92. Sparkling Wine 101: A Clear Introduction to Bubbles, Mousse, and Winemaking Methods for WSET Students and Sparkling Wine Enthusiasts
Wine Educate: Wine Lessons, Travel & WSET Study Prep · Jan 1, 2026 · 9:47
Wine Educate: Wine Lessons, Travel & WSET Study Prep
Wine Educate: Wine Lessons, Travel & WSET Study Prep · Jan 1, 2026 · 9:47
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Episode 92 | Sparkling Wine Series Begins
Hello and welcome to Episode 92 of the Wine Educate Podcast. I'm your host, Joanne Close, and we're just about at the New Year. The holidays happened, the bubbles were flowing, and I sure enjoyed my fair share of sparkling wine. Now we're kicking off a brand new Sparkling Wine Series, and friends, it's a big one.
This series is built as a supplement, not a replacement for the WSET class. I'll be focusing mainly on Level 2 material, with a few Level 3 touches where it makes sense, but the deeper Level 3 concepts are being saved for the new Level 3 membership launching in February.
How Sparkling Wine Shows Up in WSET Exams
For Level 1 and Level 2, sparkling wines show up early, including Champagne, Prosecco, Cava, the style overview, and the ever-popular service question: how to open a bottle of sparkling wine. Yes, that question keeps showing up at multiple levels.
For Level 2, sparkling wine and fortified wines are covered in Session 8, and the service component is important and appears in the multiple choice questions.
For Level 3, you will not get a sparkling wine in the practical tasting exam, but you will see it in the theory, including multiple choice questions and short answer essays on sparkling or fortified wines.
Tasting Term to Know: Mousse
Mousse describes the bubble texture on the palate. In class, we talk about three broad levels: delicate, creamy, and aggressive. The class always gets a good laugh out of the aggressive mousse question, and yes, it sticks in your memory. You use it in your Level 3 SAT framework, but you won't be assessed on tasting a sparkling wine.
Definition of Sparkling Wine
Sparkling wine is wine that bubbles when poured into a glass. The bubbles form because carbon dioxide is dissolved in the wine under pressure until the bottle is opened and the cork is removed. I love that Oxford Companion definition. It's simple, it's clear, and it just works.
Grapes for Sparkling Wine
Acidity is the key. Grapes with naturally high acidity make fresher, livelier styles of sparkling wine.
In Champagne, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are stars because they deliver high acidity and make great sparkling wine. This model has been copied in other regions.
In the Loire Valley, Chenin Blanc steps up as the hero grape for extraordinary sparkling wines.
In Australia, Shiraz is used to make red sparkling wine, because it's their grape. So why not?
How the Bubbles Get in the Bottle: Main Production Methods
The method has a direct correlation to style, quality, mouthfeel, price, and the feel of the bubbles when you sip the wine.
Here are the big ones we'll explore in this series:
Traditional Method
Transfer Method
Ancestral Method (Petillant Naturel, or Pet Nat)
Tank Method
Carbonation Method
The traditional ferme
Episodes: Wine Educate: Wine Lessons, Travel & WSET Study Prep
