Sparkling wine contains dissolved carbon dioxide that creates bubbles, produced by a secondary fermentation. The traditional (Champagne) method ferments in the bottle for fine, persistent bubbles and toasty complexity; the tank (Charmat) method, used for Prosecco, gives fresher, fruitier fizz; ancestral method (pét-nat) bottles a single, unfinished fermentation. Styles run from bone-dry (brut nature) to sweet (demi-sec), set by dosage.
WHY IT MATTERS FOR COLLECTORS
Method drives style and price: bottle-fermented Champagne, Cava and Franciacorta age and develop, while tank-method Prosecco is for fresh drinking. Vintage and prestige cuvées can cellar for years.
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