This exploratory research examines the experiences and perceptions of sparkling wine amongst 50 members of Generation Y in Australia and New Zealand. Amongst this sample many young Australian females drink sparkling wine frequently, while many young New Zealanders –male and female – ‘binge drink’ cheap, sweet sparkling wines. Despite these trans‐Tasman differences in drinking patterns, the image of sparkling wine is the same across the cohort. Sparkling wine is seen as a ‘girls’ drink’, a drink for special occasions, and a social drink that makes the consumer ‘happy’. The paper concludes by outlining some areas for future research and implications for wine marketers and producers interested in attracting this youth market.