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While the Champagne region in France may have a lock on the name, there are many other areas that produce top quality sparkling wines.

In English, they're called sparkling wines. Italians say Spumante. In German it's Sekt.

Besides champagne, France produces quite a few amazing sparkling wines, Vins Mousseux, that are grown and produced in regions other than Champagne. A number of other European counties have some extremely tasty offerings, as well.

In addition, California and New York, Australia and even the British Isles have begun making quite a few 'sparklers' with their own production of bubbly wines.

Around the Web, get more information about how sparkling wines are produced, a bit of related history, along with more on popular food pairings...

More information about sparkling wines around the Web:

Wine 101 - Sparkling Wines - A nice overall coverage of sparkling wines includes Champagne, Vins Mousseux, Spumante, Sekt and Cava.

Sparkling Wine - The complete rundown including information on the types of grapes used in its production with the various methods in its making, including related graphs and photos.

Quick and Easy Champagne and Sparkling Wine Food Pairings - The About.com guide featuring suggested pairings with various appetizers, cheeses and desserts.

Tom Stevenson's Champagne & Sparkling Wine Guide 2003 - The reviews may be a bit out of date, but the basic information on the methods used to created the sparkle is great. Tom ran a bit over deadline with this and wound up making it available online. It is a large file, but a nice reference to have, especially at the price!

Making Sparkling Wine From Kits - If you are brave enough to want to try making pressurized wines at home, this article explains how to produce your own naturally carbonated beverages. Be sure to listen to the warnings. If you've ever seen a glass soda bottle pop when shaken you have an idea of the results of making a mistake in this process. Flying glass is dangerous!

Champagne - Put Some Sparkle in Your Glass - Feature story with lots of good, practical information on a variety of sparkling wines and their origins, with related tips on food pairing.

Also see in Wine -> Wine Cellars & Storage | Champagne

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