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For any celebration, early morning cocktails, and late night sipping, sparkling wine is an extremely popular beverage many choose to indulge. Champagne, Cava, and Prosecco are the most common types of bubbly, but is there really a difference between bottles and brands? Professional bartending service North Carolina, POUR Bar Services is here to tell you that there absolutely is a difference! We have put together the most important information one would need to know when choosing which type of bubbly beverage to purchase with this Ultimate Book of Bubbly!
Let’s start off with one of the most basic differences between our most commonly enjoyed bubbly beverages. Champagne is named after and solely produced in the north-eastern region of Champagne, France. Typically, Champagne is made with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and/or Pinot Meunier grapes. The Veneto region of northeastern Italy is home to the production of Prosecco. This Italian bubbly wine is made from a grape varietal now known as Glera or also known as Prosecco grapes. Lastly, Cava is harvested and produced in the northeastern part of Spain known as Catalonia. The most common grapes used to make Cava is Macabeu, Parellada and Xarello. However, some Cavas may also include Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Garnacha and Monastrell.
Each sparkling wine is produced through a unique process of crushing, pressing, and fermentation. Champagne and Cava are made through the Traditional Method, but they are titled differently due to the opposing regions. The Méthode Champenoise refers to how Champagne gets its fizzy features, while the Spanish process is known as traditionelle. In both labor-intensive processes, a winemaker begins fermentation, then the wine is bottled and closed to ferment once again. Since the bottle is fermented and sealed a second time, carbon dioxide produced during that second fermentation dissolves into the wine, making it sparkle. During the second fermentation, the bottles are tipped and flash freezed to gather the lees at the neck of the bottle. Lastly, a mixture of sugar and wine is added in, determining the bottle’s level of sweetness before corking. Professional bartending service North Carolina, POUR Bar Services can go into more detail about the various methods of production, just call us and ask!
Unlike Champagne and Cava, Prosecco goes through its second fermentation in tanks versus the individual bottle. It is then packaged and sealed into the bottle under pressure, and typically tastes a bit sweeter, simpler and fruitier than the average Champagne or Cava.
Sparkling wine is a very broad term that encompasses any wine with bubbles. Champagne, Cava and Prosecco are all considered ‘sparkling wine’ but not all sparkling wines are considered as champagne or prosecco. Similar to the “square is a rectangle, but not all rectangles are squares” phenomenon. In the sparkling wine category, you can find other wines such as Crémant, Sekt, and a fan favorite, Rosé. There are various methods for making other sparkling wines, and it mostly depends on where in the world you are.
Not only are sparkling wines a crowd-pleaser when it’s time to pop a cork and celebrate, but they taste just as good at a professional dinner party, or a festive holiday get together. Professional bartending service North Carolina, POUR Bar Services typically suggests Cava to be paired with handheld apps, tapas, and other snack-like finger foods. Due to its fruity character and purpose of being sipped quickly, Prosecco is great for parties, toasts, and large celebrations. Champagne embodies extra richness, which makes it a fabulous pairing for sit down meals, or the classic Champagne toast for wedding receptions.
Hopefully Professional bartending service North Carolina, POUR Bar Services have covered enough of the bases to diminish the questions “is it Champagne?”, “what’s Prosecco?”, and “aren't all sparkling wines Champagne?” When it comes to sparkling wine, we favor it all. No matter the extent of the event you are holding, POUR Bar Services is prepared to set the BAR high by going above and beyond in making the best custom cocktails, a great customer experience, and a time to be remembered. For more information, to book a service, or to speak with one of our experienced POUR staff members contact us today! Cheers!
