Best sparkling wine, overall:

Best sparkling wine, runner-up:

Best budget sparkling wine:

Best splurge-worthy sparkling wine:

“`html

Indulging in a tall glass of chilled sparkling wine can be a blissful experience. Refreshing, refined and crisp all at once, a good bubbly is bound to elevate any meal or celebration. That’s why, along with friends and family, a bottle of sparkling wine is always waiting to be uncorked during life’s big moments. At the very least, it can provide a few ounces of cool relief in the muggy summertime heat.

From rosé and cava to champagne and prosecco, the sparkling wine varieties on the market are vast. Deciphering and differentiating the varieties of sparkling wine can be an intimidating experience. To make matters worse, finding a good bottle at a fair price without help can make your head spin.

Our adventurous team at CNN Underscored is here to make wine shopping less isolating. That’s why we ventured to the West Village’s favorite restaurant and bar, The Noortwyck. Here, we met expert sommelier, Cedric Nicaise, who guided us through an in-depth tasting. Along the way, he gifted us many pearls of wisdom about wine and, in return, we found our new favorite picks.

To be clear, we all have different preferences when it comes to wine. Some of us are sparkling wine enthusiasts while others would rather sip on a canned cocktail. That’s why we had a trusty sommelier to chime in with his expertise.

“`

A post shared by CNN Underscored (@cnnunderscored)

This exceptional, editor-favorite sparkling wine is grown and harvested in California’s renowned Napa Valley. Most of us thought this buttery, bubbly cuvée had the perfect balance of sweetness with a hint of fruitiness and freshly baked pastries. We all agreed on one thing; this elegant bottle was worth the price.

We were lucky enough to sample this vintage sparkling blanc de noirs from 2018 by Etude Wines, which was one of the pricier picks in our testing pool. We appreciated the fresh citrus notes from this delightful bubbly, which we all thought was comparable to a great champagne. 

If you love rosé and a good price tag, this vibrant pick from Domain Ste Michelle will be your new favorite sparkling wine. We appreciated the ripe citrus notes and affordability of this wine, sourced from premium grapes in Washington state’s Columbia Valley. 

“`html

Although we concluded a good bottle of wine doesn’t have to break the bank, we couldn’t help but love this refreshing, almost creamy chardonnay-esque sparkling wine from the certified women-owned and Black-owned McBride Sisters Wine Company. According to its website, it’s best paired with oysters and shellfish, caviar with kettle chips, sushi, french fries, popcorn or berry desserts. 

Although California’s Napa Valley is home to the Mumm Napa vineyard, it has a distinctly French influence. Mumm Napa follows in the footsteps of GH Mumm and its classic French heritage with its traditional wine-making techniques.

We agreed this wine was more delightful than we anticipated. Pale gold and bubbly upon first glance, this wine had a ripe and fruity scent we all found endearing. According to the Mumm Napa website, this wine has aromas of red apple, cherry, orange, and, surprisingly, bread. Senior travel and money editor Andrew Kunesh described this wine as having a “bakery-like smell.” Nicaise confirmed our suspicions, explaining that brioche or buttered toast notes are common in some sparkling wines. Bread flavors “bake” when sparkling wines undergo a second fermentation and yeast consumes sugar.

Associate editor Jillian Tracy found this wine the perfect balance of sweet and yeast-like bread notes, adding: “This one lends itself to be sipped and enjoyed.” Senior tech editor Mike Andronico thought this wine had a hint of apple flavors but found it “smooth and easy to drink.” Meanwhile, photographer Molly Flores described this cuvée as “nutty and oaty,” adding it “opens to sweeter maple on the nose.” Reviews editor Tobey Grumet Segal noted the tart notes from this wine that gave it more flavor and added it had mid-level carbonation, describing it as “almost effervescent.”

“`

“`html

Etude wines were founded on the philosophy that winemaking begins in the vineyard long before the harvest, according to Etude winemaker Jon Priest. Etude is also passionate about sustainable winemaking, and two-thirds of their Grand Benoist Ranch estate vineyards comprise wildlife corridors.

This wine was a close winner for one of our favorite wines, which we moved down the ranking for the higher price point. According to Etude’s website, this bubbly was made via the classically styled brut méthode traditionelle to make pinot noir and chardonnay. This wine has delicate notes of magnolia, Meyer lemon citrus, and orange peel, all with the toasty brioche and vanilla créme notes from the fermentation process. The palate also includes notes of white peach and Golden Delicious apples that would pair well with aperitifs or various cuisines.

Nicaise was impressed by the wealth of information on this label, which was certified sustainable. We all loved this crisp, fine sparkling wine that we felt was comparable to champagne. Flores ranked this wine as her favorite due to its crisp texture and fine carbonation. Tracy wrote this wine had much more minerality and felt tart, with mellow and balanced flavors. Andronico described this wine as fizzy but champagne-like and pleasant overall. Kunesh thought this wine was unobtrusive and added he was “a big fan of this one,” due to its fruitiness and strong apple notes.

It’s hard to resist an elegant rosé, even more so when it’s under $15. This brut rosé crafted by Domaine Ste. Michelle was made in Washington’s Columbia Valley. Home to a lesser-known and underappreciated wine region, the winery has finessed traditional French-style sparkling wines for nearly 40 years, now headed by female winemaker Paula Eakin.

“`

“`html

According to its website, this refreshing rosé has tasting notes of ripe strawberries, with hints of apple and citrus. It has a subtle spice and sweet finish that pairs well with sweet-and-tangy food combinations. Domaine Ste Michelle recommends sipping this rosé with spicy jalapeño and artichoke dips, mixed baby greens, coconut shrimp with sweet chili sauce and fried chicken and waffles.

Although most editors noted that this rosé was floral and on the more acidic side of the sparkling wine spectrum, we thought this citrus-packed option would be great to sip on in the summertime. Senior digital content strategist Hannah Lauson described this wine as “very sweet and floral” and added she loved the light taste and perfect amount of bubbles. Senior testing editor Rick Stella thought it had “a dry taste” but found it mellow and easy to drink. Testing writer Joe Bloss even compared this wine to lemonade, but added that he wasn’t a fan of the prominent bubbles and carbonation. Kunesh was not a fan and added that it reminded him of a simple syrup.

Sisters Robin McBride and Andréa McBride released this limited production of McBride Sisters Collection Reserve wines in 2021, after creating quality canned wines SHE CAN, Black Girl Magic Wines and others. This line embodies their extraordinary origin story, considering they were raised on opposite corners of the globe in the world’s most iconic wine and farming regions of Monterey, California and Aotearoa, New Zealand. As fate would have it, they reunited and realized their shared love of food and wine to create the McBride Sisters Wine Company with the mission to empower women and Black winemakers in the industry.

According to the McBride Sisters’ website, this sparkling wine packed with “fresh fruit intensity” was made using the méthode traditionelle to make a sparkling chardonnay from a single vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands. This means it was barrel fermented with a secondary fermentation and tirage aged 20 months in the bottle before disgorging. This neutral barrel fermentation creates a soft and creamy texture, which all our testers took note of. The additional aging also created a yeasty aroma, similar to the . The sisters recommend pairing this wine with oysters and shellfish, caviar with kettle chips, sushi, french fries, popcorn or berry desserts.

“`

One of the many lessons we learned from Nicaise was to be on the lookout for the amount of information on a wine label. Typically, the more information there is, the better. We were impressed with the McBride Sisters’ striking label, which listed the vintage — unlike most sparkling wines we tested.

We all found this tasteful champagne had buttery and creamy flavor notes thanks to the fermentation process. Bloss compared the aroma wafting from this sparkling wine to “freshly boiled pasta” and added that it tasted like it was worth the splurge. Tracy agreed with the pasta analogy due to the wine’s buttery texture and added that the smell made her salivate. She thought it would pair well with a sweeter dish since it “felt more acidic and tart.” Andronico felt this wine was “solid” due to its smooth, rich taste and fine carbonation.

Although wine tasting may seem like an easy experiment, many crucial factors are needed to ensure a thorough test. We researched and landed on 12 sparkling wines at various prices and variations. We brought them to The Noortwyck and chilled them before our tasting because nothing is worse than tepid wine. As advised by our sommelier, we used tall stem glasses to taste a healthy dose of each one. He also taught us to smell our glass and to really “breathe in” all of the flavors to understand the complexity and composition of each bubbly. As we tasted each wine, we made sure to take notes on each wine’s:

We were also mindful of the unseen elements making each wine unique, including:

If we could summarize this wine in one word, it would be “glamorous.” Like the wine itself, this California-derived sparkling brut comes in a golden, sparkly bottle that stands out from the shelf. According to its website, it features notes of green apple, luscious pear and other tropical aromas. One Hope recommends pairing this wine with tropical fruits, cheese kabobs, scallops, halibut and lemon tarts. Bloss summed it up best when he noted: “The fruit is winning here.” 

Blanc de Blancs translates to “white of whites,” meaning the Mumm Napa winery only used white grapes to make this wine. Nicaise informed us this term typically indicates a wine is almost always a chardonnay. According to Mumm Napa’s website, this Blanc de Blancs has notes of lemony citrus and aromas of pear, pippin apple and toasted biscuits. We all found this sparkling wine to be extremely carbonated with strong notes of apples. 

This unique bottle from Segura Viudas combines the freshness of cava with the elegance of rosé. According to its website, this “cava rosado” features intense fruitiness, lively color and is made from three black grape varieties: Trepat, Pinot Noir and Garnacha. Winemaker Manel Quintana even described it as having youthful fruit aromas of strawberry, redcurrant and grenadine. They recommend pairing this rosé with seafood or enjoying it as a standalone drink. Rosé isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but we all agreed this rosé had a delightful fruity aroma. Our testers found this rosado very fruit-forward and powerful, but we especially appreciated the $10 price tag.

We couldn’t stop at just one rosé. That’s why we picked up Santa Margherita’s brut sparkling rosé that can typically be found for around $25. According to its website, this wine has floral aromas and hints of red berry and a blend of white wine made from Chardonnay and Glera grapes, in addition to a red varietal, Italian malbec. This rosé is “predominantly white with just a kiss of red,” according to the Santa Margherita experts. Their winemakers recommend pairing this rosé with strong flavors, like paella, spicy dishes or savory appetizers. We found this rosé to be intense and piercing to all the senses. Tracy described this wine as “very sharp” and Stella found it to “taste better than it smells.” 

Believe it or not, there’s such a thing as sparkling red wine. It’s not as common as rosé or cava, so we felt compelled to taste a classic sparkling red. According to the Rosa Regale website, this wine derives from the Piedmont region of Italy and has aromas of freshly crushed strawberries with just a hint of rose petals. Their experts recommend pairing this luscious red wine with chocolate desserts or simply sipping this on its own. We all found this decadent wine to be fruity, smooth and rich — to the point where some of us could only stomach a few sips. Kunesh felt it was bubbly but not intrusive, reminiscent of Welch’s grape juice. Grumet Segal concluded it was “way too sweet” while I enjoyed the sangria-like intensity. Tracy even wrote, “Texture and flavor-wise, this feels more like juice than wine.”

This rosé from Oregon-based A to Z Wineworks is a blend of pinot noir with white wine, all with notes of tropical fruits including passion fruit, orange, guava, starfruit, luscious pear, honeydew melon, and bruised strawberries. According to the A-Z Wineworks website, this wine also has notes of a tangerine creamsicle and rose petals. Their experts recommend pairing this aromatic rosé with barbequed foods, fruit salads, popcorn or mixed nuts. Nicaise found this to be a respectable rosé, although he was curious to know where the grapes were sourced from. Regardless, we thought this wine was a great, “everyday” rosé packed with flavors, and many testers said this smelled like bubblegum.

We were intrigued by this zero-sugar sparkling wine from Avaline, founded by celebrity Cameron Diaz and friend Katherine Power. According to Avaline’s website, it’s on a mission to craft wines from organically farmed grapes without unnecessary additives and elevate transparency in the wine industry. In addition to the low-calories and no-sugar content, it boasts vegan options in various varieties: red, white, rosé and more. This dry sparkling wine is made with four grape varieties: Macabeo, Xarel-lo, Parellada, and Malvasía for a blend of floral and fruit notes. The winemakers at Avaline recommend pairing this wine with “the sound of laughter and moments to remember.” Nicasise was skeptical of this wine because, as he put it, there’s not much you can do to remove calories from wine. Some testers found this wine to be sour, with less carbonation and excessive foaminess.

This adventurous wine is made by firecracker winemaker Penelope Gadd-Coster, an avid motorcyclist, fly-fisherman, and 90-point sparkling winemaker. This California sparkling wine is made from chardonnay grapes and contains a 12.5% alcohol content. Some found this wine to be on the acidic side, with an almost metallic finish. Others thought it was very fruit-forward with a strong apple aroma but others felt this wine had a similar texture to a beer. Stella noticed this pick was sweet and dry with an “interesting bubbly quality.” Nevertheless, Nicaise was certain this blanc de blanc was the best value pick at just $23 for a bottle.

What is sparkling wine and how is it different from non-sparkling wine?

‘Here’s the most simple and obvious answer,” said Nicaise. “Sparkling wine has bubbles in it and non-sparkling wine doesn’t,” he put bluntly. “Today, in more technical terms, sparkling wine is a decision a winemaker makes,” he added. “It could possibly be a wine of terroir, whereas still wines (non-sparkling) are wines of terroir.” A wine of terroir is a wine that expresses the unique qualities of the region (the “terroir”) where it was grown. It’s comparable to the way a vegetable can taste like the environment it was grown in.

“There are many types of wines,” expanded Ana Fabiano, founder of RiojaTrade and Brand Ambassador for the DOCa Rioja. “There’s table wine, fortified wine and sparkling wine. The latter has carbonation from carbon dioxide,” she said, echoing Nicaise’s point. “This happens naturally (traditional method) in the same bottle or by Charmat, also known as the tank method. Champagne and Cava are made by the traditional method,” she said. “Sparkling wine starts with a still (non-sparkling) wine and then undergoes a secondary fermentation,” clarified dynamic duo Jeff Jenssen and Mike DeSimone, a.k.a @worldwineguys.

What are the different kinds of sparkling wine?

“There are three basic ways of making sparkling wine,” explained Nicaise. “First is the method ancestral, also known as the ancient way. In modern times, producing sparkling wine is a decision a winemaker makes, but as is implied by the name, in ancient times it was sort of an accident.

“Wine that was not fully done fermenting was bottled, and when that wine would start fermenting again, the bubbles would be trapped in the bottle, and therefore make the wine sparkling. Many know this today as Pet-Nat,” he added. “Second, is what is called the Charmat method, which is often used to decrease costs and make large amounts of sparkling wine. To achieve this, fully fermented wine is placed in large stainless steel tanks that are pressurized and a solution of yeast and sugar is added to the tank, that solution then ferments creating CO2; that CO2 is trapped in the tank and makes the wine sparkling, then the wine is bottled.”

“The third and last method is called the champagne method,” said Nicaise. “Here the second fermentation described above takes place in individual bottles, instead of in a large tank.”

What are the most popular kinds of sparkling wine?

“`html

“I believe there are four main categories of sparkling wine,” said Nicaise. “Prosecco, Cava, Champagne method sparkling wines (Cremant in France, some higher end Cavas, some New World Sparkling wines), and Champagne.”

Do you have a favorite brand or variety of sparkling wine?

“I like Champagne,” the Noortwyck sommelier and co-founder shared. “If I had to pick a favorite non-champagne I would pick Bruno Dangin from Burgundy as my favorite,” he added.

“I love premium Champagne, especially Dom Perignon P2, Alfred Gratien, and Boizel,” shared the World Wine Guys. “I live in Spain for part of the year so I am a big fan of Cava. Segura Viudas Heredad Reserva Brut is one of my favorites and the beautiful bottle makes it a great gift to bring to a dinner party.”

“`

Fabiano agreed and added she loved Cavas. “I have worked with and enjoyed many Cavas so they are my favorite,” shared Fabiano. “I also love Billecart Champagne.”

“It’s impossible to choose just one,” said Dana Beninati, food & wine educator and host of Dine with Dana.” I can highlight some of my favorites from the countries known for awesome sparkling production. Segura Viudas Cava from Spain, specifically the Brut Rosé and the Icon Brut Vintage. Mionetto Prosecco from Italy, specifically the Prestige Brut and Berlucchi Franciacorta, specifically the Black Arrow Brut25. Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs from the U.S. and Champagne Drappier Carte d’Or Brut from France.”

What popular cocktails feature sparkling wine?

“There are many, including the French 75, Aperol Spritz, ‘champagne cocktail’ Kir Royal, and then, of course, the Bellini and Mimosa,” shared Nicaise.

“Nothing says happy hour like a Limoncello or Amaro Spritz, which perfectly pair Prosecco with lemon or herbal liqueurs,” said Beninati. “Of course, the internet sensation of a negroni sbagliato went viral for good reason. I also love how a French 75 plays the fruity flavors of sparkling wine against the bite of gin. My absolute favorite cocktail, when ripe summer fruit is in season, is a sparkling sangria, studded Cava with cherries and stone fruits.”

How should you best enjoy sparkling wine?

“Sparkling wine is often identified as a celebratory wine which is positive and wonderful!” shared Fabiano. “However, they can also be enjoyed for solo sipping or with a meal. They do not have to be relegated to a special occasion and are especially refreshing in warm weather with the bubbles’ bright acidity and flavor profile. They can be enjoyed in a flute, tulip-shaped glass or what is currently trending a traditional still wine glass. Chilling in an ice bucket should include both ice and water. A favorite for me this season is the Cava Vilarnau Reserva Rose.”

The World Wine Guys agreed, adding: “With meals or as an aperitif but always with people you love!”