BETWEEN THE BUBBLES

With bubbles season upon us, it’s high time for a crash course on all things sparkling. Christine Ricketts, cellar director at wine retailer Cellarmasters, breaks down the different varieties so you know what you’re getting the next time you order a glass of sparkling. You’re welcome!

PROSECCO

The national sparkling of Italy. Lighter and more fruit-forward than champagne, with lovely apple and pear flavours. Some exceptional proseccos are also being made by Aussie winemakers, mainly with grapes from Victoria’s King Valley or the Alpine Valleys.

CAVA

Spanish sparkling wine, produced across the country from varied grapes and in varied styles. Cava is similar to champagne in both production and flavour; it’s quite dry and has biscuity flavours, and although it is arguably less complex than champagne, it’s much more affordable.

AUSTRALIAN SPARKLING WINE

Comes in a wide spectrum and ranges from sweet to dry, affordable to premium. If in doubt, choose a sparkling wine from a cool climate like Tasmania, Yarra Valley or Alpine Valleys. Tasmania is fast becoming the most recognised region for premium Australian sparkling wines due to its super cool climate – similar to that of the Champagne region in France – which is so important when making top-notch bubbles.

CHAMPAGNE

Although there are several different styles of champagne, it tends to be quite dry, with biscuity, toasty flavours. Champagne is named after the French region in which it’s made and only wine that has been made in that region by the ‘methode champenoise’ can be called champagne. If you want a sweeter style of champagne, look for a demi-sec or doux.

VINTAGE CHAMPAGNE

Vintage refers to the year the grapes were harvested, and vintage champagne means the grapes come from a specific year. Only quality years are called vintage, so this makes for a very small percentage of champagne. Non-vintage (NV) champagne is the most common style, and contains grapes which are from different years’ harvest. NV champagne is kept on lees (that is, fermented in the same bottle it is sold in) for at least 15 months, whereas vintage champagne has to be kept in lees for at least three years.

CHAMPAGNE ROSÉ

Champagne rosé has had red wine juice bled back into the base wine to add colour, flavour and structure. It’s often a higher price than standard champagnes due to lower production and difficulty of production.

$40 2016 Logan Vintage‘M’Cuvée loganwines.com.au Be ahead of the trend with this cava. Ripe fruit flavours with hints of nuts and a good balance. $20 Perelada Stars Organic Cava 2017 cellarmasters.com.au A pretty rose gold in colour. This vintage is dry and crisp on the palate. Perfection in a bottle.

$29.99 Grant Burge NV Pinot Noir Chardonnay Rosé Select retailers Rich, refined and complex, this is blushing pink in colour with a generous palate. Until Dec. 3, if you buy a bottle of participating Grant Burge wine you will have the opportunity to gift a second bottle to someone special. For more info & T&Cs, please visit giftaburge.com.au

One of my all time faves. According to wine retailer BWS, Veuve is one of its top-selling champagnes in 2019. $69 Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label Champagne bws.com.au

This prosecco from Seppelt is a zesty, citrussy sparkling white wine with hints of pear and green apple. $16 Seppelt The Great Entertainer Prosecco Available nationwide