Sparkling qualities that promise bubbles of happiness

Production of sparkling wine in Italy is known as the "Charmat process" or metodo Italiano. The wine undergoes secondary fermentation in stainless steel tanks rather than the bottle. The French way of making champagne - known as mthode champenoise - involves several stages, much of it by hand, which partly explains why champagne is so expensive.

The Italian oenologist Federico Martinotti appears to have invented the process but French winemaker Eugene Charmat patented it in 1907, which explains why the process is named after M. Charmat.

In the late 1930s, Antonio Carpene Jr adapted the Italian process to Prosecco grapes. Prosecco is native to the cool Veneto region in northeastern Italy, and is one of the country's oldest varieties. Grapes are hand harvested early in the morning to retain freshness and flavor, and then whole-bunch pressed to ensure varietal flavors are captured.