Romeo and Julliet Act 2 Scene 2
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose,
by any other word would smell as sweet.
We can all agree that Shakespeare got it right when he was talking about roses – but do all sparkling wines smell (and taste) the same, no matter what you call them?
In a nutshell: no.
Let’s talk about the two main categories of sparkling wines. The most sophisticated, elegant version would be (no surprise) Champagne. However, let’s keep in mind that what we call “Champagne” is classified as a protected trademark name for the sparkling wine made in the Champagne region of France. The process of making that wine— “méthode traditionelle” or “méthode champagnoise”, is used all over the world.
In German it is “sekt” (sparkling) Champagner-Methode, in Italy it’s “spumante” (sparkling) metodo classico, in Spain método champagne, in Japanese shanpan seihō- and if made in France but outside the Champagne region – crémant.
So, if we call these wines champagne, crémant, sekt, spumante, cava, shanpan – Do they smell the same, taste the same? Definitely not, as regional terroirs and the grape varieties used play a crucial role, but there are some basic similarities.
What gives this wine its signature characteristics is a second fermentation in the bottle, and an extended period of resting (aging) on the lees. Generally, wines made this way have a bread-like aroma, are structured, complex, with fine bubbles that create small, persistent chains.
The multi-phase, time consuming process plus the need for cellar space are just two of the contributing factors to the higher costs of this sparkling wine.
A second category of sparkling wine is the Charmat method, or in Italy the Martinotti method.
Here the second fermentation takes place in steel tanks or vats, called autoclaves, at constant temperature and pressure for shorter periods compared to the traditional method, typically from one to six months. With this method, the wines have more immediate flavors and aromas; the characteristic bread aroma found in the traditional method is absent, and the wines are fruitier, often with a more pronounced aroma of fresh fruit. Their bubbles are generally a bit larger and slightly less persistent.
The production process requires fewer steps and takes up less cellar space. This means these wines will be less expensive than their more sophisticated cousins!
Examples: Italy’s renowned Prosecco, Granvás in Spain, and Germany still uses sekt but will specify on the bottle which method was used, clearly letting you know what you are buying.
There are other ways to make sparkling wines – and in a future Did You Know we’ll be telling you about the fascinating méthode ancienne, (also referred to as méthode ancestrale), which pre-dates the traditional method by several hundred years. More about that later!
Question answered— and now you know!
