Lesson 7 of 9 · 5 minutes

  1. 1. What makes wine sparkle
  2. 2. The life of a bubble
  3. 3. Five ways to make bubbles
  4. 4. The traditional method step by step
  5. 5. Grapes and the blend
  6. 6. Sugar and dosage
  7. 7. Where it sparkles
  8. 8. Reading the label
  9. 9. Serving

Where it sparkles

After this lesson you will be able to place the best-known sparkling wines on a map and say where their second fermentation happens: in the bottle, in a tank, or either.

  1. 01

    One question for every region

    The map marks sparkling wine places in Europe, Russia, Africa, Australia and the Americas. For each one, ask where the second fermentation happens. In the bottle, it is the traditional method: in the EU that term needs a second fermentation in the bottle and at least 9 months on the lees.1 In a closed pressure tank, it is the tank method.

  2. 02

    France: Champagne and the Crémants

    Champagne is made by second fermentation in the bottle within a delimited area of north-eastern France.2 The EU term Crémant is only for white or rosé quality sparkling wine that meets the traditional-method conditions.1 On the map: Crémant d'Alsace, Crémant de Bourgogne and Crémant de Loire, each with at least 9 months on the lees.3,4,5

  3. 03

    Spain, Italy and England

    Cava, made mainly in Catalonia, uses the traditional method.6 In northern Italy, Franciacorta in the province of Brescia is fermented in the bottle and disgorged,7 and so is Trento DOC from the province of Trento.8 English Quality Sparkling Wine is a PDO for traditional-method wine with at least 9 months on the lees.9

  4. 04

    Far from Europe

    In South Africa, Cap Classique has been the name for sparkling wine fermented a second time in the bottle since 1992.10,11 In Tasmania, sparkling wine was 41% of all wine from the 2026 vintage,12 made from Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Meunier.13 California's Anderson Valley is home to Roederer Estate, owned by Champagne Louis Roederer.14

  5. 05

    Italy's tank wines

    Prosecco is made from at least 85% Glera, and its spumante gets the second fermentation in a pressure tank called an autoclave.15 Asti spumante ferments only once, in a closed tank, and the fermentation is stopped while sugar remains.16 Lambrusco di Sorbara may referment in an autoclave or in the bottle.17

  6. 06

    Places with more than one method

    Around Limoux, Blanquette de Limoux has a second fermentation in the bottle, while méthode ancestrale wine ferments once and finishes in the bottle.18,19 German Sekt rules set minimums for both bottle and tank fermentation.20 Russian law allows primary or secondary fermentation but keeps "российское шампанское" for a second fermentation in the bottle it is sold in.21

Remember

  1. Champagne, the Crémants, Cava, Franciacorta, Trento, the English PDO and Cap Classique use a second fermentation in the bottle.
  2. Prosecco spumante gets its second fermentation in an autoclave; Asti spumante ferments once in a closed tank.
  3. Lambrusco di Sorbara may referment in an autoclave or in the bottle.
  4. Limoux, German Sekt and Russian law allow more than one method.

Check yourself

1Which of these wines gets its second fermentation in a tank?

2What does the word Crémant on an EU label tell you?

3Why is Limoux among the places with several methods?

See also

WorldRegionsTraditional methodMethodsTank methodMethodsAncestral methodMethodsChampagneRegionsProsecco DOCRegions

Sources

  1. EUR-Lex. Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33 (consolidated text), Articles 47, 48, 49, 53, 54 and Annex III Part A (2023-12-08)
  2. Cahier des charges de l'AOP « Champagne » - modifications approved by the INAO national committee on 11 September 2024 (national opposition procedure text) (2024-09-11)
  3. INAO. Cahier des charges AOC « Crémant d'Alsace » - draft modification after national committee opinion of 11-12 June 2025 (base text last amended by arrêté of 26 May 2025) (2025-06-12)
  4. Ministère de l'Agriculture (BO-Agri). Cahier des charges AOC « Crémant de Bourgogne » (arrêté du 20 Nov 2018, JORF 30 Nov 2018), Bulletin officiel du ministère de l'agriculture (2018-11-20)
  5. INAO. Cahier des charges AOC « Crémant de Loire » - draft modification after national committee opinion of 6 September 2018 (2018-09-06)
  6. Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación (MAPA). Pliego de condiciones DOP Cava
  7. AIS (reproduction of MASAF disciplinare). Disciplinare di produzione DOCG Franciacorta (last mod. DM 07.05.2024, GU 114 17.05.2024) (2024-05-07)
  8. Camera di Commercio di Trento (control body). Disciplinare di produzione DOC Trento (last amended 30.11.2011) (2011-11-30)
  9. Defra. English Wine PDO specification (December 2011), Part 2 Quality Sparkling Wine (2011-12)
  10. Cap Classique Producers Association home page
  11. Cap Classique Producers Association. Cap Classique 50 year celebration: About (2021)
  12. Wine Tasmania. Vintage 2026 report (2026)
  13. Wine Tasmania. Vintage 2024 report (2024)
  14. Roederer Estate (official site). About
  15. AIS (reproduction of MASAF disciplinare). Disciplinare di produzione DOC Prosecco (consolidated text, last mod. DM 19.06.2023, GURI n.148 27.06.2023) (2023-06-19)
  16. Regione Piemonte. Disciplinare di produzione DOCG Asti (2025-01)
  17. EUR-Lex. Communication of approval of a standard amendment to the product specification 'Lambrusco di Sorbara' (PDO-IT-A0332-AM03), OJ C/2025/1947 (2025-03-28)
  18. INAO. Fiche produit AOP Limoux (blanc)
  19. INAO. Fiche produit AOP Limoux (méthode ancestrale)
  20. Regierungspräsidium Darmstadt, Dezernat Weinbau. Info-Blatt Sekt (Stand 01.12.2022) (2022-12-01)
  21. zakonrf.info (reproduction of law text). Federal Law No. 468-FZ, Article 3 (consolidated, ред. от 29.12.2025) (2025-12-29)

Facts checked on 2026-10-20