Champagne vs prosecco vs cava

All three are sparkling wine. The difference is where they are made, what grapes go in, and where the bubbles come from.

Champagne

Only from the Champagne region of France, made from chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier. The bubbles come from a second fermentation inside the bottle, and the wine then rests on its spent yeast for at least fifteen months, often much longer. That yeast contact is where the bread, brioche and toasted almond character comes from. Champagne is high in acidity, fine in bubble and long on the finish.

Terms worth knowing: non-vintage is a blend across years and is the house style. Vintage comes from one year. Blanc de blancs is all chardonnay, crisper and more citrus. Blanc de noirs is from the red grapes, fuller and rounder. Rosé is usually made by blending in a little red wine.

Prosecco

From northeastern Italy, made from the glera grape. The second fermentation happens in a large pressurised tank rather than in the bottle, which keeps the wine fresh and fruity and does not develop bready notes. Expect pear, green apple, white flowers and a softer, frothier bubble. Prosecco is the friendliest of the three and the best value for a crowd.

Look for DOC for the everyday tier and DOCG, including Conegliano Valdobbiadene, for the more concentrated version. Extra dry on a prosecco label is sweeter than brut, which confuses everybody.

Cava

From Spain, mostly Catalonia, made from macabeo, xarel·lo and parellada, sometimes with chardonnay or pinot noir. Cava uses the same bottle-fermentation method as Champagne, with a minimum of nine months on the yeast, so it has some of the same savoury, nutty character at a much lower price. It tends to be drier and more mineral, with citrus and a slight bitter almond finish.

Reserva means at least eighteen months on the lees, Gran Reserva at least thirty.

Sweetness, decoded

The scale runs from driest to sweetest: brut nature, extra brut, brut, extra dry, dry, demi-sec, doux. Brut is the standard and suits almost every situation. Demi-sec is genuinely sweet and belongs with cake and fruit desserts.

Which to pour when

Toast for a wedding or a milestone: Champagne if the moment is the point, cava if the headcount is.

Big party or brunch: prosecco. It is lighter in alcohol, crowd-pleasing, and the base for a spritz or a mimosa.

With food: Champagne and cava, because acidity and savoury depth handle fried food, oysters, hard cheese and roast chicken. Prosecco is better before dinner than during it.

Cocktails: prosecco or cava. Do not put Champagne in a spritz.

How much to buy

A bottle pours six flutes. For a toast only, one bottle per six people. For an evening of drinking bubbles, plan on half a bottle per person.

Serving

Chill to about 45 degrees, two to three hours in the fridge or twenty minutes in ice and water. Do not pop the cork; twist the bottle, hold the cork and ease it out. Pour into a tulip glass rather than a wide coupe; the bubbles last longer.

Selection changes week to week, so call to confirm a specific bottle.