Champagne vs. Prosecco

Bubbly wines are delicious and fun! They have such yummy and varied flavors. That’s how they have become a celebratory favorite!

Let’s talk about two of the heavy hitters when it comes to bubbles: Champagne & Prosecco.

What is a bubbly wine?

The first sparkling wine was created in 1531 by monks. They created it by bottling the wine before the first fermentation process was complete.

Nowadays, bubbly wine has gone through a second fermentation process, which then creates all of those yummy and tickly bubbles. When this second fermentation happens, CO2 is created by the yeast. The wine is in a sealed container (the type of container, you will learn, varies on which types of bubbles) then causes the CO2 to be redistributed into the wine, resulting in those tickly bubbles!

Bubbles are the best for mimosas! Want to know how to make the best Mimosa? Check it out here!

What are the key differences?

Now that we know how sparkling wines are created, let’s identify the three main differences between Champagne & Prosecco.

1. Region

2. Grape Variety

3. The Fermentation

Champagne

Region: Champagne with a capital “C” is true champagne. This is a highly protected term and it can ONLY be called Champagne unless if it’s from the Champagne region of France.

Grape Variety: Champagne can only be made from chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier grapes. So there can be sparkling wine from the champagne region, but if isn’t made from those specific grapes, it’s just sparkling wine.

Fermentation: Now here is another reason Champagne is a little more expensive. Champagne uses the traditional method which is extremely labor intensive. The Champagne is bottled before the second fermentation and is then individually fermented. After the fermentation process has completed, they remove the dead yeast cells and then reseal the Champagne. The Prosecco method you will see it a lot easier!

Prosecco

Region: Prosecco is from grapes grown in Northern Italy. Glera Grape variety, it’s second fermentation process is done in a large tank before bottling

Grape Variety: Prosecco is only made from one variety of grape called the Glera grape.

Fermentation: The second fermentation process for Prosecco is much easier. The wine undergoes it’s second fermentation process in large sealed containers. Then after the process is complete and the yeast has died it is bottled.

Challenge

Now that you know the differences, you need to decide if you prefer one over the other by doing a taste comparison. To do that though, you need to try to pick bottles of wine that are similar in sweetness so that you aren’t comparing a dry Prosecco to a sweet Champagne. If you really want to kick this challenge up a notch, find a Cava wine!

Be sure to have a Bubbles Bottles Sealer so that your bottles can last longer! I use this one and it works great every time. It’s kept bubbles in my wine for 5 days!

This is an affiliate link. If you decide to purchase something that I recommended from my site, at no extra cost to you I receive a small commission for referring you to the product.

Do you have a preference for one over the other? I would love to hear your thoughts on what you like and dislike about these two bubbly wines!

Check out some of my favorite drinks to make on my next blog post coming out!