Sparkling Wine Guide: Sparkling wines by ageing
There’s something about sparkling wine that instantly feels celebratory. Whether it’s a casual brunch, a special occasion, or just a weekday evening, a glass of bubbly makes everything better. But not all sparkling wines are the same - there are different types, production methods, and regions that define each style.
A key element in choosing sparkling wine is understanding how aging influences flavor.
Aging sparklings “sur lie” (on the lees) develops bready, toasty, and nutty aromas – highlights of great wine.
The nuttiest wines age their wines “sur lie” for as long as 5–7 years before release. Even though “sur lie” time is usually not listed, seeing a vintage on the label is a clue.
- Non-Vintage: Aged for a minimum of 15 months. Non-vintage (NV) sparkling wine exists for producers to make a consistent house style each year (regardless of the quality of that year’s harvest). Most NV wines is fruitier and less bready than their vintage styles.
- Vintage: Aged for a minimum of 3 years, though many age for 7 to 10 years. On special years when the harvest is particularly good, producers create single-vintage wines. Most opt for a creamy and yeasty style in this aging category.
Non-vintage Sparkling wine
Non-vintage Sparkling wine represents the signature style of a winery, accounting for the majority of production. It is crafted by blending wines from different vintages, allowing producers to maintain a consistent house style year after year. By incorporating reserve wines from previous harvests, wineries can create a wine that balances freshness, complexity, and reliability. Non-vintage sparkling wines are approachable, versatile, and ready to drink upon release, making them a popular choice for casual celebrations and everyday indulgence.
There is a base vintage in the blend. This is something you’ll hear Champagne aficionados talking about – “Ah, this non-vintage is base 2018!”. A little confusing? Possibly. The base vintage is the year which the main body of the wine comes from, the rest being made up of reserves from previous years. Most producers use between 50% and 80% of a single base year in their non-vintage wines, meaning that the specific qualities of the harvest can still loom large.
Vintage Sparkling
This wine is made exclusively from grapes harvested in a single year, allowing it to reflect the unique characteristics of that vintage. Producers typically release vintage wines only in exceptional years, and while this decision varies by producer, certain vintages are universally regarded as outstanding, such as 2002, 2008, and 2012. Vintage wines highlight the specific climatic and growing conditions of the harvest year, offering a distinct expression.
Explore our blog
- Blend & Trend: Popular wine blends by Midalidare - Trendy blending styles
- Classic wine blends - Wine Classics from the Old World
- Sauvignon Blanc vs Chardonnay - Two great white varieties side by side
- Aromatic white grapes - Scent explosion in a glass of white wine
- Carbonic Maceration - Fermentation technique in a completely anaerobic atmosphere
- Cane Cut technique - New name for an old tradition
- Vine pruning celebrations around the world - How they celebrate the growing season beginning in different countries
- Malbec vs Tannat - Two great red close relative varieties side by side
- Sparkling Wine Guide - Sparkling winemaking - Methods for sparkling winemaking
- Sparkling Wine Guide - Traditional sparkling winemaking - The Champagne method
- Sparkling wine guide – Food pairing - Champagne & Sparkling wine food pairing
- Sparkling Wine Guide: Pas Dosé - Sparkling wine with no added sugar
- Sparkling Wine Guide: Blanc de Noirs - A full-bodied, heady Sparkling
- Sparkling Wine Guide: Blanc de Blancs - Sparkling wine all finesse and lightness
- Sparkling Wine Guide: Non-vintage Brut Style - A sparkling wine for all occasions
- Sparkling Wine Guide: Sparkling Rosé Style - A style of elegance and diversity
- Wine & Glass pairing: Do specific wine glasses make a difference? - Do specific wine glasses make a difference?
- Wine & Glass pairing: Guide to different types of wine glasses with stem - Anatomy - Part 1: Anatomy of a wine glass
- Wine & Glass pairing: Guide to different types of wine glasses with stem - Part 2: Different types of wine glasses
- Wine & Glass pairing: Rose Wine Glasses - Flared Lip Rose Wine Glass
- Wine & Glass pairing: Rose Wine Glasses - Slight Taper Rose Glass
- Wine & Glass pairing: White Wine Glasses - Sauvignon Blanc Wine Glass
- Wine & Glass pairing: White wine glasses - Unoaked Chardonnay Wine Glass
- Wine & Glass pairing: White wine glasses - Оaked Chardonnay Wine Glass
- Wine & Glass pairing: White wine glasses - Riesling Wine Glass
- Wine & Glass pairing: Red wine glasses - Cabernet/Merlot Wine Glass
- Wine & Glass pairing: Sparkling Wine Glasses - Basic types of Champagne and Sparkling wine glasses
- Wine & Glass pairing: Red wine glasses - Old-world style Syrah
- Marlborough: Wine Region - History, climate, viticulture and sub-regions of Marlborough
- Marlborough: Southern Valleys - The home of Midalidare New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc
- Marlborough: Grapes and Wines - Specifics of the varieties and characteristics of the wines
- Central Otago: Wine region - History, climate, soils and sub-regions of Central Otago
- Central Otago: Cromwell - The home of Midalidare New Zealand Central Otago Stag’s Run Pinot Noir
- Central Otago: Grapes and Wines - Specifics of the varieties and wines characteristics
- Pinot Noir in Central Otago - What sets Central Otago's Pinot Noir apart from other regions?
- Midalidare’s grape varieties: Mourvedre - Part 1: The variety
- Midalidare’s grape varieties: Mourvedre - Part 2: The terroirs
- Midalidare’s grape varieties: Mourvedre - Part 3: The wines
- Midalidare’s grape varieties: Mourvedre - Part 4: Serving and storage
- Midalidare’s grape varieties: Mourvedre - Part 5: Food pairing
- Midalidare’s grape varieties: Sauvignon Blanc in a nutshell - Part 1: Essential information about Sauvignon Blanc
- Midalidare’s grape varieties: Sauvignon Blanc - The variety and the terroirs - Part 2: Sauvignon Blanc - Specifics of the variety and appropriate regions
- Midalidare’s grape varieties: Chardonnay - The variety and the terroirs - Part 2: Chardonnay - Specifics of the variety and appropriate regions
- Midalidare’s grape varieties: Merlot in a nutshell - Part 1: Essential information about Merlot
- Midalidare’s grape varieties: Merlot - The variety and the terroirs - Part 2: Merlot - Specifics of the variety and appropriate regions
- Midalidare’s grape varieties: Tannat in a nutshell - Part 1: Essential information about Tannat
- Midalidare’s grape varieties: Tannat – The variety and the terroirs - Part 2: Tannat – Specifics of the variety and appropriate regions
- Midalidare’s grape varieties: Tannat – Wines & winemaking - Part 3: Tannat – Styles of wines and winemaking techniques
- Midalidare’s grape varieties: Tannat - Wine & dine - Part 4: How to serve, store and pair Tannat wine with food
- Midalidare’s grape varieties: Syrah in a nutshell - Part 1: Essential information about Syrah
- Midalidare’s grape varieties: Malbec in a nutshell - Part 1: Essential information about Malbec
- Midalidare’s grape varieties: Malbec – The variety and the terroirs - Part 2: Malbec – Specifics of the variety and appropriate regions
- Midalidare’s grape varieties: Malbec – Wines & winemaking - Part 3: Malbec – Styles of wines and winemaking techniques
- Midalidare’s grape varieties: Malbec - Wine & dine - Part 4: How to serve, store and pair Malbec wine with food
