Brands of Sparkling Wine

There is more to sparkling wine than Champagne. For a sparkling wine to be labeled and sold as Champagne it must come from the Champagne region of France using strict government guidelines for every step of the process from growing and harvesting the grapes to aging the wine. Italy produces a highly regulated sparkling white wine called Prosecco. Sparkling wines produced in nonregulated regions must be marketed and sold as "sparkling wine."

Dom Perignon

  • The name Dom Perignon -- sometimes called simply "Dom" -- is synonymous with luxury and wealth. Dom Perignon is the vintage line of the high-end Champagne produced by Moet & Chandon. Their regular vintage line of Champagnes are aged seven years before being released for sale; Dom Perignon's "Enotheque" line is a reserve line of their regular champagne, released after aging 15, 20 or 30 years. Moet & Chandon markets a line of Champagne under the company label, but Dom Perignon is the most prestigious of their labels.

Zardetto Prosecco

  • Prosecco is a lightly sparkling Italian white wine. Unlike Champagne, Prosecco is known for its affordability. Rather than exclusivity, Prosecco's value is in its accessibility. It is often paired with a wide range of food and is often served as a before-dinner drink. The Italian Zardetto company produces Prosecco in many styles ranging from very dry to very sweet to suit a variety of tastes.

Domain Chandon

  • Owned by the French wine house Moet & Chandon, Domain Chandon is a winery producing sparkling wines in California's Napa Valley. Chandon sets itself apart from other American producers of sparkling wines by producing an array of classic, reserve and vintage styles that range from very dry to very sweet.