48. Wine Tasting Series: Mini Wine Tastings You Can Do at Home! – #3 Sparkling Wine Styles

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In this episode of Wine Educate, host Joanne Close dives into the bubbly world of sparkling wine—specifically two production methods you’ll encounter in both WSET exams and your favorite wine shops: the Traditional Method and the Ancestral Method (also known as pét-nat).

You’ll learn:

• The step-by-step process of how Traditional Method wines like Champagne and Cava are made

• How pét-nat wines differ, including their natural fizz and sediment (aka fondo)

• Why Limoux might’ve made sparkling wine before Dom Pérignon (controversial, but fun!)

• Tips on what to buy, how to taste, and what to discuss in your study or tasting group

• What “snow globing” a pét-nat means—and whether you should try it

This episode is part of the Wine Tasting Series: Mini Wine Tastings You Can Do at Home!—a fun, educational way to build your sensory memory and tasting confidence.

Resources & Links:

• Sign up for the Wine Educate Newsletter to get the Episode 48 tasting worksheet, wine suggestions, and group discussion prompts

• Learn more about WSET classes with Wine Educate

• Explore upcoming 2026 trips

How to Contact Us:

• Website: www.wineeducate.com

• Email: joanne@wineeducate.com

• Instagram: @wineeducate