While there are many sparkling wine regions around the globe, sparkling is mainly made from a blend of white grapes, and most of it is produced as a non-vintage wine, meaning that it's a blend of several vintages.
Generally speaking, non-vintage sparkling is fantastic, and tends to be less expensive than vintage sparkling—this is because a vintage year is only declared when growing conditions are especially favorable.
The convivial nature of sparkling is due in part to how it's made.
Following primary fermentation and bottling, a secondary alcoholic fermentation is induced in the bottle, which is achieved by the addition of yeast. The bubbles we love so much are a natural by product of this magical secondary fermentation, in the form of carbon dioxide.