Sparkling Wine

The Best Sparkling Wine From Around the World

Don’t be afraid to look beyond Champagne — there are plenty of regions around the world that make incredible sparkling wines.

By 

Kristen Shirley

 |  August 30, 2024

When it comes to sparkling wine, Champagne might get all the attention, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore other styles of sparkling wine. In fact, many producers use the same methods and grapes that they use in Champagnes. The best sparkling wines from around the world are delicious and suit different tastes.

While Champagne’s terroir and climate produce a wine that can’t be perfectly re-created, world-class producers from the U.S., Australia, Spain, South Africa, France, Italy, and Germany create fabulous sparkling wine using the traditional method pioneered in Champagne, France. The main styles of traditional-method sparkling wine include brut, rosé, demi-sec, Blanc de Blancs, and Blanc de Noirs. They can be nonvintage or vintage. 

In addition, there are several other types of sparkling wine that use different production techniques — and, thus, have different tastes. These include Cava, Prosecco, Asti, and Lambrusco, a sparkling red wine. 

While few of these sparkling wines can match the elegance and complexity of the best Champagne brands, I’d rather drink many of them than a mass-produced nonvintage Champagne, which can be somewhat uninspired. Discover the best sparkling wines in the world here.

The Best Sparkling Wine From Around the World

The Different Production Methods for Sparkling Wine

There are five main ways to produce sparkling wine: the traditional method, the transfer method, the tank method, carbonation, and the Asti method. Carbonation — injecting a still wine with carbon dioxide to produce bubbles — is used only in inexpensive wines, so we do not cover that here. 

The Traditional Method

Only sparkling wine produced in the Champagne region of France using the Méthode Champenoise (traditional method) can be called Champagne. This means the wine undergoes a secondary alcoholic fermentation in the bottle in which it is sold, which gives the wine its sparkle. The best sparkling wines use the traditional method. 

The traditional method originated in Champagne. There are seven grape varieties allowed in Champagne. The main varieties are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier, but Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Gris are permitted too. First, the grapes undergo an intial alcoholic fermentation to create a neutral base wine with high levels of acidity. Next, winemakers blend the wine to create their house style. After the blending process, they bottle the wine with a mixture of sugar, yeast, and yeast nutrients called the liqueur de tirage and seal it with a crown cap (like a beer bottle). This makes the wine undergo a second alcoholic fermentation. But this time, the carbon dioxide produced during the fermentation process can’t escape the sealed bottle, and, therefore, it dissolves back into the wine. This is what creates the sparkle in sparkling wine. 

After the fermentation finishes, the yeast dies and falls to the bottom of the bottle. This sediment is called the lees. If a wine ages on the lees, it absorbs some of the characteristics of the yeast, called autolytic character. As a result, the wine has notes of brioche, pastry, bread, and yeast. Champagne is renowned for its combination of fresh fruit and these flavors. After the wine ages on the lees, it is disgorged, which removes the dead yeast from the bottle. Finally, winemakers top the sparkling wine up with the dosage, a mixture of wine and sugar to balance the acidity, and then they bottle it for sale. You can read more about the traditional method in our guide to Champagne and sparkling wine. 

If you’re enjoying one of these sparkling wines, we recommend you use one of the best glasses for Champagne. The shape preserves bubbles and allows you to smell more of the aromas. 

The Tank Method

The tank method, also known as the Charmat method, is a popular, less expensive way of making sparkling wine. Winemakers do the first and second alcoholic fermentation in the same tank, then bottle the sparkling wine under pressure. The wine does not have an opportunity to rest on the lees, so tank-method sparkling wines do not have the autolytic character that comes from the traditional method. These wines can be fresh and fruity, like Prosecco, or they can highlight the aromatic notes of the grape, like Riesling in German Sekt. Tank-method sparkling wines do not have the same level of prestige as traditional-method sparkling wines. 

The Transfer Method

The transfer method is a blend of the traditional and tank methods. Winemakers use the same techniques as the traditional method until disgorgement. They disgorge bottles into a tank under pressure, filter the sparkling wine, add the dosage, then bottle it in a fresh bottle. These labels often say “bottle fermented.” 

The United States: Sparkling Wine

The California coast has the perfect terroir and cooler climate for producing some of the best sparkling wines in the world. Many of Champagne’s top producers flocked to the region in recent decades to open their own California outposts, including Roederer Estate and Chandon. Of course, some of California’s best wineries produce wonderful sparkling wines, too. Other pockets of the country, including Oregon, Washington, and the North Fork in Long Island, New York, also make high-quality sparkling wines. 

Joseph Phelps’ Ovation is a vintage sparkling wine produced in the traditional method. It ages the wine on the lees for five years, which gives it a richness and complexity in the nose that California sparkling wines sometimes miss. 

Schramsberg Vineyards produces some of the top sparkling wines in the U.S. At a recent blind tasting I participated in with some of the top sommeliers in New York City, many thought Schramsberg was actually Champagne. It produces brut, Blanc de Blancs, rosé, Blanc de Noirs, and demi-sec sparkling wines. 

Frank Family Vineyards specializes in sparkling wines, producing Blanc de Blancs, brut rosé wines, and even sparkling red wines. The Lady Edythe Reserve Brut is its prestige cuvée. It spent six years on the lees, with another six months post disgorgement. The Chardonnay-driven blend is powerful and fresh. 

Jean-Claude Rouzaud, the former president of Champagne Louis Roederer, founded Roederer Estate in Anderson Valley, California. It owns all of its vineyards and creates stunning estate sparkling wines, both non-vintage and vintage. Roederer only produces its top cuvée, L’Ermitage, in the best years from the best grapes. It is well worth seeking out. 

Of course, there are plenty of more affordable bubbles from California. These are perfect for casual weeknight dinners, mimosas, or a party. We recommend Chandon, which is nicely balanced and has a touch of pastry on the nose. 

France: Crémant and Vouvray

Crémant

Champagne isn’t the only region in France for sparkling wine. Many French wine regions produce Crémant, a traditional-method sparkling wine that ages on the lees for at least nine months. Each region adds its name to Crémant, so you’ll see labels such as Crémant de Bourgogne and Crémant de Loire at stores. Many producers have long histories of producing crémant, including Langlois-Chateau, which has a wide range of Crémants de Loire. Winemakers typically use the regional grapes, so knowing where the Crémant comes from is important, as they vary greatly in style. 

Vouvray

Winemakers produce Vouvray, a sparkling wine from Chenin Blanc, in the Loire Valley. It doesn’t have as much autolytic character as a sparkling wine made from typical Champagne grapes, but it can still have toasty notes. It is also produced using the traditional method and spends a minimum of nine months on the lees. 

Italy: Prosecco, Metodo Classico, Franciacorta, Asti, and Lambrusco

While Italy may be synonymous with Prosecco, it also has some top regions where producers create traditional-method sparkling wine, including Metodo Classico and Franciacorta wines. Prosecco sometimes gets a bad rap for being too sweet and simple, but there are some great examples out there. In addition, Italy produces two other types of sparkling wine: Asti and Lambrusco. 

Prosecco

First, let’s look at Prosecco. Prosecco is made in fresh fruity styles intended for early consumption and does not use the traditional method. This means that it doesn’t have the strong autolytic characteristics of Champagne. Many people prefer fruiter, more simple wines and love Prosecco for its purer fruit flavors. Mionetto is a large Prosecco producer. It has some very inexpensive bottles, but also the more complex Prosecco Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze DOCG Dry. The classification “dry” is a bit misleading in wine. Here, dry is actually sweeter than brut wines and has noticeable levels of residual sugar. This wine is subtly sweet and nicely balanced. There are some brut style Proseccos available, if you prefer an actually dry wine. Prosecco cocktails, especially spritzes, are very popular in Italy and around the world. 

Metodo Classico

Trento DOC, also called Trentodoc, is a region in Northern Italy that specializes in traditional-method sparkling wine. Here, it’s called Metodo Classico. One of the first producers here was Ferrari winery, which Giulio Ferrari started in 1902 with the goal of creating sparkling wines that rivaled the finest Champagnes. It produces a variety of sparkling wines today ranging from classic brut and rosé all the way up to reserve vintages in the Giulio Ferrari Collezione. 

Franciacorta

Franciacorta is another fabulous Italian sparkling wine, named after its region in Italy. It uses the Metodo Classico with Chardonnay and Pinot Nero grapes. The warmer climate in Franciacorta produces a fruitier, less acidic wine than Champagne. This appeals to people for whom Champagne is too bracing and tart but who still enjoy its complexity. Nonvintage Franciacorta is the lightest and freshest, while vintage and riserva bottlings have more complexity. 

Asti

Asti is a sweet, low-alcohol sparkling wine from Piedmont in northwest Italy. Experts appreciate higher-quality Asti sparkling wines for the stone fruit and floral notes, but many people find Asti to be too sweet. People who love sweet wines and find Champagne to be too acidic tend to enjoy Asti. Asti has its own production method, called the Asti method. 

Lambrusco

Not all sparkling wines are white or rosé; there are, in fact, some red sparkling wines. The best known is Lambrusco, a red sparkling wine from Emilia-Romagna in northeast Italy. This food-friendly wine comes in dry and sweet styles, and it typically has notes of red fruit, including watermelon, strawberry, raspberry, and cherry. Since Lambrusco varies so widely in style, it’s important to do research on a producer or ask for help from a sommelier before purchasing. Avaline, an organic, clean wine brand from Cameron Diaz and Katherine Power, recently debuted its first Lambrusco, an undeniable sign that this sparkling red wine is becoming more popular. 

Spain: Cava and Corpinnat

Cava

Cava is Spain’s answer to Champagne, and is also a protected designation of origin, called the Cava DO. Similar to Champagne, Cava is produced in the traditional method and aged for a minimum of nine months on the lees. Some top producers age for much longer. You’ll notice more of the autolytic character in Cava than in Prosecco, and Cava is typically a brut style. Cava ranges from very inexpensive bottles to the prestigious Cava Paraje Calificado DO, composed of single-estate Cava. The three primary grape varieties in Cava are Macabeo, Xarel-lo, and Parellada.

Kripta Brut Nature Cava Gran Reserva takes it to the next level. Brut Nature sparkling wines don’t use any dosage, an addition that sweetens the wine, so all sugar is naturally occurring. The wine spends four years on the lees, so it has plenty of yeasty notes, but it still keeps the fresh fruit Cava is known for. 

Juvé & Camps is another wonderful producer. It’s best known for its Reserva de la Familia Cava Gran Reserva Brut Nature. This Cava spends three years on the lees and has a pale gold hue, rich notes of white fruit and toasted bread, and a long, elegant finish. 

Corpinnat

Corpinnat is a Spanish sparkling wine made from 100% organic, sustainable vineyards in Penedès. This consortium left the Cava DO to focus exclusively on premium sparkling wines. Winemakers vinify their wines on the estate and age the wine for a minimum of 18 months. 

South Africa: Cap Classique

South Africa makes plenty of sparkling wine in the traditional method. These wines earn the designation Méthode Cap Classique, or MCC for short. They are high-quality wines yet tend to be rather inexpensive. I’ve heard them described as Champagne quality at Prosecco prices. One of the better-known South African sparkling wines is Graham Beck, which earned the seal of approval of both Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama, who marked important occasions with the bubbly. 

Germany: Sekt

This German sparkling wine is so popular in its home country that very little is exported. Most Sekt is inexpensive sparkling wine from Riesling produced with the tank method. The tank method preserves the aromatic notes in Riesling, including green apple. But there are some premium Deutscher Sekts made in the traditional method from single vineyards. These are excellent, but difficult to find. 

England: Sparkling Wine

Wine from England? Don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it. As average temperatures rise globally, the current climate in Britain is closer to historical averages in Champagnes. Recent harvests in Champagne have been significantly early due to rising temperatures, so the wine could become richer and more opulent over time. England’s cooler weather and similar chalky soil ripen the grapes more slowly, so they can achieve full ripeness without losing acidity. 

Nyetimber is the top English sparkling wine producer. It uses estate-grown grapes and the traditional method to produce several types of sparkling wine. Nyetimber makes brut, rosé, Blanc de Blancs, and demi-sec, as well as vintage sparkling wines and the single-vineyard Tillington cuvée. It’s also the official sparkling wine of Team GB, the British Olympic team. 

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