Bubbles 101 ~ The Difference Between Champagne, Prosecco and Cava

They all sparkle!!!!
They all taste fantastic!!!!!
They all pop, fizz & bubble!!!!
But that's pretty much where the similarities end.


Have you ever browsed the aisles at your local liquor store or if your fortunate enough, browsed the bubbly section of your local Target & wondered what makes a Cava a Cava & a Champagne a Champagne?

Thankfully for you, I have all the bubbly 101 answers for you right here in this post! So next time your at a girls night & your bestie breaks out the bottle of prosecco, you can wow the crowd with your bubbly knowledge!!!

CHAMPAGNE

• Champagne is only made in France

• Champagne is made from three grapes: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay

​•Champagne gets fizzy via a labor-intensive process called méthode Champenoise.

​• Only Champagnes can legally use the term méthode Champenoise.

• Before Champagne is corked, each bottle is spiked with the dosage — a mixture of sugar and wine that determines the bottle's final level of sweetness.

​• That sweetness level is indicated on the bottle.

• The term you see on a Champagne bottle, "Brut", means the Champagne is on the dry side.

Don't drink Champagne from a large cup

​In a large cup the Champagne gets warm very quickly so the champagne is no longer refreshing. Also, the bubbles will go very quickly and the flavors will also go very quickly so you miss part of the experience.

Do drink Champagne from a flute

PROSECCO

• Prosecco comes from Italy
​
• Prosecco is made from a grape varietal now known as Glera.

• Unlike Champagne or Cava, Prosecco’s secondary fermentation occurs in tanks rather than individual bottles.

• This process, known as charmat, is cheaper and faster than the méthode Champenoise.

• Prosecco tends to be sweeter than the average Champagne or Cava making it the better option for bubbly newbies or sweet wine lovers.

​• Prosecco now outsells Champagne worldwide.

Don't Decant Prosecco

Decanting Prosecco, or anything that bubbles for that matter is something I don't advise.
​
Wine is put in a carafe to better express the aromas because you increase the contact with the air and oxygen. In bubbly, the bubbles massively increase the exchange between the wine and the air, and as a result it's not needed.

CAVA

•Cava is from Spain

• Cava undergoes the exact same production process as Champagne.

• However, the Spanish process is known as traditionelle, instead of méthode Champenoise, as only wine makers in France may legally label their products méthode Champenoise.

• The most common grapes used in Cava production are Macabeu, Parellada and Xarello.

​• Cava's flavors can veer toward earthy.

Don't roll your Cava

Sometimes you see people rolling a glass of bubbly in the glass.

​You don't need to do that. Cava, along with all other bubbly adult drinks are obviously sparkling so you don't need to agitate it.

Let's Chat!

Do you have a favorite bottle of bubbly? I would love to hear what you enjoy drinking in the comments below :)