Sparkling WIne

Shop All Sparkling Wine

Intro

There is no category of wine more tied to occasion than sparkling. A bottle opened at the right moment carries a particular kind of weight that still wine rarely matches. That association with celebration is real, but it has also led people to underestimate how seriously these wines deserve to be taken. The finest Champagnes are among the most complex and age-worthy wines made anywhere in the world. South Africa's Cap Classique has spent two decades building a case for being considered in the same conversation. Our collection reflects both of those truths.

How the Bubbles Get There

The bubbles in Champagne and Cap Classique come from a second fermentation that happens inside the sealed bottle. Yeast is added to the wine after the first fermentation, and as it works through the sugar, it produces carbon dioxide. Because the bottle is sealed, that gas has nowhere to go, so it dissolves into the wine. When you open the bottle and pour, it releases as bubbles.

The wine then rests on those spent yeast cells for months, sometimes years, before they are removed. That contact time is what gives good Champagne its toasty, biscuity depth. The longer it rests, the more complexity it develops.

Some producers make wine from their own vineyards, so every bottle reflects a specific place. Larmandier-Bernier and Pierre Péters work this way. Others, like Pol Roger and Lanson, blend grapes from many different villages to create a consistent house style year after year. Both approaches produce excellent wine, with different stories to tell.

Understanding Sweetness

The label on a bottle of sparkling wine carries one of several terms describing how much residual sugar it contains, and those terms are frequently misunderstood. The most important thing to know is that Extra Dry is not drier than Brut. The terms run from bone-dry to sweet as follows:

Brut Nature / Brut Zéro contains no added sugar and is the leanest, most austere style. It requires ripe fruit and excellent base wine to carry without the softening effect of dosage.

Extra Brut is very dry, with under 6 grams of sugar per litre. Most serious grower Champagnes sit here, and most of our collection does too.

Brut is the most common style, with up to 12 grams per litre. The small amount of dosage rounds out the acidity without adding noticeable sweetness. Almost all non-vintage Champagne is Brut.

Extra Dry carries slightly more sugar than Brut, despite the name suggesting otherwise. It is a softer, slightly rounder style.

Demi-Sec is genuinely sweet and works particularly well alongside desserts and aged cheeses.

The Pol Roger Rich Demi-Sec is the only sweeter style in our collection, and it is there for a reason: paired with the right food, it is a different experience altogether.

Cap Classique: South Africa's Contribution

South Africa's answer to Champagne is made by the same traditional method, using secondary fermentation in the bottle and extended lees ageing. Colmant, based in Franschhoek and dedicated entirely to Cap Classique production, is the producer we stock. Their range spans from the zero-dosage Absolu to a Blanc de Blancs and a Brut Rosé, all made with the same attention to balance and extended lees contact that defines the best of the category. At their price point, they offer a genuinely compelling alternative for regular drinking.

Choosing by Occasion

• Aperitif before any meal: A non-vintage Brut from Pol Roger, Lanson, or Bérêche et Fils.
• Seafood, oysters, or sushi: An Extra Brut or Blanc de Blancs from Larmandier-Bernier or Pierre Péters.
• Celebratory gift: The Pol Roger Sir Winston Churchill or a prestige cuvée from Vilmart.
• Everyday sparkling without the Champagne price: A Colmant Cap Classique from Franschhoek.
• Alongside dessert or rich cheese: The Pol Roger Rich Demi-Sec.
• Something to age and revisit: A vintage Champagne from Lanson or Larmandier-Bernier.

How to Serve

Serve all sparkling wine well chilled, between 7–10°C. A flute preserves the bubbles; a wider white wine glass opens up the aromas of more complex bottles. Do not over-chill, as very cold temperatures suppress both flavour and bubble texture. Older vintage Champagnes benefit from a few minutes in the glass before drinking.

FAQ

1. What is the difference between Champagne and sparkling wine? All Champagne is sparkling wine, but sparkling wine is not all Champagne. Champagne can only come from the Champagne region of France, made from permitted grape varieties and produced by the traditional method with secondary fermentation in bottle. Sparkling wines made elsewhere may follow the same method, as South Africa's Cap Classique does, or use different production techniques entirely. The name is protected; the method is not.

2. What does Brut mean on a label? Brut refers to the sweetness level of the wine. It indicates that the wine contains less than 12 grams of sugar per litre, making it dry to the taste. Most Champagne is labelled Brut. Drier still are Extra Brut and Brut Nature; slightly sweeter are Extra Dry and Demi-Sec. The terms can be counterintuitive, particularly Extra Dry sitting sweeter than Brut, so it is worth checking before buying if sweetness matters to you.

3. What food pairs well with sparkling wine? Dry styles, particularly Blanc de Blancs and Extra Brut Champagnes, are excellent with shellfish and raw fish.Brut non-vintage works well alongside lighter dishes, particularly grilled fish and soft cheeses. Richer, aged vintage Champagnes can handle more substantial food including roast poultry and cream-based dishes. Demi-Sec is best saved for the end of a meal, paired alongside fruit desserts or a good washed-rind cheese.