Wisconsin Sparkling Wine Gives New Meaning to Festive

Festive occasions frequently call for Champagne. You see Champagne at many celebrations, from elite high society gatherings to “Hey, we just won the World Series” soakings. Champagne seems a favorite go-to beverage of practically everyone. Well, that’s not exactly true. You see, sparkling wine is just that, unless it comes from champagne grapes and fermenting in the Champagne region of France. No Wisconsin winery will serve you Champagne (or even call it that) unless the wine meets those stringent requirements.

Who Wants Champagne Restrictions?

Champagne only comes from France, using those specific champagne grapes. Everything else (under threat of prosecution) is sparkling wine. This does not make sparkling wine a poor alternative. It might be an advantage.

Choose Uniquely Wisconsin Sparkling Wine Instead

Casting aside the rigid requirements of the Old World (just kidding), several Wisconsin wineries choose to march to a slightly different drum. Some certainly offer a “Champagne-style” sparkling wine for those who want to flirt with a walk on the wild side while maintaining the decorum of civilized wine drinkers who like being associated with a Champagne beverage.

Others venture out further to burst the boundaries of sparkling wines using grapes such as Frontenac, Wisconsin Ledge, and La Crescent. A few go further still, choosing fruits such as apples, cherries, and blueberries, putting a uniquely Wisconsin bent on the discussion.

What Makes Sparkling Wine Sparkle?

Carbon dioxide is the answer. How it gets into the wine is another story. There are several methods for carbonating wine. These include:

1. A more traditional method involves a process known as secondary fermentation. Secondary fermentation happens after bottling. Winemakers add a yeast and sugar mix that causes this second fermentation. These bottles then aged (from months up to several years). The sediment from the second fermentation is removed. Depending on the type of sparkling wine, a small amount of residual sugar is added.

2. A variation of secondary fermentation happens during the production of the wine in the tanks (more typical of most sparkling wines produced here), filtered and dosed with residual sugar before bottling.

3. Carbonation is the direct injection of CO2 into a wine before bottling. This process is not preferred and is used to make lower-quality sparkling wines.

Let the Festivities Begin!

Sparkling wines are great for celebrations. Others enjoy it in intimate settings, while others enjoy it because of its taste and effervescence. Where do you fit on this spectrum? Perhaps you should find out. Not every Wisconsin winery offers a sparkling wine, so do some research, then visit the wineries offering a sparkling wine that screams you!