Way too often we consider Champagne and other sparklers only for special occasions. Possibly it is the price of real Champagne (that is the sparkling wine that comes from the Champagne district of France), that deems it so special. There are sparkling wines in every price range made from a variety of grapes in a variety of styles, from almost every country in the world.

There are two major methods for making sparkling wine, one is method champenois, the other is charmat. Charmat is a less expensive process which involves provoking a second fermentation in wine stored in a pressure tank.
Method champenois is a rigorous and quite complex method that involves a second fermentation in the bottle. This method is the most expensive but produces the smallest most persistent bubbles. Most “champagnes” are produces this way but also some inexpensive sparklers from other counties use this system, making excellent-valued wines.

The least expensive sparkler that has some taste and style is Cooks from California. At under $9 it is great for around the pool. Henkell Trocken from Germany is another summer pool wine. Both are off-dry which also makes them good in Champagne cocktails. Henkell is around $12.

Italy gives us Prosecco, a grape native to the Friuli region. It is perfect for making sparkling wines. It is usually found as Spumante and can range in price from $12-$32. It is not as bubbly but the wine generally has good structure and flavour. Prosecco Frizzante is harder to find and it is much more bubbly.

It is from Spain that the best buys come from. Both Segura Viuda and Freixenet are made method champenois, both have good flavours and
lots of action in the glass. At $14 you can’t go wrong.

Now, if you want the real thing, Moët and Chandon, Mumm, Piper Heidsieck, Veuve Clicquot and Perrier Jouët are all there and yes the extra $50 does make a difference. The wines have full complex flavours, the mousse (the
creamy head) lasts, the bubbles are like small explosions of taste. Each Champagne is different but they are all lovely to sip.

Champagne may be the ultimate, but for most of us it is not an every day wine, so don’t forget that there are lots of sparkling wines that can be served at a casual garden party or with a summer salad. One of the big bonuses of sparkling wine is that it goes with almost any food. So experiment with some sparklers this summer and have some fun.