The world's sparkling wines split by method: Prosecco gets its bubbles in a tank (the Charmat method), keeping it fresh and fruit-first, while Cava and the top California bruts ferment a second time in the bottle, like Champagne, for finer bubbles and toasty depth. At Del Mesa Liquor, our family-owned store in San Diego, California, the sparkling wine collection runs from an $11.99 Spanish Cava to a $32.99 Russian River Valley brut — and every bottle below is in stock and available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
Tank vs Bottle: Cava and Prosecco
Freixenet Cordon Negro Extra Dry Cava ($11.99) is Spain's black-bottle classic from Catalunya: the three traditional Penedès Cava grapes — Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada — fermented a second time in the bottle by the traditional method, with an Extra Dry dosage of 15 g/L that leaves it a step softer than a brut; the line joined the range in 1990. La Marca Prosecco ($18.99) takes the other road: Glera grapes from the Prosecco DOC hills around Treviso, in Italy's Veneto, fermented by the Charmat tank method — the house's "Method Italiano" — for a bright, fruit-first Extra Dry at 11% ABV, from a growers' cooperative founded in 1968 and representing some 5,000 growers. Browse the wider Prosecco shelf alongside it.
The Bottles in Stock
- Freixenet Cordon Negro Extra Dry Cava — $11.99. 750mL. Traditional-method Spanish Cava from Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada, Extra Dry at 15 g/L dosage.
- La Marca Prosecco Sparkling Wine — $18.99. 750mL, 11% ABV. Glera from Treviso, Charmat-method, Extra Dry and fruit-first.
- Korbel Brut Sparkling Wine — $19.99. 750mL, 12% ABV. California méthode champenoise cuvée of Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, French Colombard and Pinot Noir.
- Chandon Brut Sparkling Wine — $27.99. 750mL, 12% ABV. Traditional method; 68% Chardonnay, 28% Pinot Noir, 4% Meunier, rested 12–15 months on the lees.
- J Vineyards Cuvee Brut Sparkling Wine — $32.99. 750mL, 12.5% ABV. Russian River Valley traditional-method brut from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.
California Brut, Made the Champagne Way
Korbel Brut ($19.99) is the value traditional-method pour: a non-vintage cuvée blended across varieties, appellations and years by Korbel Champagne Cellars of Guerneville, Sonoma County — a house established in 1882 and owned by the Heck family since 1954 — and made by méthode champenoise at 12% ABV. Chandon Brut ($27.99) is the flagship of the first French-owned sparkling house established in California: 68% Chardonnay, 28% Pinot Noir and 4% Meunier with 15–20% reserve wine, rested 12–15 months sur latte before disgorgement, at a brut dosage of 9.5 g/L. J Vineyards Cuvee Brut ($32.99) comes from the Russian River Valley: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, whole clusters gently pressed in a French Coquard press, lots kept separate until blending, and extended lees ageing — a cuvée first introduced to mark the Healdsburg winery's 20th anniversary. For the French originals, compare our Champagne collection and the Champagne guide; learn more about the store on the about page or browse the blog index.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Prosecco, Cava and Champagne?
All three are sparkling wines, but they differ in place, grapes and method. Prosecco is Italian, made mainly from Glera and usually fermented in a tank (the Charmat method) for a fresh, fruity style. Cava is Spanish, made from grapes like Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada by the traditional bottle-fermentation method. Champagne is the traditional-method sparkling wine of France's Champagne region. California bruts like Chandon and J Vineyards use the same traditional method as Champagne and Cava.
What does Extra Dry mean on a sparkling wine label?
Confusingly, Extra Dry is sweeter than Brut. Brut is the drier style — Chandon Brut, for example, is dosed at 9.5 g/L of sugar — while Extra Dry sits a step softer: Freixenet's Cordon Negro Extra Dry Cava is dosed at 15 g/L, and La Marca Prosecco is an Extra Dry, off-dry style.
Which sparkling wine is best for mimosas?
A fruit-first, good-value bottle: La Marca Prosecco ($18.99) is the classic mimosa pour, and Freixenet Cordon Negro Extra Dry Cava ($11.99) is the budget traditional-method option. Save the bottle-fermented California bruts — Korbel ($19.99), Chandon ($27.99) and J Vineyards ($32.99) — for drinking straight, where their lees-aged complexity shows.
Where can I buy sparkling wine online?
Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, California stocks Freixenet Cava, La Marca Prosecco, Korbel Brut, Chandon Brut and J Vineyards Cuvee Brut, all available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor with nationwide shipping where permitted.