What is the difference between sparkling wine and Champagne?

When you buy a bottle of bubbly, you might notice that only some of the bottles bear the name “Champagne.” Why is this? After all, sparkling wines all have that trademark pop of the cork that affords you access to refreshing effervescence. This difference comes down to location. Champagne is sparkling wine made from grapes grown, fermented, and bottled in Champagne, France. European law dictates that no sparkling wines produced further than 100 miles outside of this little corner of France can bear the name. However, while it used to be thought that Champagne was superior to other sparkling wines, that is no longer the case. Today, you can find sparkling wines all over the world that rival Champagne in complexity, flavor, and merit.

Are there variations in flavor?

Sparkling wines do vary in flavor, which is why you should taste several types to determine your favorite. Some are sweet and some are dry, some taste of citrus or fruits like melon, peach, pear, or apple. And because the traditional method of making Champagne uses yeast, sparkling wines that taste bready are very desirable. Sparkling wine labelled “Brut” is a completely dry sparkling wine. Interestingly, a label of “extra dry” is less dry than Brut and slightly sweeter, with a softer mouthfeel. Prosecco is much sweeter than Champagne, Cava is very similar to Champagne, and sparkling wines made in the U.S. come in a wide range of flavors.

Champagne Making Practices

Champagne is made using the “methode champenoise,” which creates the bubbles completely inside the bottle during secondary fermentation, in a way that requires the winemaker to handle each bottle several times. This method begins with grapes being picked and fermented into still wine, after which the winemaker blends different base wines into what the French call a “cuvée.” Yeast and sugars are added to this blend, and the wines are bottled. Inside the bottles, the wine ferments, gaining 1.3 percent more alcohol, as well as CO2 that stays trapped in the bottle and carbonates the wine. The wine is then aged for several months, then clarified by settling the bottles upside down so that dead yeast cells accumulate in the neck of the bottle. Sediment is then removed from the bottle in a process called disgorging. The final step is dosage, in which a mixture of wine and sugar is added, and the bottles are corked, wired, and labelled.

“All Champagne is sparkling wine, but not all sparkling wine is Champagne”

This is the first thing to remember when debating sparkling wine vs Champagne. After all, Champagne technically is sparkling wine! True Champagnes can only be made in the Champagne region of France, from seven specific types of grapes, using the traditional method of production. Elsewhere, the Charmat method is used to create sparkling wines, which include Prosecco, Lambrusco, and Asti Spumante in Italy, Sekt in Germany, and U.S. sparkling wines, including the delicious varieties produced at Aurora Cellars. The Charmat method, also known as the metodo Italiano, is a winemaking technique that uses carbonation in large steel tanks to trap bubbles in wine. In the French, it’s called cuve close, which means “sealed tank,” and it has only been used over the last 500 years. In Italy, it’s known as the Martinotti method, after the Italian named Federico Martinotti, a winemaker who invented and patented the process in 1895 before it was refined by a Frenchman named Eugene Charmat, whose name stuck in the rest of the world. It begins with the creation of a base wine that isn’t carbonated, and this wine is mixed with sugar and yeast. The mixture is then put in a large, closed pressure tank, where a second fermentation occurs. Because of the pressure, carbon dioxide resulting from the fermentation is forced into the wine. Once the second fermentation is completed, in one to six weeks, the bubbly wine is filtered and bottled.

Types of Champagne & Sparkling Wine

In Spain, the same method that is used to make Champagne is used to produce Cava. In Italy, Austria, and Germany, a The Charmat method is used. Sparkling wine made in France but outside of Champagne is known as Crémant, even though the two types of wine use the same fermentation process. When this bubbly beverage is produced in the United States, it is usually called sparkling wine.

Why do they have such different prices?

The price of a wine is determined by a few factors. Labor intensive production methods like the methode champenoise will raise the price of a bottle. The Charmat method takes less time and effort, so the wines made this way are typically less expensive. The value of the land where the grapes were grown also comes into play when determining the price, as does the availability of the wine. When a wine is scarce, it will be more expensive.

How should you choose between a sparkling wine and Champagne?

The answer is simple: drink what you like! Price and prestige are not as important as enjoying what you are drinking, so do some tasting and find your favorite. Do you like dry or sweet sparkling wine? Fine bubbles or coarse? Do you like a sparkling wine that tastes citrusy, fruity, or bready? Once you know the answers to these questions you can decide which sparkling wine you prefer. While champagne may be more expensive, sparkling wines made using the Charmat method have some distinct advantages. Because the sparkling wines made with this method are bottled right after their secondary fermentation, with no additional aging, they have a fresh fruit character. Aromatic grapes like Moscato and Riesling work beautifully with the Charmat method, which helps retain the grape’s natural aromas. Additionally, wines made with the Charmat method have softer condensation, and are crystal clear, with no sediment ever in the bottles.

Try Sparkling Wine Produced Right Here in Michigan

If you’re interested in tasting award-winning wines from a boutique winery, you owe it to yourself to check out Aurora Cellars. Sibling-owned-and-operated, Aurora Cellars is on a unique and exciting property in the heart of the Leelanau peninsula, where compact clay soil and rolling hills provide the perfect place to grow and produce world-class wines in a spectacular setting. While relaxing in the ambience of our gorgeous vineyard and the old-world charm of our tasting room, you can enjoy a premier wine tasting experience. We offer an assortment of award-winning red wine, white wine, sparkling wine, and rosé, and for those whose palate leans away from wine, we offer Michigan-grown heirloom apple cider. Whether you want to come for a wine tasting tour or you’re interested in the vineyard as an outstanding venue, Aurora Cellars is the place to be. Visit us today!