To Bubble or Not to Bubble?

While doing some research, I stumbled upon a Bloomberg article discussing global wine consumption trends, and the (probable) rise of sparkling wines.
I found it interesting because, in my ten years of life in Singapore, sparkling wines (especially Champagne) have always felt ubiquitous. And even more recently, after launching TerraVino, I felt that interest has neither waned nor noticeably increased, perhaps due to the lifestyle of the people around me.

It is a fact, however, that sparkling wine has quietly changed its role in our drinking lives over the past 20–30 years. It’s no longer something we reach for only when there’s a birthday to celebrate or a cork to pop at midnight. And yes, in Singapore especially, bubbles are part of the everyday rhythm: a glass before dinner, something refreshing with seafood, a bottle that feels just as comfortable at a casual table as it does at a more formal one.

With that growing familiarity, though, comes a certain amount of noise. Labels start to feel crowded with terms: Charmat, Classico, Metodo Tradizionale, Prosecco, Spumante… And suddenly choosing a bottle can feel more complicated than it should. So, just like any other selection “process”, we tend to go back to the default and widely known options (Prosecco and champagne) that are most commonly available and talked about.

So, I thought I’d clear the air a little by sharing some context, a bit of background, and the way we tend to think about sparkling wine when helping customers navigate Italian bubbles with curiosity rather than anxiety.

It Was An Accident, I Swear!

Sparkling wine didn’t begin as a deliberate invention. For a long time, bubbles were seen as a problem: in the cooler parts of Europe, wines bottled before fermentation had fully finished would often restart in spring, when temperatures rose. Pressure built up, bottles burst, corks flew, and winemakers (or were they farmers still?) were understandably frustrated.

Only gradually (say between the 17th and 18th centuries) did producers begin to understand what was happening and, more importantly, how to control it. Stronger glass, better corks, and a clearer grasp of fermentation transformed an unwanted accident into a conscious stylistic choice. From there, sparkling wine became associated with pleasure, celebration, and eventually refinement. But it didn’t take root everywhere in the same way, and that uneven spread tells us a lot about why certain regions like Valdobbiadene still dominate the conversation today.

Why Sparkling Wine Comes From Where It Does

Sparkling wine thrives in places that naturally support freshness and restraint; this means that cooler or temperate climates help grapes retain acidity, which is essential for wines that need to feel lively rather than heavy and structured. Certain soils like chalk, limestone, and volcanic rock encourage vines to struggle just enough to produce grapes with focus rather than excess ripeness (now I know I’ll write about vine struggle and development).
And then there’s culture: making sparkling wine well requires patience, investment, and a willingness to wait, sometimes for years, before seeing the final result.

I know I keep going back to my country’s biodiversity, but Italy really is a fascinating case because it doesn’t offer a single sparkling wine identity. Instead, it offers many: from Alpine foothills to volcanic islands, the peninsula’s diversity has allowed different regions to interpret bubbles in their own way, often through native grape varieties that behave very differently from the international norm.

Grapes Matter More Than Methods

Before talking about how bubbles are made, it’s worth lingering on the grapes themselves. Rather than relying on a narrow set of varieties, Italian producers work with hundreds of native grapes, many of which are naturally high in acidity, expressive in aroma, or structurally well-suited to sparkling wine.

The beautiful Bombino Bianco.

Glera, Chardonnay, Cataratto, Pinot Nero, Raboso, Aleatico, Bombino Bianco, Bombino Nero… Each brings a different balance of freshness, texture, and personality. The production method shapes the final wine, of course, but the grape is where its character begins.

So, to keep it simple, there are…

…Two Ways of Making Bubbles

Most Italian sparkling wines fall into two broad production approaches, each with its own logic and sensory outcome. The terminology can look intimidating, but once you strip it back, the differences are quite intuitive, and understanding the difference  will help in anticipating what you’ll taste.

Tank Fermentation

In Italy this approach is often referred to as Metodo Charmat or Metodo Martinotti, while internationally it’s simply known as the Charmat method.

Key element: the second fermentation – the one that creates the bubbles – takes place in large, sealed stainless-steel tanks.
Key result: this approach prioritises freshness, aromatics, and immediacy.

Essentially, it preserves the grape’s primary character and tends to produce wines that feel lively, fruit-driven, and easy to enjoy.

Prosecco is the most famous example, but many producers now use this method with far more ambition and precision than in the past.

Bottle Fermentation

This is known as Metodo Classico or Metodo Tradizionale, and elsewhere as the méthode traditionnelle or méthode champenoise (the latter term historically used before being legally restricted to a specific region in France).

Key element: the second fermentation happens inside each individual bottle, and the wine rests on its lees (which are essentially the natural yeast cells now spent) for extended periods.
Key result: with time (a very important ingredient) this adds texture, complexity, and savoury depth (I’ll explain this as well in a future article).

In general, these wines often feel more layered and elaborate, less about immediate freshness and more about how they evolve in the glass and at the table.

All in all, rather than thinking in terms of quality or prestige, it often helps to think in terms of intention: Tank-fermented wines tend to be about clarity and brightness; bottle-fermented wines tend to be about structure and depth.

Both have their place.

How Italian Sparkling Wine Has Quietly Evolved

For many years, Italian sparkling wine abroad was reduced to a single image: inexpensive, uncomplicated Prosecco designed to be drunk without much thought (or mixed into drinks). That image no longer reflects reality. Over the past twenty years, producers across Italy have revisited forgotten grape varieties, experimented beyond rigid appellation rules, and applied serious viticulture and winemaking to sparkling wines rather than treating them as an afterthought.

What has emerged is a far more interesting landscape, one where bubbles can express regional identity just as clearly as still wines do.

Here are some good examples of that shift in mindset:

Firriato: Charme Bianco (Sicily) Sicily is not the first place most people associate with sparkling wine, which is precisely why Charme is so compelling. Made from Chardonnay and Pinot Nero grown in a Mediterranean context, this wine shows how altitude, sea influence, and careful viticulture can preserve freshness even in a warm climate. Rather than trying to imitate northern European styles, Firriato opted for balance: ripe but not heavy, fresh without being sharp, composed rather than showy. It’s a reminder that Sicily’s diversity allows for far more than powerful reds and sun-drenched whites. And the great thing is that it is super versatile: oysters, grilled seafood, sashimi, or simple seafood pasta dishes where freshness matters more than weight.
Crifo: Cryfus Sixty CDM Bianco & Rosé (Apulia) These were for me a surprise and what makes them interesting is their grape choice. Instead of defaulting to international varieties, these wines are built around Bombino Bianco and Bombino Nero, two native Apulian grapes that have historically been undervalued. Bombino Bianco is naturally high in acidity and relatively neutral aromatically, which makes it ideal for sparkling wine. It delivers freshness and a subtle saline edge rather than overt fruitiness, resulting in a bianco that feels clean, precise, and quietly expressive. Bombino Nero, used for the rosé, brings more structure and a slightly savoury profile, allowing the wine to stand up to food without losing its brightness. These two are a great example of how Crifo relies on the Charmat method not just for easy drinking, but as a way to highlight local identity. They pair beautifully with burrata, fried seafood, roast duck, char siu, and many of the richer, flavour-driven dishes commonly found in Singapore.
Sandre: Rosato di Raboso Frizzante (Veneto) Raboso is one of those grape varieties whose name tells you everything you need to know. Derived from rabbioso, meaning “angry,” it’s a grape known for its strong acidity, assertive character, and for being hard to handle. It is native to Veneto, particularly areas influenced by the Piave River, and was traditionally used to bring backbone and freshness to blends. I’ll be honest, I had never heard of this before trying it when selecting what to bring to Singapore; Sandre uses this in both this and sparkling form; with the latter, the high acidity that once made it challenging becomes its greatest asset. It gives it energy, tension, and it feels like the sparkles come from electricity rather than bubbles. Basically, that “anger” express itself as vibrancy and life. Cold cuts, pizza, grilled vegetables, or shared plates where acidity cuts through richness and keeps the palate engaged.

What To Remember

The wine world is vast, probably much wider than you may have thought.
So do not limit yourself, don’t go chasing a single ideal or try to fit into predefined categories; this is not what Italian wines are about (and sparkling ones in particular). It’s about choices: of grapes, places, methods, and philosophies. The context I tried to provide is supposed to help rather than complicate things, and to make choosing a bottle feel more intuitive and more personal.

At their best, and like all wines, bubbles aren’t about rules or rituals: they’re about moments and the quiet pleasure of finding what feels just right for them.