A Guide To Sparkling White Wine

There is much controversy amongst wine lovers about sparkling white wine. The snobbish element looks upon sparking white wine as the poor cousin of Champagne. This is where they are wrong. Only sparkling wines made in the Champagne region of France and made according to the Dom Perignon method is called Champagne. This by no means mean that sparkling white wine made in all the other regions on earth is therefore automatically of a poorer quality. The birth of sparkling wine comes from the 17th century.

The vintners had huge problems with re-fermentation that happened during that period. Basically, once wine was bottled, there were always sugars that had not turned into alcohol. During the warmer spring time the yeast would reactivate and start the fermenting process again. Thus they often ended up with bottles exploding and corks shooting out due to the carbon dioxide that built up inside the bottles.

It is this process that is used today of trapping the carbon dioxide inside the bottles during the secondary fermentation phase that gives us sparkling white wine. Today we associate the popping corks of sparkling white wine with celebrations and happiness. Thus a problem that had 17th century wine makers climbing the walls in frustration resulted in the ultimate symbol of celebration.

All About Sparkling White Wine

Today sparking wines are produced either through the formation of carbon dioxide due to natural fermentation, or by artificially introducing carbon dioxide into the wine by bubbling it through the liquid. This man-made option does not produce the high quality of the naturally fermented sparkling white wine. Thus always read the label to see which process had been used when you purchase sparkling wines. Sparkling white wine is interesting for other reasons besides being a great tasting wine.

The carbon dioxide adds a special flavor to the sparkling white wine that is difficult to describe. Serious wine drinkers prefer the more refreshing and lighter taste of sparkling white wine. Wine connoisseurs regularly attend wine tasting events to find out what is new, how wines have matured and just to experience and taste some really excellent wines.

The good news for the weight conscious people is that sparkling white wine is lower in calories that other types of wines. Sparkling white wine is often preferred by those who are not used to drinking wine because it has lower alcohol content. This makes it a good wine to serve to guests that must drive home afterwards as well.