Sparkling Wine Featured at the International White Wine Festival

A Global Perspective

Sparkling wine will be featured at the International White Wine Festival in February! At the event, we’ll celebrate sparkling wine made from around the world, one of the world’s most celebratory wines of all time.

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Taste With Courtney Humiston
2026 Sparkling Wine Educator

Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the elegance and diversity of sparkling wine at a dedicated tasting table led by Courtney Humiston—a respected wine critic for James Suckling and the winemaker behind the small-production California Crémant label, Delphinium. With a deep understanding of both classic and contemporary sparkling styles, Courtney will guide guests through bubbles from California and beyond.

Wines she’ll present include her own Delphinium Crémant, crafted using méthode traditionnelle from Anderson Valley grapes, alongside benchmark sparkling wines from some of her favorite regions making bubbles. Additional producers and cuvées to be announced.

Learn More About Sparkling Wine

Characteristics of Sparkling Wine

Sparkling wine is one of the most versatile and celebratory wine styles in the world, ranging from crisp and bone-dry to rich, yeasty, and complex. Its defining trait is effervescence—created through natural fermentation methods that trap carbon dioxide in the bottle. Whether made via méthode traditionnelle (as in Champagne) or ancestral/pét-nat methods, sparkling wine reflects the interplay of grape variety, terroir, and winemaking technique.

Typical flavor profiles include green apple, pear, citrus zest, brioche, toasted almond, and mineral notes. Some sparkling wines lean floral or fruity; others offer savory, aged complexity.

Regional Expressions

         1. Champagne, France Sparkling Wine

The gold standard for sparkling wine, Champagne is made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier using the traditional method. Expect fine bubbles, creamy textures, and flavors of brioche, lemon curd, green apple, and chalky minerality.      

        2. California Sparkling Wine

Cool-climate zones like Anderson Valley and the Mendocino Ridge AVA are emerging leaders in American sparkling wine. Wines from this region show bright acidity, subtle salinity, and expressive fruit—especially when crafted from traditional Champagne grapes. Styles range from Crémant-inspired bottlings (like Courtney Humiston’s Delphinium) to robust vintage cuvées aged en tirage.

        3. Loire Valley, France Sparkling Wine

Known for Crémant de Loire, these Chenin Blanc-based sparklers offer aromas of honeysuckle, quince, and white flowers, with fine bubbles and refreshing minerality.

4. Germany & Austria Sparkling Wine

These regions produce crisp, high-acid sparklings (Sekt), often made from Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, or Pinot Blanc, offering vibrant flavors of lime, green herbs, and stone fruit with a zesty finish.

Discover Sparkling Wine at the International White Wine Festival

From bone-dry Crémants to floral pét-nats and long-aged vintage méthode champenoise, this special table invites guests to taste the global language of bubbles.

Courtney Humiston—wine writer, educator, and sparkling winemaker—will lead an interactive exploration of how terroir, technique, and tradition shape the world’s most expressive sparkling wines. Learn how California’s Anderson Valley and Mendocino Ridge are emerging as premier regions for elegant, cool-climate bubbly, and taste how they compare with Old World icons.

Whether you’re a longtime sparkling lover or curious newcomer, this station is your chance to sip, learn, and celebrate the nuance behind the fizz.

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