Sparkling wines

Cava, champagne, corpinnat, prosecco & other sparkling wines.

Sparkling wine is any wine with carbon dioxide dissolved in it, whether it is caused by a second fermentation in the bottle, as with cava, crémant and champagne; in a second tank, like with prosecco; or by partial fermentation in the tank and partial fermentation in the bottle like those made following the ancient method. The best known sparkling wines in the world are champagne, sparkling wines made in the French region of Champagne. However, high-quality sparkling wines are also now produced in many other regions. In Spain, for example, the best known are those from the Cava Denomination of Origin, a label that protects a production method more than a production area.

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Raventós i Blanc de Nit 2020

A toast with freshness, character and complexity

Spain   VT Conca del Riu Anoia (Catalonia)

Raventós i Blanc de Nit 2020
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92+
Parker
Biodynamic
6x
Save £4.50
£21.12
unit
Price
£21.87
Duty paid
  • New

Rigol Brut

A classic, pleasant and very balanced cava

Spain   D.O. Cava (Catalonia)

Rigol Brut
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Price
£7.92
Duty paid
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Raventós i Blanc Blanc de Blancs 2020

A delicious mineral sparkling wine

Spain   VT Conca del Riu Anoia (Catalonia)

Raventós i Blanc Blanc de...
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92
Parker
Biodynamic
6x
Save £3.72
£17.71
unit
Price
£18.33
Duty paid
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Freixenet Ice

The perfect mixer to drink on the rocks

Spain   D.O. Cava (Catalonia)

Freixenet Ice
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87
Peñín
Price
£11.56
Duty paid
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Vía de la Plata Brut Nature

An Extremadura cava with floral intensity

Spain   D.O. Cava (Estremadura)

Vía de la Plata Brut Nature
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£9.39
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Segura Viudas Semi Seco

A harmonious cava that goes perfectly with desserts

Spain   D.O. Cava (Catalonia)

Segura Viudas Semi Seco
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£9.87
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Castillo Perelada Brut Reserva

An elegant and versatile Brut Reserva cava

Spain   D.O. Cava (Catalonia)

Castillo Perelada Brut Reserva
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87
Decántalo
86
Parker
85
Wine spectator
Price
£9.43
Duty paid
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Laherte Frères Rosé de Meunier

A fresh, complex and very aromatic sparkling wine

France   Champagne (Champagne)

Laherte Frères Rosé de Meunier
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90
Parker
Organic
Biodynamic
6x
Save £8.22
£46.84
unit
Price
£48.21
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Juvé y Camps Essential 2017

Fresh and creamy essence of Penedès

Spain   D.O. Cava (Catalonia)

Juvé y Camps Essential 2017
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90
Peñín
6x
Save £3.72
£17.66
unit
Price
£18.28
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Finca Valldosera Gran Reserva Brut Nature

A dry, fresh and elegant Gran Reserva

Spain   D.O. Cava (Catalonia)

Finca Valldosera Gran...
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90
Peñín
91
Parker
6x
Save £3.18
£15.85
unit
Price
£16.38
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Picchioni Da Cima a Fondo Frizzante 2020

The essence of a high altitude vineyard

Italy   DOC Oltrepò Pavese (Lombardia)

Picchioni Da Cima a Fondo...
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Organic
Vegan
Natural
6x
Save £3.42
£16.56
unit
Price
£17.13
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Anna de Codorniu Brut Nature

A lively, balanced and very versatile cava

Spain   D.O. Cava (Catalonia)

Anna de Codorniu Brut Nature
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£11.92
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Mariotti Surliè

A refreshing pét-nat from Italy

Italy   IGT Emilia (Emilia-Romagna)

Mariotti Surliè
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Vegan
Natural
Price
£12.54
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Veuve Clicquot Vintage 2012

Fruit of 21 "Grand Cru" and "1er Cru"

France   Champagne (Champagne)

Veuve Clicquot Vintage 2012
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92
Wine spectator
Price
£65.52
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Loxarel Ancestral A Pèl 2021

Spain   D.O. Penedès (Catalonia)

Loxarel Ancestral A Pèl 2021
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Biodynamic
6x
Save £3.72
£17.49
unit
Price
£18.11
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Parés Baltà Brut Nature

Spain   D.O. Cava (Catalonia)

Parés Baltà Brut Nature
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90
Decántalo
Organic
Vegan
Price
£15.05
Duty paid
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A short history of sparkling wine

Sparkling wines date back to the 17th century, when in the Champagne region, in the north of France, they started bottling the wine shortly before fermentation had finished to preserve its freshest and cleanest aromas. However, this early bottling caused fermentation to continue in the bottle and some of the carbon from fermentation remained in the wine. Many producers called this type of wine the devil's wine or cork-buster, because many of the bottles were destroyed through the pressure exerted by the gas. It was not until a few years later that the famous monk Dom Pérignon found certain ways to control this pressure: using a conical cork and holding it in place with a metal clip, using thicker glass for the bottle to stop it exploding with the pressure of the gas... Currently, sparkling wines made following the ancient method are reviving this production technique.

Sparkling wine has been associated with celebrations for many years now. It is common to break a bottle of champagne on the hull of a ship when it is launched into the sea from the shipyard. In many sports, especially motor sports, winners and those on the podium tend to spray themselves, the audience or their team with sparkling wine. However, when opening a bottle of sparkling wine, shaking the bottle and trying to make the cork pop is not a good idea, because this loses a lot of the wine and carbon dioxide. It is better to uncork by rotating the cork little by little so that as little gas as possible is lost.

Sparkling wine classification

Broadly speaking, sparkling wine can be classified by production method:

Made with the champenoise or traditional method: the method that results in the highest quality. This involves a first fermentation in the tank and a second in the bottle, giving a small integrated bubble. The longer it ages stacked (on the second fermentation sediments), the creamier the wine and the more integrated the bubble will be.

Reviving the ancient method: there are now some producers looking to recover the ancient way of making sparkling wines. This involves carrying out part of the fermentation in the tank and finishing it in the bottle to preserve part of the carbon dioxide it generates.

The Charmat or Granvas method: this also involves double fermentation, but the second fermentation takes place in tanks. With this method, the bubble is not as integrated.

And gasifying: adding carbon dioxide artificially, like when making carbonated soft drinks. Using this method, the bubbles are larger and less integrated than they are with the other methods.

They can also be classified by the residual sugar they contain: dry, off-dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet or sweet.

Sparkling wine pairing

In general, sparkling wines should be enjoyed cool, at around 5-8 ºC. A narrow glass should be used, otherwise the aromas and bubbles might be lost quickly and the wine would heat up more easily.

Sparkling wines have been associated with celebration through various marketing campaigns. However, by their nature, these wines go very well with many dishes and to save them just for special occasions misses some of their potential. For example, because they can contain different levels of residual sugar, they can be enjoyed with anything from a good meal, as an aperitif or with dessert. Dry wines or those with less residual sugars are the perfect accompaniment for starters or main courses, whether it is pasta, rice, fish or seafood. Its good acidity and bubbles perfectly cleanse the palate and the aromas will not dominate. The sweetest wines, on the other hand, are best saved for dessert.

What about you? Do you save sparkling wines for special occasions or do you enjoy them with food?