Sparkling wine

1. The different production methods

The traditional method

The traditional method consists of creating bubbles in the bottle. It's the result of adding a liqueur de tirage (a mixture of wine + yeast + sugar) to a base wine (dry, still wine) bottled with a temporary cork. The action of the yeast in contact with the sugar in this liqueur creates both alcohol and carbon dioxide.

To evacuate dead yeast at the end of fermentation, bottled wines are stored for varying lengths of time, depending on the region. This deposit is discharged from the bottle (dégorgement), and the addition of liqueur d'expédition determines the wine's sugar content. The wine then receives its final corking.

The ancestral method

This method is similar to the traditional one, but more delicate. The base wine is partially fermented, cooled and bottled. Alcoholic fermentation continues in the bottle, without the addition of tirage liqueur, and produces the carbonic gas for the bubbles.

To evacuate dead yeast at the end of fermentation, bottled wines are stored for varying lengths of time, depending on the region. This deposit is discharged from the bottle (dégorgement). The wine then receives its final corking. Unlike the traditional method, the wines are not dosed: it's the natural sugar content that defines the wine's style.

The closed tank method (or Charmat method)

Unlike ancestral and traditional methods, in which bubbles set in the bottle, with the closed-tank method, bubbles set in the tank.

A liqueur de tirage is added to the base wine in a pressure-resistant tank at a temperature of 20°C. After 10 days' fermentation, the sparkling wine is filtered and returned to the vat with its carbon dioxide before bottling.

2. Grape varieties

Depending on the style of sparkling wine, some grape varieties are more appropriate than others.

For highly aromatic sparkling wines, Muscat is a common choice.

For non-aromatic sparkling wines, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Blanc are often preferred.

3. Sparkling wine-producing regions

The most prestigious sparkling wine-producing region is undoubtedly Champagne.

Its method of production has inspired many wine-producing regions, both in France and abroad: France with Crémants d'Alsace, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Limoux and Loire, Spain with Cava, South Africa with the Cap Classic method,...

Italy, meanwhile, is famous for its Prosecco, produced using the closed-tank method.

4. Some legendary sparkling wines

Cradle of the prestige of effervescence, Champagne is worthily represented by such legendary Houses as Billecart-Salmon, Bollinger, Dom Perignon, Krug, Louis Roederer, Moët & Chandon, Ruinart, Veuve Cliquot...

5. Sparkling wines and their pairings

Sparkling wines are generally associated with festive occasions. Fruit and cream desserts, refined seafood and shellfish dishes, and foie gras all lend themselves well to bubbles.

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Hammeken Cellars - Cava Avent

Cava|Sparkling wine|Organic

"A gold medal-winning Cava with fine bubbles, intense citrus and freshness, absolutely perfect for your aperitifs!"

Notes : Gilbert & Gaillard Gold Medal
"Pale golden yellow, green highlights, fine bubbles. Aromatic nose of dried fruit and citrus (oranges), with a hint of roasting. The palate shows a balanced wine juxtaposing great freshness and spirited fruit, then finishes with a hint of bitterness." (Gilbert & Gaillard 2023)

Champagne Bollinger - Brut Spécial Cuvée avec étui

Champagne|Sparkling wine

4.5/5 (148 reviews)

"Style for this superb champagne, between density and subtlety".

Notes : Jancis Robinson 17/20, James Suckling 93/100, Decanter 91/100, Bettane & Desseauve 92/100, Concours Paris Médaille d'Argent, Jeb Dunnuck 92/100, Robert Parker 92/100, RVF 91/100, Hachette 1*Étoile, Gault & Millau 88/100
"This disgorgement of Spécial cuvée seems to us to revive the energy and length we know, without denying the house style, with that patina and roundness brought by the reserve wines." (Le Guide RVF 2024). A must-have!

Champagne Bollinger - Brut Spécial Cuvée with case

Champagne Bollinger - La Grande Année 2015 - Coffret bois

Champagne|Sparkling wine

"Champagne d'exception, the excellence of a great vintage".

Notes : Jeb Dunnuck 96/100, Robert Parker 95/100, Gault & Millau 94/100, James Suckling 94/100, Hachette 2*Étoiles, RVF 93/100, Jancis Robinson 17+/20
"The house has signed among the greatest 2015s, totally avoiding the vegetal trap of the year. The Grande Année has superb fullness, drive, its usual vinous envelope and great chalky length." (Le Guide RVF 2025)

Champagne Bollinger - La Grande Année 2015 - Wooden case

Champagne Krug - Grande Cuvée 172ème Édition - Coffret luxe

Champagne|Sparkling wine

"The most generous expression of champagne, an exceptional cuvée made from a blend of 146 wines from 11 different years".

Notes : Bettane & Desseauve 99/100, RVF 98/100, James Suckling 97/100, Jancis Robinson 18,5/20, Wine Enthusiast 98/100, Decanter 96/100, Robert Parker 95/100
"Grande cuvée 172ème édition is an immense Krug. Built around the very fine year 2016, with 146 wines from 11 different vintages (dating back to 1998), it displays notes of fresh almonds and white flowers, with a chiseled, complex, very long and salivating palate. The mousse is fluffy, and it has that controlled power that coats the palate. It's already superb, and will benefit from a more patient patina in bottle". (Le Guide RVF 2025).

Champagne Krug - Grande Cuvée 172nd Edition - Luxury gift box

Champagne Chassenay d'Arce - Rosé Brut Expression

Champagne|Sparkling wine

"A gourmet cuvée, sublimated by a hint of violet candy, a childhood memory!"

Notes: James Suckling 90/100
"A juicy, fruity brut rosé, with notes of berries, frozen raspberries and marshmallow. It's supple and cheerful, with lots of fruity character and a fresh finish. Drink now." (James Suckling 2024).

Champagne Chassenay d'Arce - Rosé Brut Expression

Champagne De Sousa - Grand Cru Extra Brut Cuvée 3A

Champagne Grand Cru|Sparkling wine|Organic

4/5 (7 reviews)

"A superbly balanced champagne, an exceptional cuvée for discerning connoisseurs".

Notes : Bettane & Desseauve 96/100, James Suckling 94/100, Gault & Millau 94/100, RVF 92/100, Jeb Dunnuck 92/100
"A cuvée that perfectly combines three fine terroirs and two grape varieties. Textured and ample on the palate, with hints of citrus, melilot, fruit compote and apples à grenier on the finish - it's delicious! The bubbles are slender, and the perfectly-adjusted dosage brings that hint of gourmandise we love." (Le Guide Gault & Millau).

Champagne De Sousa - Grand Cru Extra Brut Cuvée 3A

Champagne De Sousa - Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Réserve

Champagne Grand Cru|Sparkling wine|Organic

"Champagne for special occasions, which will delight Blanc de Blancs lovers".

Notes : Gault & Millau 93/100, RVF 92/100, Jeb Dunnuck 91/100
This Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Réserve will seduce you with its freshness, elegant finesse and pure minerality. The powerful nose expresses floral notes, eucalyptus, dried fruit and fresh roasted coffee. A round mouthfeel with honeyed notes and a pleasant freshness will seduce your palate. Limited quantities available!

Champagne De Sousa - Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut Réserve

Champagne De Sousa - Brut Tradition

Champagne|Sparkling wine|Organic

3.9/5 (19 reviews)

"A well-structured Champagne that will be the perfect accompaniment to your festive meals!

Notes: Gault & Millau 95/100, Bettane & Desseauve 92/100
"Cooked fruits (peach, apricot, pear) bring their slightly sweet sweetness, while more toasty notes give density in the second. Freshness asserts itself on the palate with sparkling substance. The bubbles support a very round, greedy, unctuous texture. The finish is long and persistent, with a lovely freshness and salivating bitters". (Le Guide Gault & Millau).

Chandon - Garden Spritz

Mousseux|Sparkling wine

"A tasting experience that redefines the world of spritz, to be discovered without delay for all your festive moments!"

Garden Spritz is a gourmet bubble with a perfect balance between sweetness and bitterness. It's made from the Argentine sparkling wine Chandon Brut (voted best wine in its category in 2020 at the Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships), blended with a unique macerate of natural orange peel extract, and an undisclosed blend of herbs and spices. Dare to bring originality from elsewhere to your aperitifs!

Moët & Chandon Champagne Grand Vintage 2016

Champagne|Sparkling wine

"Each Grand Vintage is unique, the expression of an awakening, a luminous dawn characterized by the first light of day.

Notes : Hachette 1*Star, Bettane & Desseauve 94/100, Jeb Dunnuck 93/100, Robert Parker 91/100, Vinous 93/100, RVF 90/100, Jancis Robinson 16/20
The Grand Vintage 2016 exudes a radiant, peaceful sensation. A remarkable Champagne embodying a bouncy vintage, it is endowed with great complexity and superb ripeness.

Moët & Chandon Champagne Grand Vintage 2016

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