Beyond Champagne: Traditional-method wines around the world
From informal gatherings to indulgent dinners and New Year’s Eve parties, this festive season offers a wonderful opportunity to discover exciting traditional-method sparkling wines from across the globe.
Champagne itself will always be a beacon for sparkling lovers, but a host of top medals at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2025 (DWWA) recently showcased stunning work by producers in California, the UK, Spain and Italy, plus those in up-and-coming Tasmania and lesser-explored corners of the vinous universe, such as China’s Ningxia region – to name a few.
While styles and grape varieties vary, traditional-method sparkling wines all undergo a secondary fermentation in the bottle, followed by a period of ageing on the lees (the spent yeasts remaining in the bottle), in a process similar to Champagne.
Many bottles develop enthralling complexity that is often balanced by a backbone of refreshing acidity – making them strong contenders for the dinner table, as well as for aperitifs with canapés.
Scroll down to discover 15 top-scoring sparkling wines from DWWA 2025
Why not try a vintage Cava or Chardonnay-led style with seafood dishes? Or even pour a Blanc de Noirs, made with all black grapes, with roast turkey.
There’s no shortage of options among the delicious wines featured below. All have navigated DWWA’s rigorous judging process and promise to add extra sparkle to all manner of festive celebrations.
Explore the full results from DWWA 2025 at awards.decanter.com
Australia
House of Arras, Blanc de Blancs Brut, Tasmania 2016
95 Gold
£81-£87 Liberty Wines, Loki Wines
A fabulous fusion of white flower, ripe peach and vanilla brioche aromas with a taut, mineral backbone and stunning sea breeze effervescence. Long and accomplished. Alcohol 12.7%
Austria
R Schlumberger, Grosse Reserve Chardonnay Brut, Poysdorf 2017
96 Gold
Delicate notes of pear, apple and lemon blossom intertwine with a pearly mousse and precise, vivid acidity. Stylish and persistent with a long, smoky finish. Alc 13%
China
Devo Winery, MV03 Brut Nature, Helan Mountain East, Ningxia NV
95 Gold
Captivating red apple, lemon peel and stone fruits persist, swirling over a bedrock of biscuits and toasted brioche. Delicate mousse and a long and impressive finish. Alc 12.5%
Croatia
Zure, Quinta Essentia Grk Brut, Lumbarda, Coastal 2016
95 Gold
A complex mix of syrupy yellow plum, lemon and ginger on the nose with a toasted sourdough croissant warmth, buttery texture and firm, mineral finish. Alc 13%
France
Bouvet Ladubay, Ogmius Saumur Brut, Loire 2015 (magnum)
97 Platinum
Tasted in magnum. Zesty citrus and green apple fruit with wisps of crushed rocks and seashells on the nose. A compelling savoury complexity pervades the palate, with delightful lemon acidity infusing soothing creamy mousse and decadent mineral length. Alc 12.5%
Hungary
Kreinbacher, Classic Brut, Wine of Hungary 2019 (magnum)
97 Platinum
£32/75cl Best of Hungary
Tasted in magnum. Complex aromas of lemon curd and red apples meet toasted brioche and walnuts. In the glass, a fine mousse precedes a palate of searing saline tension and verdantly fresh acidity. Very long. Alc 12.5%
Italy
Freccianera, Casa delle Colonne Riserva Zero Dosage, Franciacorta, Lombardy 2015
97 Platinum
£90 Thorman Hunt
White smoke and steely mineral aromas, then a palate full of lipsmacking citrus and creamy almond biscuits with fresh, grassy inflections. Lively and fleshy, with a beaming line of acidity and a profoundly long finish. Alc 13%
Japan
Hokkaido Wine, Traditional Method Type C Brut, Hokkaido NV
96 Gold
Pear, apple and honeysuckle aromas fold gently into a gorgeous pastry core, supplemented by an elegant mousse, bracing acidity and a joyfully mineral-infused finish. Alc 12%
New Zealand
Mumm, Blanc de Noirs, Central Otago NV
96 Gold
An expressive display of red florals, Pink Lady apples, white peaches and citrus on a cushion of brioche, with fine bubbles and fresh, lively acidity. Alc 12%
Slovenia
Dveri Pax, DP Brut, Stajerska Slovenija, Podravje 2014
96 Gold
Attractive nougat, honeyed stone fruit and biscuit aromas roll on through the seamless, gossamer mousse, the palate freshened by a crackling seam of citrus acidity. Alc 11.5%
South Africa
Van Loveren, Christina Cap Classique Brut, Robertson NV
96 Gold
£17.40 Rakq
A delicious interplay of crisp apple, blood orange and shortbread biscuit enhanced by a rounded, creamy texture, wonderful effervescence and juicy lemon acidity. Alc 11.5%
Spain
Can Sala, Vinyes de Can Sala Cava Brut Nature, Penedès, Catalonia 2015
97 Platinum
Opulent aromas of ripe mango, peach and nectarine are enveloped in notes of freshly baked bread crust and toasted almonds. An impeccable harmony of structure and acidity is topped off by a fine and persistent mousse. Captivating. Alc 12.5%
UK
Sugrue South Downs, The Trouble with Dreams, Hampshire, England 2009 (magnum)
97 Best in Show
The DWWA has been open to Champagne magnums since 2023, and this year we opened the competition to sparkling wine magnums from all origins. And it was an English sparkling, not a Champagne, that was the first to find its way in magnum to the Best in Show selection. The generous 2009 vintage helped its creators build a magnificent blend, in which each of the three classical Champagne varieties (60% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir, 10% Meunier) plays a role. Fifteen years in bottle has given the always-masterful English acidity the brooding time it needs, and the result is fresh, wide and bracing on the nose, and searchlight-deep on the palate. The acidity still very much forms the structure here, but it’s not hard to imagine stone, sand and salt on the move in the background. The producer has now sold out, but if you ever get the chance to try it, you’ll find texture and even glycerol as the acid wave pulls back after you’ve swallowed. It’s still a youngster, full of energy and jubilation. Alc 12.5%
Bluestone, Blanc de Noirs Brut, Wiltshire, England 2019
97 Platinum
Abundant apricot, peach, cherry skin and floral aromas bask in the soft, broad texture and supple mousse. Focused and vibrant with tapering acidity and a tingling black tea element on the finish. Long and rewarding. Alc 12%
USA
Chandon, Etoile Brut, Los Carneros, California NV
97 Platinum
US$55-$80 Widely available nationally
Singing with ripe yellow apple and citrus aromas combining flawlessly with warm toasted brioche. A delightfully tangy acidity cleanses the palate and the fine mousse billows towards a delectably textured ending. Long and enduring. Alc 12%
Search all DWWA 2025 award-winning wines
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