sparkling wine

English · EU wine category 4

In EU law, sparkling wine (category 4) has at least 3 bar of excess pressure at 20 °C in closed containers, and its cuvée has a total alcoholic strength of at least 8.5% vol.1

This is the base EU sparkling category. Its carbon dioxide must come only from first or second alcoholic fermentation.2 Above it sits quality sparkling wine with at least 3.5 bar, and beside it quality aromatic sparkling wine.1 If the CO2 is wholly or partly added, the wine is aerated sparkling wine instead.1 Total SO2 for this category may reach 235 mg/L.3 The OIV uses a different threshold, see sparkling wine (OIV). All categories: EU categories.

See also

EU categories of sparkling wineMethodsquality sparkling wineGlossarybarGlossaryCO2 and pressure in the bottleScience

Sources

  1. legislation.gov.uk (copy of EU OJ text). Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, Annex VII Part II (categories of grapevine products), original version as adopted (2013-12-17)
  2. legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives). Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, Annex VII Part II (categories of grapevine products), as reproduced on legislation.gov.uk (2013-12-17)
  3. EUR-Lex. Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/934 (oenological practices), Articles 7-8 and Annex I (2019-03-12)

Facts checked on 2026-10-19