What is Sparkling Wine vs. Champagne?

Sparkling wine vs. Champagne is important – both are delicious! Sparkling Wine is a type of wine that has been fermented and bottled under pressure. The carbon dioxide gas produced during fermentation is captured in the bottle and creates bubbles when you open it, giving sparkling wines their characteristic fizziness. So, Champagne is sparkling wine that is made in Champagne, France, along with the history and traditions of that area. If the wine is not from that famous bubbly region of France, it cannot be called Champagne, even though many of these sparklers make it in the same method with the same grape varieties.

Sparkling Wine vs. Champagne Methods

There are several methods in making sparkling wine, each contributing to its distinct character and effervescence. Each method imparts its own nuances to the final product, offering a diverse array of sparkling wines to suit every palate.

Sparkling wines can made in several different ways:

• Traditional Method or Champagne Method: The traditional method, utilized in Champagne production, entails a secondary fermentation in the bottle, where a mixture of yeast and sugar is added to the base wine, creating bubbles. This method can involve adding sugar before bottling to increase alcohol content and create a sweeter taste profile, or leaving it out entirely to create an Extra Brut or Sauvage style (very crisp, no sugar added, Zero Dosage). Producers making Cava in Spain and sparkling wine in Franciacorta, Italy or Crémant de Limoux, France use the Traditional Method as well.
• Charmat Method: This involves conducting the secondary fermentation in large pressurized tanks, resulting in a crisper, fruitier profile. This is a common production process for Prosecco from Italy.
• Ancestral Method or Pétillant Naturel (Pét-Nat): This is the oldest technique, and involves bottling the wine before the primary fermentation completes, allowing carbon dioxide produced during fermentation to naturally carbonate the wine.
• Carbonation Process: This much simpler technique introduces carbon dioxide directly into still wine, yielding a more straightforward sparkling beverage. This is a fun way to make Sparkling Wine by the glass in a bar or tasting room. This is how soda-pop is created as well.

History of Sparkling Wine Vs. Champagne

Sparkling wine is a relatively new addition to the world of beverages, with its origins dating back only as far as the mid-17th century. However, once its popularity began to spread across Europe and beyond, it quickly became one of the most popular drinks in all of France.

Read about the history of Sparkling Wine vs. Champagne here.

Sparkling Wine & Champagne Grape Varieties

The world of sparkling wine is incredibly diverse, with numerous grape varieties used to craft a wide array of styles and flavors. Some of the most commonly used grape varieties for sparkling wine production include:

• Chardonnay: A versatile grape known for its ability to produce elegant and refined sparkling wines. It is a key component in many traditional method sparkling wines, including Champagne and Blanc de Blancs styles.
• Pinot Noir: Another important grape in traditional method sparkling wines, especially in Champagne. Pinot Noir contributes body, structure, and red fruit flavors to sparkling blends.
• Pinot Meunier: Often used alongside Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Champagne blends, Pinot Meunier adds fruitiness, depth, and floral aromatics.
• Chenin Blanc: Commonly found in Crémant de Loire and other sparkling wines from the Loire Valley, Chenin Blanc offers vibrant acidity, delicate fruit flavors, and floral aromatics.
• Glera: The primary grape variety used in Prosecco production, known for its fresh and fruity characteristics, including apple and pear notes.
• Riesling: Found in some German sparkling wines (Sekt) and Australian sparkling wines, Riesling contributes vibrant acidity, citrus flavors, and floral aromatics.
• Grüner Veltliner: Used in Austrian sparkling wines (Sekt), Grüner Veltliner offers crisp acidity, green apple flavors, and peppery notes.
• Albariño: Found in some Spanish sparkling wines (Espumoso), Albariño contributes refreshing acidity, citrus fruit flavors, and mineral notes.
• Gamay: Used in some sparkling wines from the Beaujolais region of France, Gamay provides bright red fruit flavors and a lively character.
• Merlot: Occasionally used in sparkling wine production, particularly in rosé sparkling wines, Merlot adds soft tannins, red fruit flavors, and a round mouthfeel.

These are just a few examples of the grape varieties used in sparkling wine production around the world. Each grape brings its own unique characteristics to the final blend, contributing to the diversity and complexity of sparkling wines available to consumers.

Sparkling Wine Production Process

Sparkling wine production is a complex process that involves several steps.

The first step is fermentation, which takes place in large tanks or vats where yeast is added to grape juice and allowed to ferment until it becomes alcoholic.

After fermentation, sparkling wine undergoes a secondary fermentation process called “maceration.” During maceration, the second batch of yeast (known as “lees”) sinks to the bottom of the tank with tartaric acid crystals that form during primary fermentation; these compounds give sparkling wines their characteristic flavor profile and mouthfeel.

Then comes bottling: bottles are filled with still wine before being sealed with corks or stoppers made from natural cork bark–a renewable resource harvested from trees grown specifically for this purpose–and topped off with wire cages called “capsules” (which prevent any escaping gases from causing your bottlecap to pop off.

Sparkling Wine Labels and Marketing

• Labeling regulations are often a bit confusing, but they’re not as difficult to understand as you might think. There are two general categories of sparkling wine labels: those that identify the type of sparkling wine and those that do not.
• The first category termssparkling,” “champagne” or “prestige cuvée” on the label. These terms indicate that the product is made from grapes grown in Champagne (France), has been produced by traditional methods, and conforms to certain standards established by European law. When these words appear on a label without any modifiers (such as “Champagne”) they serve only to identify where the grapes were grown; if any modifiers are present (such as “California Champagne”), then it indicates both where they were grown and how they were made into sparkling wine–but only if those processes meet certain criteria set forth by European law.*
• The second category includes words like “sparkling” or “champagne-style.” These terms indicate that although no specific region has been mentioned on the label, this particular style of wine has been produced using traditional methods similar to those used when making true Champagnes–but without actually come from anywhere near France!

Sparkling Wine and Food Pairings

Sparkling wine is a great pairing for many foods. It’s best to avoid pairing sparkling wines with spicy dishes, however, since they can clash and overpower each other.

Some traditional Sparking Wine food parings:

• Caviar, oysters
• Cheese…all the cheese!
• Fish & poultry
• Potato chips, popcorn
• Desserts
• Holiday meals

Serving Sparkling Wine

When you’re ready to serve your sparkling wine, there are a few things to keep in mind. Sparkling wines should be served at a cooler temperature than traditional still wines. The ideal serving temperature for Champagne is and degrees Fahrenheit (7-10 degrees Celsius). If you’re serving non-vintage Champagne or other sparkling wines that have been aged in the bottle for several years, they may benefit from being stored at slightly lower temperatures (around 40 degrees F/5 C).

The most important thing when serving sparkling wine is not how cold it is but whether or not the bottle has been opened previously. Once opened, all of the carbonation will escape from your bottle within 24 hours unless you have an airtight stopper on of it–and then some will still escape over time! This means that if someone wants some bubbly after dinner one night but doesn’t finish their glass before bedtime… well… let’s just say don’t expect much fizz left when morning comes around again!

All 150 local Sparking Wine producers in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties – California’s Central Coast Wine Country