Sometimes you have to have a glass of wine or bubbly with supper in the evening, but there are so many options on the shelves that it can be challenging to choose which one you will like in terms of flavor and perfume. Whether you’ve never had wine before or think of yourself as a connoisseur, reading this guide to Champagne vs. Prosecco might teach you a thing or two about the distinctions and similarities between the two.

Champagne vs. Prosecco: Differences

When contrasting Champagne with prosecco, their respective origin locations make a significant difference.

Champagne

It is produced in France using Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grapes. There are approximately 128 calories in a typical pour, between five and six ounces. About $40 buys a decent bottle of budget. It is the standard beverage for festive occasions, notably New Year’s Eve.

Prosecco wine

On the other side, it comes from Prosecco, a village in northern Italy close to Trieste. Verdiso, Bianchetta Trevigiana, Perera, and a few grape varieties may also be used to make this wine, typically created with Glera grapes, commonly known as Prosecco grapes. If you want to buy a solid entry-level bottle of Prosecco, it should cost around $13 and has roughly 121 calories per regular pour.

Champagne vs. Prosecco: Production Processes

The techniques used to produce these two sparkling wines, specifically how the wine gets produced sparkling, are the second significant distinction between them.

The initial still wine passes through a second fermentation in both situations, producing the CO2 that gives it its sparkling quality. The “traditional approach,” often known as the champenoise method, is utilized. Spanish Cavas and Crémant sparkling wines are two more sparkling wine varieties that frequently employ this technique.

Yeast and sugars get introduced here, where the second fermentation occurs in the bottle (liqueur de tirage). When fermentation is complete, dead yeast cells gather in the neck of the bottles. The dead yeast cells release when it is ready by a procedure known as “disgorgement,” which involves freezing the bottle’s neck.

Re-sealing the wine allows it to age for a minimum of 18 months for non-vintage wines and three years for vintage wines. Most frequently, the second fermentation of Prosecco is done in a sizable tank using the “tank method.”

The base wine receives another addition of yeast and carbohydrates. Before being bottled and sealed, the wine undergoes second fermentation while the tank gets shut to stop CO2 from escaping and making the wine effervescent.