Sparkling wine
German: Schaumwein Also known as: Sparkling wine
Umbrella term for wine with carbon dioxide from fermentation and high bottle pressure, including Sekt, Champagne, Cava, Crémant and Prosecco Spumante.
Sparkling wine is the collective term for wines that foam or bubble noticeably on opening because they contain pressurised carbon dioxide. It usually comes from fermentation; there is also sparkling wine with added carbon dioxide, which is not Sekt. Pressure in the bottle is clearly higher than in semi-sparkling wine.
Sparkling wines include well-known types such as Champagne, Sekt, Crémant, Cava and Prosecco Spumante. They differ in origin, grape varieties, production method and sugar content. The term is the legal base category from which special designations derive.
Related terms
ChampagneCrémantSemi-sparkling wine (Perlwein)Sekt (German sparkling wine)
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