Should You Swirl Sparkling Wine?

Swirling the glass is a key step in properly tasting wine. The biggest reason behind this practice is that it aerates and oxygenates the liquid, which in turn, “opens up” the wine—a.k.a. helps one detect more aromas and flavor notes.

“Swirling wine gets a small amount of air into the wine to release its aromas and carry them to your nose, making for an overall better tasting experience,” says wine expert and educator Desiree Harrison-Brown.

But should one also swirl sparkling wine, be it Champagne, Cava, Prosecco or any other effervescent bottling? In general, the answer is no. Swirling these wines can potentially compromise one of the main reasons to drink (and taste!) them—the bubbles themselves.

Swirling Bubbles Can Deflate Them

“Swirling releases carbon dioxide, which is responsible for the bubbles in sparkling wine,” says Dr. Marinda Kruger, Firstleaf’s Head of Winemaking. “By swirling, you expedite the loss of these bubbles, diminishing the effervescence that is a key characteristic of sparkling wine.”

Those bubbles are more than just pleasant pops on the tongue. When bubbles lift in a glass, they bring aromas to the drinker’s nose. They’re essentially self-swirling, in a way.

“Sparkling wines typically don’t benefit from [swirling], as the carbonation in the wine is already doing this for you,” says Lydia Richards, a wine expert and public relations professional.

Finding the Right Drinking Vessel

So how do you properly taste sparkling wine? Start by pouring a small amount into a flute, tulip or white wine glass. Richards personally prefers a tulip or white wine glass: “As much as I love the sleek feel of a flute wine glass, [a white wine glass] gives you more room to get your nose in the glass and enjoy the aromas of the wine.”

Once the sparkling wine is poured, take a moment to observe its rising bubbles. “After appreciating the appearance, gently bring the glass to your nose to take in the aromas,” Richards says. “A gentle swirl may be permissible if the wine is particularly closed, but it’s generally better to let the bubbles do the work.”

If you find that the sparkling wine is tasting closed off, it may be that you’re serving it at the wrong temperature. Most likely, you’re serving it too cold.

“Sparkling wine is best served around 40 to 50°F, with traditional method sparklers like Champagne and Cava, and richer styles (like vintage Champagne) showing better at the upper limits of that range,” she says.

Exceptions to the “No Swirling” Rule

There are a few times where a sparkling might do well with a little bit of a swirl, particularly when tasting seriously (and not just leisurely drinking).

In particular, some older vintages could arguably do with a bit of a swirl—what you lose in bubbles, you potentially make up for in complex aromas, which can be more easily detected following a swirl.

“For older vintage Champagnes or other aged sparkling wines, the bubbles may be finer and less vigorous,” says Kruger. “Gently swirling can help to release more of the complex aromas that have developed over time.” That said, most experts say this is really only necessary if you’re interested in getting geeky with it—it will likely result in popping all those wonderful bubbles necessary for an optimal drinking experience. “I wouldn’t recommend it unless you are interested in getting to the ‘nitty gritty’ and tasting it in its still version,” she stresses.

Kruger adds that low-carbonation wines, like “like pétillant naturel (pét-nat) or frizzante styles,” have naturally less effervescence, and thus, “in these cases, a gentle swirl can help release aromas without compromising the wine’s texture too much.”

Other wines, like Lambrusco, other sparkling reds or additional sparkling wines with higher residual sugars can also stand up to a bit of a swirl. In the case of sparkling reds, they often have a more robust aromatic profile, which can benefit from a gentle swirl to fully release the bouquet. Wines with higher residual sugars could even benefit from a “slight swirl” to “better integrate and release the fruit-forward aromas without significantly affecting the overall effervescence,” says Kruger.

All experts note that sometimes, particularly for those in the wine industry, swirling becomes second nature—so don’t fret too much if you end up giving the glass a slight swirl before realizing.

“Admittedly, I swirl every glass that I pick up out of sheer habit—even water, by accident,” says Harrison-Brown. Whether you swirl or not, only one thing is truly needed when drinking sparkling wine: the joy that comes from sipping some bubbles.