Typically it is served in fluted glasses; this is because, unlike regular wine which is swirled in a bowl-shaped wine glass to stir it up so the aroma may be enjoyed, sparkling wine is "self-stirring" from the carbonation, but a tall, narrow glass allows the maximum of surface area for bubbles to form.

Sparkling wine is typically either white or rose-style, but even red varieties exist, such as Italian Brachetto and Australian sparkling Shiraz. The "brut" style is drier, while the "doux" style is sweeter. Although actual Champagne is produced in the Champagne region of France, not all sparkling wines even from France are champagne; there is also Crémant, which is produced under very strict protocols such as hand-harvesting, and other French sparkling wines such as Blanquette de Limoux and Clairette de Die.

Other sparkling wines from around the world include Cava from Catalonia, spumante such as Asti and Prosecco from Italy, Sekt from Germany, Shiraz from Australia, and Cap Classique from South Africa. Some sparkling wine is said to be produced in the United States; however, an attempt to consume a bottle purchased off the shelf of an American grocery store will reveal that this is a mere rumor. It is instead left-over "Zinfandel" with some carbon dioxide injected, similar to how carbonated beverages are made.

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