

France is the natural second leg of the selection, and here Champagne is a given. Champagne comes exclusively from the Champagne region and is made by the traditional method, especially on Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. If you want to understand the grapes better, you can delve into Chardonnay and Pinot Noir separately. Outside Champagne, French sparkling wine is also made by the same method under the designation Crémant, while Cava is the Spanish counterpart, often on the grapes Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-lo.

If you need to find your way around the styles, it helps to think about the method. The traditional method typically gives a more complex, yeast-driven and structured wine, while the tank method keeps the focus on freshness and fruit. Both have their place, both for the small everyday occasion and for the bigger ones.

Whatever you choose, the same simple rule applies: sparkling wine is best enjoyed well chilled, so the bubbles stand out clearly and the freshness is allowed to come forward. If you feel like staying in the Italian end of the cellar, you can explore our entire Italien selection.