Bubbles: A Definitive Guide


As we come to the end of another year in Paso Robles Wine Country, we take a moment to reflect on a year of good times and fun wine tastings, and raise our glass to a year well spent. With a New Year fresh on the horizon, there’s no better way to move forward than to grab a bottle of bubble and make a toast to 2015. If you find yourself trying to decide on which sparkling wine to pour to for your festivities, read on for a definitive explanation of bubbles.

Bubbles are all categorized as sparkling wines, but not all bubbles are called Champagne. Here’s a quick primer and a few recommendations so you can find the perfect pour to toast in the New Year:

Champagne: Many people use this term interchangeably for any sparkling wine, but Champagne is a region in France. Champagnes can run the gamut in taste from sweet to very dry and in price from affordable to break the bank.

Proseco: This Italian sparkler usually has a fruit forward style and is dry to very dry.

Cava: In Spanish, cava means cave or cellar, a nod to how this Spanish sparkling got its name. Like Champagne, Cava can go from bone dry to sweet.


No celebration is complete without that telltale pop of the cork and spray of foam that only comes from a bottle of bubbles. There are a handful of wineries on the Central Coast that produce sparkling wines, including Laetitia Vineyards and Cellars, Cass Winery, Chronic Cellars and Domaine Le Mieux. Pick one up today for your New Year’s Eve celebration, or take a wine tasting tour with The Wine Wrangler and taste them in person.

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