As 
the holiday season approaches, many of us celebrate with a glass of sparkling wine shared among friends and family. A common question arises: What’s the difference between sparkling wine and champagne? Simply put, champagne is sparkling wine made specifically in the Champagne region of France. Since 1887, only wines from this region can legally bear the name “Champagne.”
Sparkling wine is crafted using various methods: traditional, transfer, tank, and asti. The first three methods begin with a still dry wine before transforming it into sparkling wine. The traditional method involves multiple steps, including harvesting, pressing, fermentation, blending, yeast autolysis, riddling, disgorgement, corking, and bottle aging. The transfer method, common in New World regions like Australia, skips riddling and disgorgement and accounts for 80% of Australian sparkling wine production. The tank method, or Charmat method, is used for most inexpensive sparkling wines, with Prosecco being a notable example. Unlike these methods, the asti method starts with wine must stored at near-freezing temperatures. It is warmed when needed and fermentation occurs in pressurized tanks.
While Champagne is considered by many to be the epitome of sparkling wine, excellent alternatives are produced worldwide using the same traditional method. In other parts of France, it’s called Crémant. In Spain, it’s Cava; in Germany, Sekt. Look for “traditional method” or méthode traditionnelle on the label if you want sparkling wine made using the same methods as Champagne.
Most Champagne is made from Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier grapes, but other sparkling wines often use different varieties, like Riesling for German Sekt. Terms such as Blanc de Blancs (made with white grapes, typically Chardonnay) and Blanc de Noirs (made with black grapes, like Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier) are helpful identifiers. Sparkling rosé is another popular option.
To add more complexity to an already complex subject, sparkling wines have varying sweetness levels, denoted by terms like Brut Nature (dryest), Extra Brut, Brut, Extra-Sec, Sec, Demi-Sec, and Doux (sweetest).
If you’re looking for Champagne stylesparkling wine without a Champagne price, consider Cava or Crémant. Canada also produces excellent sparkling wines—Nova Scotia, Niagara, and Okanagan all produce some award winning wines. For something different, try sparkling wine made with non-traditional grapes, such as Riesling. Prosecco is another great choice, offering good value for money.
No matter your choice, there’s something magical about serving a chilled glass of bubbly to welcome guests this holiday season. Cheers!
By: Stu Charles
WSET Wines & Spirits Level 3, Spanish Wine Scholar, French Wine Scholar, WSET Sake Level 1, Ontario VQA Wine Appellations Level 1, BC Wines of BC Ambassador Level 1, Certified Expert in California Wine Level 2.