Sparkling wines: know the differences between champagne, cava and prosecco for your Christmas toast

December has the flavor of celebration. For a month, infected by the festive spirit, we met as a family, with friends or colleagues to enjoy the company and, of course, a good food and drink. Sparkling wines are a classic that cannot be absent from the table, but those of us who are not connoisseurs can get confused when hearing the names champagne, cava and prosecco. Therefore, from Advantage We decided to find out how they differ.

To learn more about these types of sparkling wines we talk with Marisol Oliva, Commercial Director of Panuts and wine specialist with more than 20 years of experience. “All three are similar, but there are some general details linked to each of them that makes them unique. People tend to call everything champagne, but in reality, only the one that comes from France and complies with the parameters of the appellation of origin should be called that ”, he explains.

Champagne

This sparkling wine is produced exclusively from grapes grown in the Champagne region, an area delimited to the northeast France. It is the only region in the world where exclusively sparkling wine is produced. The grape varieties used in this wine are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir Y Pinot Menuier.

“The grape varieties and their conditions determine the acidity, the medium body and the low alcohol content of champagnes. During their long aging periods, they evolve to roasted flavors that, combined with their fruity notes of apple and lemon, develop a certain complexity ”, says Oliva.

The inventor of this wine was a Benedictine monk named Dom Pierre Perignon, in 1693. For its elaboration, the Champenoise method, which consists of giving it a second fermentation in the bottle. It is the same production method as the traditional one, however, only winemakers from Champagne they can legally put this procedure on the label.

Pairing: As Oliva explains, due to their acidity and complex flavor, they are perfect to pair with duck, foie gras, white meat, fish, oysters the cheeses, to mention a few examples.

Cava

This variety is produced in Spain, mostly in Catalonia. Its production has as its nucleus the wine region of Penedès, around Sant Sadurní d’Anoia. But it is also produced, to a lesser extent, in provinces such as La Rioja, Valencia and Zaragoza. The main grape varieties used are Xarel lo, Macabeu Y Parellada although you can also use varieties of Champagne, such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

“Most of the cavas are dry, of medium acidity and with some smoky character. In addition, the sunny climate in which the grapes are grown guarantees adequate ripening of the grapes, avoiding the addition of sugar that is carried out in the champagnes in order to show a silky palate. Few cavas are made to age in the long term ”, explains the specialist.

As in the case of champagne, it is made with the traditional method of second natural fermentation in the bottle, which is used in the production of high-quality sparkling wines. To make a rosé cava, the use of Pinot Noir and Trepat is allowed.

Pairing: Because they are drier, that is, they contain less sugar, they are perfect to accompany food. In this case, Oliva comments that a rice paellazo a fideua, but it also fits perfectly with seafood dishes, oysters or baked fish.

Prosecco

The name of this wine comes from a region northeast of Italy, specifically in a delimited area of ​​9 provinces included in the regions of Veneto Y Friuli Venecia Giulia. Unlike its two variants, the vinification method is second fermentation in stainless steel tanks, known as the charmat method, fall fresh, fruity and low complexity wines. The main variety is the Glera, formerly known as prosecco.

“Since 2009, the production of Prosecco is divided into two different categories: Prosecco DOC and Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG Prosecco Superior. These wines are intended to be consumed when they are young and fresh and do not benefit from bottle aging”Says Oliva.

Antonio Carpenè founded, in 1868, Carpenè Malvolti, the first winery to produce a recognized Prosecco. Other grapes used are Verdiso, Bianchetta Trevigiana, Perera, Glera lunga, Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio and Pinot Nero (the only red variety).

Pairing: The wine specialist comments that this wine stands out for its fruity smell, its sweetness and finesse in the mouth, so it is very interesting for appetizers. Go well with ceviches and seafood, fried squid, creamy pasta and fish-based dishes. “He is also a good protagonist to do cocktails, since combined with fruit juices it is very good “, adds Oliva.