Sparkling wine

Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it, making it fizzy. The carbon dioxide may result from natural fermentation, either in a bottle, as with the traditional method, in a large tank designed to withstand the pressures involved (as in the Charmat process), or as a result of carbon dioxide injection.

Sparkling wine is usually white or rosé but there are examples of red sparkling wines such as the Italian Brachetto, Australian sparkling Shiraz, and Azerbaijani "Pearl of Azerbaijan" made from Madrasa grapes. The sweetness of sparkling wine can range from very dry "brut" styles to sweeter "doux" varieties.

The classic example of a sparkling wine is champagne, which is exclusively produced in the Champagne region of France. Sparkling wines are also produced in other countries and regions, such as Blanquette de Limoux in Southern France, Espumante in Portugal, Cava in Spain, Franciacorta, Trento DOC, Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico and Asti in Italy (the generic Italian term for sparkling wine being spumante) and Cap Classique in South Africa. Most countries reserve the word "champagne" for only the specific type from the Champagne region of France. The French terms "Mousseux" or "Crémant" are used to refer to sparkling wine not made in the Champagne region. Production in Hungary started early in the 19th century and proved significant in popularising champagne in the Central and Eastern European region. Today, the United States is a significant producer of sparkling wine with producers in numerous states. Recently the United Kingdom, which produced some of the earliest examples of sparkling wine, has started producing sparkling wines again.