Prosecco Or Champagne – What’s The Difference?

Today I have a post from Kira which makes me very jealous! It is all about bubbles and I haven’t had any bubbles this year! It is a good job that pregnancy is worth it! 🙂

This is a photo (taken by my friend Kiney) of the last time that a sip of bubbles passed my lips. Ah, the good old days!

Prosecco Or Champagne – What’s The Difference?

People often mistakenly think that that champagne and Prosecco mean one and the same drink. In fact, the difference between these drinks can be easily explained. While champagne is fermented in the bottle, Prosecco sparkling wine is produced by a method of aerating by adding carbon dioxide.

Prosecco began its path to success in the cafes and bars of Venice, getting its name from the eponymous Italian grape varieties. Due to its way of production, Prosecco has a softer level of acidity. As a result, many people prefer the taste of Prosecco over Champagne – even if they won’t admit it at dinner parties!

Of course, the true connoisseurs of champagne have the opinion that all kinds of sparkling wine can’t be even compared with champagne. The reason for this is that champagne is on the same level with the wine by the method of production. It is traditionally kept in the bottles for a long time and not in large containers as Prosecco. Furthermore, for the production of champagne they use only certain grapes.

Some facts about the production of champagne and Prosecco

The taste of champagne depends on the grapes. In the production of champagne they mainly use such sorts as “Chardonnay”, “Pinot Noir” and “Pinot Meunier”. The drink’s aroma and flavor are quite versatile, depending on kind of grapes used in the production. The aroma is usually characterized as follows: spicy, apple, pear, with barely aroma of yeast, which is usually added in the process of secondary fermentation.

There are some specific rules for growing grapes for champagne production: it is collected of immature grapes with high level of acidity. You need to squeeze the juice fast and keep it in special barrels. The secondary fermentation takes place in bottles. Thus, champagne goes on sale only after eighteen months, while vintage champagne – after several years.

Prosecco is produced using another method. The first stage is the same like for champagne – producing usual white wine with high acidity. But the secondary fermentation takes place in a large container under pressure at controlled temperatures. Before filling the container, yeast and sugar is added to start the initial fermentation. Of course, such method is cheaper because of the “volumetric” production. The average aging of this sparkling wine is fifteen months. Also, do not forget that the alcohol content of champagne is higher than the one of Prosecco, which is reflected in the price.