Champagne has a well-earned place at the table, but the world of sparkling wine reaches much further. From Italian Lambrusco and Prosecco to Spanish Cava, French Crémant and Canadian bubbles, there are plenty of ways to find a bottle that suits your taste, curiosity and budget.
At Vine Arts, we like to start with what you enjoy: something bright and lively, something with the depth that comes from time on the lees, or a bottle that takes you somewhere unexpected. Here is our guide to finding your next favourite.
What makes Champagne different?
Champagne comes from the Champagne region of northeastern France and follows the appellation’s rules. Its bubbles develop through a second fermentation in the bottle, followed by ageing on the lees—the yeast sediment left after fermentation. That time can contribute the bread, toast and brioche character associated with the style.
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier are its main grapes, although other permitted varieties exist. Different villages, blends and approaches to ageing give Champagne an enormous range. A prestigious name is one route in; a smaller grower can offer another view of the vineyards and people behind the wine.
Our range includes names such as Olivier Marteaux, Telmont and Krug. We can help you compare them without assuming the most expensive bottle is the best fit for every occasion.
How sparkling wine gets its bubbles
Traditional method: a second fermentation takes place in the bottle. Ageing on the lees adds another dimension before the sediment is removed. Champagne, Crémant, Cava, Franciacorta and Cap Classique all belong in this conversation, though their grapes, places and production rules differ.
Tank method: also called Charmat or Martinotti, this creates bubbles in a pressurised tank before bottling. It is widely associated with Prosecco and offers a different approach to preserving the wine’s fresh fruit character. It is a production choice, not a shortcut that automatically makes a wine inferior.
Other approaches to bottle fermentation exist too. We will explore pét-nat in its own guide; here, our focus is Champagne and the wider sparkling-wine styles worth getting to know.
Crémant: discover another side of France
Crémant is traditional-method sparkling wine from designated regions outside Champagne. The name that follows it matters: Bourgogne, Loire, Jura and Bordeaux each bring their own regional grapes and identity. These wines can be a rewarding place to look when you want bottle-fermented sparkling wine at a different price point.
Explore Deux Roches Crémant de Bourgogne, Domaine Rolet Crémant du Jura or Chanceny Crémant de Loire Rosé. They are regional wines in their own right, rather than substitutes that need to imitate Champagne.
Cava: Spain’s traditional-method sparkling wine
Cava uses bottle fermentation and has a strong connection to Spanish grapes such as Macabeo, Xarel·lo and Parellada, alongside other permitted varieties. It covers a range of styles and ageing levels, making it worth looking beyond a single familiar label.
Biutiful Brut and Varias Genui Brut Nature are two starting points in our range. Ask us about the difference in sweetness and style before choosing; a low dosage is a preference, not a universal quality score.
Prosecco: know the place as well as the name
Prosecco is rooted in northeastern Italy, with Glera as its principal grape. Most familiar examples use the tank method, but bottle-refermented expressions also exist. Prosecco DOC and the hillside DOCG appellations, including Conegliano–Valdobbiadene, offer different places and traditions to explore.
Try Sorelle Bronca Brut, or take a different route with Ca’ dei Zago Col Fondo. The latter is a reminder that the category has more range than the standard aperitif pour might suggest.
More bubbles around the world
- Franciacorta: a bottle-fermented sparkling wine from Lombardy in northern Italy, with its own denomination and ageing requirements.
- Trentodoc: traditional-method sparkling wine from Trentino, where mountain vineyards are central to its identity.
- Cap Classique: South Africa’s traditional-method sparkling wine category, well worth seeking out as you explore beyond Europe.
- Sekt: the German sparkling-wine category spans different production methods and quality levels. Check the origin and method rather than expecting one uniform style.
- Canada: our sparkling wines include both traditional-method and tank-made expressions. Explore the category through bottles such as Vancouver Island’s Averill Creek Charme d’Ille.
- Chile and beyond: sparkling wine is made well beyond the best-known European regions. Montes Sparkling Angel Brut is one route into Chilean bubbles.
These are styles to discover; our selection changes, and not every region is represented in stock at all times.
Lambrusco: a sparkling wine we think deserves your attention
Lambrusco is especially popular with our customers right now, and it deserves a place alongside the other great sparkling-wine traditions. Rooted in Emilia-Romagna and neighbouring parts of northern Italy, the name covers a family of grapes and a range of wines—not one uniform sparkling red.
Colour can run from pale pink to deep ruby, and sweetness varies too. A bottle can be dry, gently off-dry or distinctly sweet, so it pays to ask which style you are buying. The differences between Sorbara, Salamino and Grasparossa are another reason to explore more than one bottle. Nor does every Lambrusco use the same production method: tank fermentation and bottle fermentation both have a place.
Paltrinieri is a particularly useful starting point. The family has made Lambrusco in Sorbara for four generations, with several expressions that let you explore the category rather than treat it as a single flavour.
- Paltrinieri Piria brings together Sorbara and Salamino—a starting point for discovering the family’s approach to Lambrusco.
- Paltrinieri Sant’Agata is a dry, gently sparkling Sorbara with berry and violet character and refreshing acidity. It offers another expression of the same family’s vineyards.
- Paltrinieri Solco offers a Salamino-led direction to explore alongside the Sorbara wines. Ask us to compare its sweetness and style with the other bottles before choosing.
- Venturini Baldini Montelocco and Tomato Wheels Lambrusco give you two further names to explore in our selection.
We like Lambrusco served chilled and brought to the table rather than saved only for a toast. Tell us whether you want something dry and brisk or a more rounded style, and we can help you find the right bottle. Its combination of bubbles, acidity and, in some examples, a touch of tannin makes it a particularly interesting direction for people who already enjoy red wine.
A quick guide to the label
Brut Nature, Extra Brut and Brut: these describe sweetness categories, not quality grades. Brut Nature is at the driest end; Brut is also a dry category. Acidity and the wine’s overall balance affect how that sweetness tastes.
Extra Dry: despite the name, this is a sweeter category than Brut. If you prefer a very dry sparkling wine, do not assume “Extra Dry” is your driest option.
Blanc de Blancs: white wine made from white grapes. In Champagne this is commonly Chardonnay. Blanc de Noirs: white wine made from dark-skinned grapes, such as Pinot Noir or Meunier in Champagne. Neither term is a sweetness indication.
How we would help you choose
Tell us what you already like, how dry you prefer your wine and what you want to spend. For a bottle-fermented wine, we can compare Champagne with Crémant or Cava. For a different approach, we can explore Prosecco or a bottle-refermented wine. For a gift or a special bottle, we can talk through the house, grower and cuvée rather than relying on packaging alone.
Browse sparkling wines and select Calgary or Edmonton to see the relevant store selection. Our team can help in person or through our contact page. For orders beyond Alberta, consult our shipping information.
