Bubbly Beverages are Booming

While recent trends show a rise in popularity of wine in general, there has been particularly high numbers of consumption of sparkling wines, most notably the Italian national drink, Prosecco.

Traditionally enjoyed in Italy as an aperitif, during meals and for special occasions, Prosecco is an everyday drink, popular for its light flavor, low alcohol content and affordability. While Italy still tops the list for production and consumption of bubbly beverages, it is increasingly enjoyed in countries all over the world.

Sip some Edoardo Miroglio from the Nova Zagora region of Bulgaria, Cattier from the Champagne region of France, Wiston Estate from the Sussex region of England, Benjamin Bridge from the Nova Scotia region of Canada, or Chandon sparkling wines from Napa Valley.

While sparkling wine has long been degraded as inferior to French Champagne, the drink is quickly breaking from stereotypes that claim it is less flavorful and dynamic than the popular French variety. The bubbling over of sparkling wine popularity has allowed for countries not recognized previously as wine producers to break onto the scene. In England, for example, hectarage of planted vines more than doubled and is on track to grow by 50 percent by 2020, according to a report from English Wine Producers. Similarly, there is a trend of increased imports of sparkling wines in countries that previously showed lesser interest in the beverage. For example, 2015 marked the seventh consecutive year of growth for sparkling wine imports and consumption in the United States, with a sales increase of 10 percent last year alone.

The recent rise in popularity of sparkling wines demonstrates wine is no longer an exclusively elite commodity. Whether it is enjoyed at weddings and other special events, or simply accompanying a meal, more and more people of all demographics are drinking sparkling wine, giving whole new meaning to the phrase “break out the bubbly.”