Prosecco, champagne, cava, crémant, Franciacorta, and sekt – all are sparkling wines, but what's the difference? Here's a quick guide.
A bottle of bubbly – that's the sign of celebration! Sparkling wines come in every taste, as they're produced around the world in different styles and methods and at different sweetness levels, from extra dry to sweet.
In recent years, fresh prosecco has risen to great popularity, sometimes even used as a synonym for sparkling wine. A suitable choice and absolute favorite for many is also cava, and of course champagne tastes great too when it's time to go all out.
Styles for every occasion
To the delight of rosé lovers, many sparkling wines are now also available in rosé versions, with especially berry-like and summery flavors and aromas.
Speaking of rosé sparklers, a newer addition is actually rosé prosecco, which is now possible to produce after Italian wine law changed. Previously, it wasn't possible to make prosecco in a rosé version. Imagine, the production is that precise and protected!
Sparkling wines work excellently as social drinks at parties and as aperitifs to stimulate the appetite. They're of course also versatile alongside food, and some rosé sparklers even work as dessert companions.
But do you know how different sparkling wines differ from each other? Prosecco, contrary to popular belief, doesn't mean all Italian sparkling wine, and what on earth is crémant?
Production method affects sparkling wine
What's essential with sparkling wines is not only the grapes and the producer's vision, but also the production method.
The most common methods are tank fermentation method and bottle fermentation method or the so-called traditional method, which also goes by the name champagne method (although the term isn't used outside champagne's home region of Champagne due to regulations).
The tank method is faster and often produces crisp and fairly light-bodied sparklers. The traditional method is longer and brings in toastiness and the characteristic developed structure of quality sparkling wines.
In both methods, a still wine is first produced in the first fermentation, and the bubbles come in the second fermentation. In the tank fermentation method this happens in tanks, and in the traditional method in the bottle. If you want to know more, check out this article!
Below you'll find a summary of each sparkling wine's story, and once again you'll be a more skilled sommelier of your own life. Welcome on the journey, let's begin!
Prosecco – the fresh Italian
Prosecco comes from northeastern Italy, and its grape is Glera, which was previously also called Prosecco. Its fermentation takes place in tanks, and prosecco is characterized by freshness and fresh fruitiness. Typical of the Glera grape, you can often taste lovely pear and apple notes.
A fresh and approachable Italian wonder fitting this description is for example Tosti Prosecco Extra Dry, where acids and sugar are in excellent balance.
As the cherry on top, this refreshing drink is also suitable for vegans and is even packed in an environmentally responsible lighter glass bottle. Hooray!
P.S. How about a prosecco drink? With Tosti Prosecco Extra Dry you can whip up a bubbly ArtSpritz or Orange Spritz.
Champagne – French luxury
Real champagne for real money! Champagne isn't among the cheapest sparkling wines, and champagne is associated with luxury and special occasions.
Only sparkling wines produced in the Champagne region in France and specifically with the original champagne method (traditional method) can be called champagne. Typical grapes are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Meunier.
Champagnes are further divided into different subtypes from so-called standard champagnes to vintage champagnes, which are often more expensive. Wine houses of course also have their own styles. By exploring, you'll find out which house's champagne is to your liking!
A good place to start is for example the cornerstone of Nicolas Feuillatte's large and modern champagne house's range, the standard champagne Nicolas Feuillatte Réserve Exclusive Brut.
It captures the house style with its lightness, liveliness, and freshness and is a fine demonstration of what this modern Champagne giant can achieve.
In the balanced, long, and freshly acidic Nicolas Feuillatte Réserve Exclusive Brut, the elegant nuance of fresh fruits combines with mature complexity.
Top tip! Want to try champagne a bit more affordably? You don't always have to pay a fortune to enjoy luxury. On Alko's shelf you'll also find Saint-Maurice Champagne Brut at a reasonable price.
Or if just a glass or two is enough, there's of course also the piccolo-sized Nicolas Feuillatte Réserve Exclusive Brut (20 cl). There are options!
Cava – sparkling from Catalonia
From the province of Catalonia in Spain comes cava, which is a suitable and approachable sparkling wine for many. It's also made with the traditional method (champagne method).
The majority of cava still comes from Catalonia, but it's now also made in many other regions such as Rioja, Navarra, Extremadura, and Valencia. The first official cavas were bottled in 1872 in the municipality of Sant Sadurní d'Anoia.
"Cava" means cellar, and cellar aging in the bottle brings in toastiness, fresh citrus, and minerality. Cava styles and grape varieties vary by region, but typical grapes include for example Parellada, Macabeo, and Xarel·lo.
These are also used to make the popular Parés Baltà Brut b organic sparkling wine, which is also suitable for vegans.
The blend is dominated by Parellada, which gives the wine floral freshness thanks to the growing site's special microclimate. Macabeo brings fruitiness and Xarel·lo body. What a great combo!
Parés Baltà Brut b is characterized by the nuance and harmony of organic wine, and for an organic wine it also has a first-class price-quality ratio.
Psst! Also make a note of Brut b's cousin, the summery rosé sparkler Parés Baltà Pink p.
Crémant – versatile quality
French crémants are also made with the traditional method (champagne method). They're versatile and diverse quality sparkling wines that are easy to approach. Crémants come from for example Alsace, but also from many other regions, such as the Loire Valley and even from Luxembourg.
Crémants reflect their own region's style, so they have different nuances depending on where they're from. Again, there's a taste journey to be made from region to region. A nice little tasting project, right 😉
Someone exploring crémants can start their taste journey with for example the excellent Wolfberger Crémant d'Alsace Brut, which comes from Alsace's largest producer. The Wolfberger wine house is actually especially known for its crémants. Experts at work!
All that glitters is not gold, but now we're getting pretty close. In the extra dry Wolfberger Crémant d'Alsace Brut you can taste pure fruitiness, citrus, yellow plum, and it has crisp acids. The grapes are Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Auxerrois, and Pinot Gris.
Here's a balanced companion that works from aperitif to the dessert table.
Franciacorta – Italy's gem
Franciacorta is perhaps a less familiar friend to many. It could be summarized simply as Italy's highest quality sparkling wine from the DOCG Franciacorta region of the same name. Like many other sparkling wine types in this article, Franciacorta is also made with the traditional method, also known as the champagne method. Franciacorta could perhaps be thought of as Italy's champagne. That little everyday luxury.
An excellent example of luxurious Franciacorta is Contadi Castaldi Brùt Franciacorta, where Chardonnay dominates the grapes with an 80% share. It's accompanied by Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc.
The dry and richly fruity Contadi Castaldi Brùt Franciacorta has a structured and long flavor. Refreshing peachiness is enlivened by fine acidity and the long finish is marked by elegant minerality.
A nuanced choice and quality-class sipping wine just for you!
P.S. This sparkling wine also has a delightful rosé sibling, Contadi Castaldi Rosé Franciacorta.
And also remember another truly fine Franciacorta, the elegant and soulful
Bellavista Alma Gran Cuvée Brut Franciacorta, which works even as a gift! Franciacorta packed in an impressive bottle has been produced since the beginning of its producer's history.
Sekt – bubbles German-style
Sekt is a diverse group of German sparkling wines, and the sekt designation is commonly used as a name for German sparkling wines. They're typically tank-fermented. Sekt comes in very different styles from lighter to full-bodied, but the unifying factor is Germany as the country of origin.
A fresh and fruity sekt can be found for example in the adorably dressed En v*ttu tiiä sparkling wine bottle. @envittutiiaofficial is a Finnish phenomenon that has risen to great popularity on social media.
The approachable En vittu tiiä sparkling wine corresponds in sweetness level directly to the Prosecco boom and the style in sparkling wines that pleases many. The sparkling wine is even packed in a lightweight glass bottle with a smaller carbon footprint than a traditional glass bottle. Not a bad gift idea!
