National Bubbly Day

Let the good times roll and enjoy a sparkling drink in honor of National Bubbly Day, which is celebrated each year on the first Saturday in June. Founded by America’s leading cava brand, Freixenet, this holiday represents not only the sparkling wine the company is famous for but also the happy effervescent feeling that this month (aka summer) brings to everyone.

HISTORY OF NATIONAL BUBBLY DAY

Wine, even sparkling wine, has been around for centuries, showing up in writings by monks and other holy people. Indications are that some forms of wine have been the result of happy accidents. Traditionally, sparkling wines have been celebratory drinks specially imbibed during festive times.

The region of Champagne in France had attempted to rival the wine of its neighboring region, Burgundy, which made silky-textured pink-hued wine from Pinot Noir grapes. Unfortunately, Champagne’s chilly weather and sour grapes caused problems. Sugars, which had to be added to sweeten the taste, remained undissolved in the wine and would bubble up and often explode. The bottles that survived this had bubbles in them! Of course, this gained favor with the French royalty. Much of this region’s success can be attributed to monk Dom Pérignon, whose idea was to use red wine grapes carefully separated from their skins — a major development in Champagne production.

After they began shipping this wine around the world, it gained popularity among the English nobility, too, and was primarily a luxury drink. In pre-Industrial-Revolution France, however, most winemakers still tried to eliminate the pesky bubbles. Still, champagne’s popularity caused it to become a deliberately made luxury good.

Countries like Italy and South Africa also have a rich history of winemaking dating back to the 17th century. At home, sparkling wines have long been produced in the Golden State, except during Prohibition. While the usage of the name ‘champagne’ has been subject to restrictions, historic winemakers continue to make California Champagne.

The U.S. branch of Freixenet, called Freixenet Cava, founded this day to celebrate the wine that makes all celebrations pop. Legend credits the making of cava with a winemaker named Josep Raventós Fatjó who wanted to create bubbles in his wine. A native of Penedès in Catalonia, Josep’s family had been making wine under the Codorníu label for centuries. When he wanted to try his hand at creating ‘bubbly’ wine, he mixed Macabeu, Parellada, and Xarel-lo grapes, which are traditionally found in Penedès. His request for caves (‘cava’) to be dug inspired the name ‘Cava’.

NATIONAL BUBBLY DAY TIMELINE

1531: Early Writings About Wine Begin

The monks of Saint-Hilaire write about the Blanquette de Limoux wine from Languedoc.

17th Century: The Champagne Bottle and Cork is Born

While accounts differ in terms of who the creator was — some historians believe it was the English and others credit Benedictine monk Dom Pérignon — the official thick glass champagne bottle and cork is invented during this time.

1600s: Sugar in Wine

French winemakers decide to add sweetness to their bubbly and embrace the bubbles, too.

18th Century: The ‘Bubbly’ Effect is Discovered

English chemist Joseph Priestley — who also discovered oxygen — investigates a way to preserve water on ships when he accidentally discovers artificial carbonation.

1729: Oldest Champagne House is Founded

Called Ruinart, this is the oldest established Champagne house, which starts shipping bubbly 36 years later.

19th Century: Systematic Production Begins

The Industrial Revolution spurs the systematic production of champagnes.

1805: One Woman Spurs Champagne’s Popularity

27-year-old widow Madame Clicquot takes over her father-in-law’s business and introduces the French nobility to her Champagne during multiple Versailles fetes.

1872: ‘Cava’ Becomes a Thing!

Winemaker Josep Raventós Fatjó makes special bubbly wine and is so pleased with the results, he calls for a cave (‘cava’) to be dug so he can produce more — this spawns the regional designation of ‘Cava.’

1860s: California Gets in on the Action

Sparkling wines are produced in the Golden State.

1914: Freixenet Cava Comes into the World

The wine well-known for its iconic black bottle is introduced.

1970s: Winemaking Increases in Italy

The Ferrari family starts making top-quality, traditional-method sparkling wine in the Alpine region of Trento.

2005: The Name ‘Champagne’ is Banned

Winemakers now cannot use the name ‘champagne’ on labels of wine bottles produced in California.

NATIONAL BUBBLY DAY FAQS

What is bubbly wine?

Sparkling wine, sometimes called ‘bubbly,’ is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it, making it fizzy.

What is the most famous bubbly?

Dom Pérignon Champagne, Laurent Perrier Champagne, and Prosecco are some famous sparkling wines.

Why are there bubbles in beer and champagne?

Fermentation — a process by which wine is made — releases carbon dioxide, causing bubbles to form in beer and sparkling wine. In champagne and other sparkling wines, they pop, while in beer, they form the beer’s head.

HOW TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL BUBBLY DAY

Have a wine-tasting

Get ready to party the high-society way. Grab a bottle of bubbly and throw a little wine-tasting (with cheese platters, of course!) for friends and family. Stuck at home? Take the party online and task every attendee with sourcing their own wine (it can be a new brand they have never tried before) and ask everyone to rate their contribution.

Innovate your own bubbly cocktail

Bored with the taste of regular bubbly? That’s okay, simply create your own unique flavor. Try out recipes for special cocktails online, or go ahead and channel a mixologist by creating your own flavor.

Drink a glass of Freixenet Cava

They founded the day so the least we can do is taste the wine that inspired it. We checked, and Freixenet Cava is available at leading grocery stores around America, as well as in specialty wine and spirits locations. You can confirm availability on their website or their social media pages.

FUN FACTS ABOUT NATIONAL BUBBLY DAY

You can’t label just anything ‘champagne’

Only sparkling wine made in the Champagne region of France with certain types of grapes and a specific method can be called champagne, legally.

Pop the cork, but carefully!

Champagne corks can reach speeds of 40 mph (64 kph) — the record for the longest flight of a cork is more than 177 feet (54 meters).

Champagne’s cellars are a UNESCO site

UNESCO listed the wine cellars from Champagne in France as a World Heritage Site in 2015.

Marilyn Monroe bathed in it

Marilyn Monroe once took a bath in champagne — it took 350 bottles of bubbly to fill up her bathtub.

You can add your own bubbles!

If your bubbly has gone flat, simply add a bit of sugar to your glass before pouring it out of the bottle.

WE LEARN WHERE OUR SPARKLING WINE COMES FROM

We learn where our sparkling wine comes from

We are always ready to celebrate with a bottle of sparkling wine, but we never put much thought into how our bubbly came to be. National Bubbly Day gives us insight into how this wine came to be while introducing us to the history of sparkling wines. We don’t know about you, but we love learning how happy accidents, weather, and even flavors of grapes can influence the bubbly in our glass.

We learn more about bubbly

Sparkling wine is more than just a celebratory drink to be pulled out at special events. A glass of bubbly is perfect with food like fish and chips, sushi, and other seafood. The acidity in this wine pairs well with the fats and oils in the fish. You can grab a slightly sweeter version to pair with desserts. Without National Bubbly Day, we would not know these little titbits, or that Dom Pérignon did not, in fact, invent champagne. Knowledge like this not only enhances our dining experience, but we also turn into connoisseurs of wine while we are at it.

It makes us feel posh

Let’s admit it, drinking bubbly makes us feel sophisticated. And, knowing more about its history can make us feel right at home in any setting. We can even wow our friends and family with our titbits of information.

NATIONAL BUBBLY DAY DATES

Year	Date	Day
2022	June 4	Saturday
2023	June 3	Saturday
2024	June 1	Saturday
2025	June 7	Saturday
2026	June 6	Saturday