When discussing the origins of sparkling wine, we can only pinpoint the first recorded instance rather than what might have occurred before. This evidence, however, needs further interpretation to ascertain whether its effervescence was intentional.
The earliest recorded sparkling wine often cited is mentioned in the Bible. In the King James Bible (1611), passages in Matthew, Mark, and Luke warn against putting “new wine into old bottles” since the fermentation process would lead to the bursting of these vessels. However, the reference is a metaphorical teaching from Jesus, emphasizing that his new ideas required a fresh approach, rather than a technical commentary on the winemaking process.
Interestingly, these "bottles" were not glass, as evidenced by the earlier Codex Sinaiticus (c. 325–360 CE), which uses the word ἀσκοὺς (askous), meaning wineskins. This implies an understanding of fermentation and the potential for explosive expansion, but it does not provide definitive proof for a specific date.
Going further back, Galen, the ancient Greek physician, wrote between 169-180 CE about wineskins bursting due to the buildup of gases from fermenting must. This ancient observation hints at the phenomena associated with the earliest spontaneous sparkling wines.
The first intentional sparkling wine is credited to Francesco Scacchi, who documented it in 1622, predating Christopher Merret, often associated with this innovation in 1662. Scacchi’s work, De Salubri Potu Dissertatio, describes the method where winemakers inhibited fermentation to create a "biting" wine. He linked the build-up of carbon dioxide during fermentation to the sensory experience of drinking sparkling wine, showing early comprehension of the process.
Scacchi elucidates how winemakers would tightly seal their jars, preventing gases from escaping and resulting in an excess of effervescence when the wine was poured. He offers a description of how sparkling wine would behave upon being poured into a glass, showcasing an understanding of the process well before what is conventionally attributed to Merret.
Although Merret presented the concept of liqueur de tirage to initiate sparkling wine production, the reality is that French winemakers were already engaging in these practices nearly 40 years earlier. By the 18th century, the drinking of sparkling wine—specifically sparkling Champagne—was popularized, leading to further developments in winemaking techniques.
Thus, the history of sparkling wine reveals its complex evolution, from ancient observations to intentional production methods, showcasing the craft’s development over centuries.