What Is the Difference Between Champagne and Prosecco?

If you’re getting festive for Christmas dinner or New Year’s Eve, you’re probably breaking out the bubbly, but maybe not Champagne. When it comes to popular sparkling wine varieties, Prosecco is another big name. So what is the difference between Champagne and Prosecco? 

Most company refrigerators are filled with expired condiments and takeout cartons. At my first job, however, we always had a bottle of Prosecco on hand. Whether we were celebrating a co-worker’s engagement, hosting a holiday party, or just applauding the fact that we met our deadline, somehow there was always a bit of bubbly waiting.

I had grown so accustomed to our celebratory Prosecco tradition that I assumed it was the go-to for all special occasions, forgetting that Champagne was the original favorite. My father had questioned the difference between the two after a holiday dinner, to which I said, “Well, Prosecco is a sparkling wine, and Champagne is Champagne.”

It goes without saying this very sophisticated answer didn’t clear up any misconceptions about the drinks. They look and taste the same, and they’re even served in similar-shaped glasses, so how exactly are we able to decipher the difference?

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For one, Champagne is Champagne (as I so eloquently stated) because of its French origins, whereas Prosecco serves as the Italian alternative (perhaps another reason I gravitate toward it). Naturally, this means that different grapes are used to create each beverage. Champagne is typically made from pinot meunier, pinot noir, and chardonnay, but we enjoy Prosecco all thanks to the glera and prosecco grapes.

In addition to their roots, another difference between Prosecco and Champagne is the fermentation process. Champagne must be made in a sealed bottle that creates the drink’s carbonation. On the other hand, a steel tank is required when putting Prosecco through the fermentation process.

Live Your Best LifeWhy You Should Drink Champagne Every DayThis is a good time to note a popular Champagne-Prosecco motto: All Champagne is sparkling wine, but that does not necessarily mean all sparkling wine is Champagne (try saying that five times fast).

Though there are definitely differences between the bottles—and their price points, Champagne being considered more luxurious of the two—there are also quite a few similarities. For one, they’re both having a moment in the spotlight, especially when it comes to desserts. Liquor-infused treats are becoming the new norm, and these bubbly drinks are getting the sweet treatment, whether in the form of cake or sorbet.

Since you can have Champagne and Prosecco—and eat and drink them, too—give some of these fun recipes a go. Cheers!

Champagne and Sorbet Float

Chowhound

If it’s a special day and you’re in the mood for some sweets and bubbly, this concoction allows you to have champagne with raspberry sorbet and lavender syrup. Though the raspberry-champs pairing is a classic, don’t be afraid to mix fruit sorbet flavors if you so choose. Peach is another delightful possibility. Get our Champagne and Sorbet Float recipe.

Oysters with Prosecco Mignonette

Chowhound

Add a little bubbly to your favorite fish dish—a perfect way to enjoy your seafood. The sauce and the Prosecco combine to enhance the fish’s flavor while providing a sweet taste as well. Get our Oysters with Prosecco Mignonette recipe.

Champagne Cupcakes

Chowhound

Has there ever been a combination so delightful? The vanilla treat with a hint of bubbly is the perfect way to ring in the New Year or celebrate a marriage… or, you know, indulge during a Netflix binge (no judgment). Once you sprinkle gold dust atop the cupcake, you’re really in for something special. Get our Champagne Cupcakes recipe.

Prosecco Negroni

Chowhound

This mash-up replaces gin with Prosecco for a simpler option. Adding an orange twist is a terrific way to complete the drink. This is The Straight Up Blog’s new twist on a classic order, so what better way to enjoy something old and new? Get our Prosecco Negroni (Negroni Sbagliato) recipe.

Champagne Gelée with Strawberries

Chowhound

What did we tell you? You can have your champagne and eat it, too. Dipping your summer strawberries in chocolate is so passé when there’s the option to add a little fizz. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, scoop a dollop of whipped cream, too. This is just one of many treats from the Tartine All Day cookbook. Get our Champagne Gelée with Strawberries recipe.

1621 Cocktail

Chowhound

Here’s the 4-1-1 on the 1621: It’s delicious, festive, and full of fruit with blood orange bitters. Though it’s a fun option for winter holidays, we don’t think it’s ever too early to whip up a pitcher. Get our 1621 Cocktail recipe.

Gigi Cocktail

Chowhound

There is no fooling around when it comes to Gigi. Mixologist Jackie Patterson created an option that allows the champagne to mix with the heavier ingredients such as St-Germain elderflower liqueur and Goose La Poire vodka. Get our Gigi Cocktail recipe.

Prosecco and Raspberry Cupcakes

Fruit and a bit of bubbly go hand in hand, so rather than placing a raspberry in your drink, just combine the two when making your new favorite dessert. Lynnsay, the millennial blogger behind Satorial Scot will enlighten you about a Valentine’s Day dish that will surely replace the box of chocolates you’re accustomed to (or accompany that box if you can’t part ways with your sweets). Get the Prosecco and Raspberry Cupcakes recipe.

Cardinal Punch

Chowhound

The claret wine, brandy, and dark rum combo is made lighter thanks to champagne and club soda. Adding a slice of pineapple or orange will help you boost the sweet fruit flavor. Though this is a good way to celebrate the ball drop on Dec. 31, we certainly can’t blame you for making this drink year-round. Get our Cardinal Punch recipe.

Sgroppino Al Limone

This Italian boozy ice treat wouldn’t be complete without Italian sparkling wine. Prosecco and lemon sorbet in one? We couldn’t agree more with Susan, the blogger behind The Wimpy Vegetarian. Carnivores and vegetarians are going to swoon over this molto bene dessert! Get the Sgroppino Al Limone recipe.

Related Video: How to Open a Champagne Bottle

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A Snazzy Espresso Maker, a Modern Knife Set & Other Last-Minute In-Store Deals

Looking for a last-minute Christmas or Hanukkah gift that doesn’t suck? Best Buy has a fancy Brim espresso machine on discount, marked off $134 down to just $266 for today only. The best part? You can snag this deal by ordering online and then pick it up today at a local brick-and-mortar Best Buy.

For the serious java-drinker, this Brim 19-bar chrome espresso machine is barista-quality and looks great. It sports a large water reservoir and milk frother for cappuccino and receives high marks in verified purchase reviews. It normally retails for $400 and the one-day sale price is the cheapest we’ve seen it online.

If you’re looking for a different sort of gift that cuts through the clutter, Best Buy also has a deal on a high-performance 7-piece Schmidt Brothers knife set, down $60 to just $90 for today only. Like the Espresso machine, you can buy online and pick it up in-store to have it wrapped and ready for Christmas morning.

Related Reading: What Is the Difference Between Coffee and Espresso?

Not gunning for tomorrow? These deals can also be shipped for free with Best Buy’s fast, free two-day shipping.

Brim 19-Bar Espresso Machine, $266 (normally $134) on Best Buy

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This well-reviewed knife set includes a bread knife, chef’s knife, santoku knife, serrated knife, utility knife, paring knife, and knife block to keep them all safe and sharp.Buy Now

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15 Festive Christmas Morning Breakfasts to Devour

Christmas breakfast should be special, but that doesn’t mean it has to be difficult. We gathered our best Christmas breakfast recipes in one place, so whether you’re cooking for a few or a crowd, and whether you want something sweet or savory—and indulgent or healthy, for that matter—you’ll find the perfect celebration breakfast below. We included make-ahead options, and a couple hacks too.

These will give you fuel for opening scores of presents and watching all the Christmas movies your DVR has room for, and whether you opt for stratas or scones, you’ll win over the entire family (and have an instant pass on washing that sink full of dishes).

1. Egg, Cheese, and Chive Tartlets

Chowhound

These open-faced breakfast tartlets have the enviable ability to be impressively elegant yet effortless to make, thanks to frozen puff-pastry shells. With their spruce-colored chives, sunny eggs, and (optional) crispy pancetta, they’ll look like edible presents at Christmas breakfast—and definitely impress any in-laws or other house guests you have. Get our Egg, Cheese, and Chive Tartlets recipe.

2. Enriched Polenta Porridge with Raspberries

Leela Cyd

After a month of holiday festivities filled with the likes of eggnog, roasts, and cookies galore, a fruit-filled breakfast will be a breath of fresh air. But don’t mistake healthier for boring: This hearty polenta porridge exemplifies hygge, and can be topped with whatever combo of fruit and nuts you like, but pistachios and raspberries are lovely, especially with the vanilla bean, lemon, and honey in the mix. Get the Enriched Polenta Porridge with Raspberries recipe.

3. Rabanada

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RECEITA das RABANADAS: 3 ovos inteiros 1/2 lata de leite condensado 1 xícara de leite 5 pães amanhecidos(fatias com espessura de 1 dedo,aproximadamente) 1 e 1/2 xícara de açúcar refinado para empanar(no final da receita) Canela em Pó a gosto(uso +/- 1 colher de sopa) Óleo para fritar Modo de fazer:Bata beeem os ovos,acrescente o leite condensado e o leite e bata mais.Corte os pães em fatias de aproximadamente 1 dedo de espessura.Mergulhe as fatias de pão na mistura…deixe mergulhado um tempinho,de forma que o pão absorva a mistura…Não pode deixar muito tempo,pra não amolecer o pão e não pode deixar pouco tempo,pra não ficar seca por dentro 😅.Escorra o excesso da mistura e coloque para fritar em óleo quente(Não pode ser muito quente,pra evitar que frite por fora e não cozinhe por dentro).Depois de dourar dos dois lados,retire do óleo,coloque sobre papel toalha e pra finalizar,passe,ainda quente,na mistura de açúcar e canela. Dicas:1-Você pode usar baunilha(gosto da fava…mas pode ser essência,se vc gostar)ou raspas de limão ou raspas de laranja para saborizar a mistura e dar um toque especial.2-Não use pouco óleo…use muito óleo(em pouco óleo,qdo vc coloca a rabanada,o óleo esfria,a rabanada absorve o óleo e ela fica encharcada…com muito óleo na panela,fica sequinha…crocante por fora e molhadinha por dentro).3-Se preferir,você pode assar as rabanadas,no forno,em forma untada ou na Air Fryer…fica diferente da fritura,mas fica gostosa também…E menos calórica 😅 É uma receita simples e bem fácil!Espero que vocês gostem!❤ . . #lojacachepot #Casacomafeto #delicadezasparapresentear #receitas #receitascachepot #receitasfaceis #receitafacil #receitasimples #rabanada #rabanadas #receitaderabanada

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In Brazil, rabanada, the country’s version of French toast, is served as a holiday dessert, not unlike pumpkin pie or Christmas pudding. Break Brazilian tradition and have it first thing in the morning; the cinnamon-sugar-coated, crispy-on-the-outside, custardy-on-the-inside treat will surely start your day off on the right foot. Get our Rabanada recipe.

Related Reading: 12 Perfect French Toast Recipes for Christmas Morning

4. Chocolate-Cinnamon “Babkallah”

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It’s my birthday!!!! (!!!) 🎉🌈🎉 But instead of cake, I made us Babkallah- a babka/challah hybrid of awesomeness. Because screw cake, right??! 🎂👍💜 @bonappetitmag

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Regardless of whether you’re celebrating the lighting of the menorah, the birth of Christ, or simply gingerbread latte season, we urge you to spring for this chocolate- and cinnamon-flecked loaf of goodness, a babka-challah hybrid that beats out the overhyped croissant-donut any day. Get the Chocolate-Cinnamon “Babkallah” recipe.

5. Gluten-Free Banana Blueberry Waffles

Chowhound

Hosting house guests who are gluten intolerant? You’ll make them (and anyone who’s a breakfast lover, really) very, very happy when you serve waffles filled with bananas and blueberries. Get our Gluten-Free Banana Blueberry Waffles recipe.

6. Raspberry Matcha Muffins

Chowhound

Need a make-ahead option that happens to boast a super festive color combo? These matcha-infused muffins with fresh raspberries and black sesame seeds fit the bill. Using almond milk activates the nutrients in the green tea and means these are dairy free, of course. Get our Raspberry Matcha Muffins recipe.

7. Panettone Christmas Bread Pudding

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I have to admit, I’m getting a lot of comfort from this chocolate orange Panettone bread pudding right now…it really is a perfect cosy cold weather pud 😋👌🏻 I would say it’s worth buying a large Panettone just so you can make this 😉 You’ll find the recipe on the front page of my blog 🙂 #panettonebreadpudding #buzzfeedtasty #f52grams #bakefeed #bakefromscratch #buzzfeast #thekitchn #feedfeed #feedfeedbaking #forkfeed #beautifulcusines #lifeandthyme #bakingtherapy #dailyfoodfeed #huffposttaste #foodwinewomen #foodandwine #foodgawker #tastingtable #foodiefeatures #marthabakes #hautecuisines #instayum #myopenkitchen

A post shared by Somethingsweetsomethingsavoury (@somethingsweetsomethingsavoury) on Jan 22, 2019 at 12:35pm PST

Take bread pudding to festive heights by replacing plain white bread with a seasonal favorite, panettone, which is studded with candied citrus and raisins for a fruitcake-like flavor. Get the Panettone Christmas Bread Pudding recipe.

8. Ham and Cheese Scones

Chowhound

Rich, savory Black Forest ham and Gruyère cheese scones can be easily made ahead and baked the morning of for an indulgent holiday treat—or you can use some leftover ham from the night before and make them in the a.m. Get our Ham and Cheese Scones recipe.

Related Reading: What Is the Difference Between Scones and Biscuits?

9. Spinach Breakfast Strata

Chowhound

With its layers of crusty bread, feta cheese, spinach, and herbs, this breakfast casserole is guaranteed to appeal to vegetarians and meat eaters alike. Get our Spinach Breakfast Strata recipe. (But if you want another way to use leftover ham, try our Ham, Cheese, and Mushroom Strata recipe.)

10. Eggnog French Toast

Chowhound

Eggnog-drenched French toast not only adds a bit of the holidays to breakfast, but it also happens to be a really great way to use up all that leftover ‘nog. Get our Eggnog French Toast recipe.

11. Gluten-Free Cranberry-Pecan Muffins

Chowhound

Got half an hour? Then you have time to surprise loved ones with these seasonal fruit and nut muffins for breakfast. Bonus: Extras make ideal on-the-go snacks if you’re off to grandmother’s house (or back to work the next day). Get our Gluten-Free Cranberry-Pecan Muffins recipe.

12. Bacon Breakfast Ring

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Now THIS is what you should be making for breakfast this morning 😍 eggs, peppers, cheese, and bacon all wrapped up in crescent dough. Click the link in my bio to get the recipe!

A post shared by Joanna Cismaru | Jo Cooks (@jocooks) on Aug 25, 2018 at 8:36am PDT

If you truly want Christmas brunch to impress, set aside some extra time to make your own yeasted bread and braid it into a holiday wreath with bacon, eggs, and cheese. If you don’t have time for that, though, use crescent roll dough for an equally easy (and cheesy) edible wreath. Get the Bacon Breakfast Ring recipe.

Related Reading: Easy Crescent Roll Recipe Hacks

13. Cheesy Sausage Breakfast Casserole

Chowhound

This make-ahead breakfast casserole full of cheese and sage-flecked breakfast sausage is a crowd-pleaser and a cook-pleaser (due to its easygoing nature). Assemble it the night before and just pop it in the oven while you start opening presents. Get our Cheesy Sausage Breakfast Casserole recipe.

14. Healthy Open-Face Breakfast Sandwiches

Chowhound

Christmas day can be a long one, especially if you have multiple houses to visit, so you might want something light and bright to kick off the marathon of jolliness. These open-face egg sandwiches with avocado, feta, olives, and garlicky sauteed greens feel special but won’t weigh you down or make you want to go right back to sleep, plus they’re a cinch to whip up. Get our Healthy Open-Face Breakfast Sandwiches recipe.

Related Reading: 15 Eye-Opening Breakfast Sandwiches

15. Salted Caramel Banana Breakfast Strata

Chowhound

If you just want something wonderfully indulgent (before Jan. 1 ushers in a low-carb kick, perhaps), you could hardly do better than this gooey caramel and banana casserole. Add chunks of dark chocolate for extra decadence. Get our Salted Caramel Banana Breakfast Strata recipe.

For more tips, hacks, and recipes, check out our Ultimate Guide to Christmas and Holiday Entertaining Headquarters.

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How to Slice a Holiday Ham

Even though turkey shows up twice on some holiday tables (once at Thanksgiving and again at Christmas dinner), for many, ham gets top billing at yuletide. If that’s what’s on your table, you need to know how to slice a ham so you don’t ruin that glorious hunk of meat. It’s much easier to carve than turkey, too.

Get Equipped

First things first, you want to make sure you have the proper equipment. Reach for a cutting board that is big enough for the ham to sit on, a paring fork to help you navigate the cutting, and a super sharp knife. Not sure if your knife is sharp enough? Use the old paper trick. If your knife can easily cut through a piece of paper, you’re good to go. If not, then you’ll want to sharpen it before you get started.

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The Slice Is Right

Now that you have your gear on hand, you can delve into the actual slicing part. (Avoid slicing the ham until just before serving, to help the meat maintain its moisture.) You’ll want to start by cutting off two or three slices from the outside, parallel to the bone. This will create a flat surface for you to slice the rest of your ham. Turn the ham to rest on that base.

Then, starting at the thinner end of the ham and working your way to the thicker end, slice into the ham perpendicular to the bone, using your paring fork to help you. Keep slicing so you have pieces that are about ¼ inch thick, continuing for several slices. Then, take your knife and run it along the edge of the bone, to free the slices. Once you are done with that side, turn the ham and repeat the process, continuing to release the meat from the bone, only slicing as much as you plan to serve at that time (otherwise it may dry out.

How to Store Leftover Ham (and What to Do With It)

To store the ham, get a ham bag from your butcher, or store the leftovers in a damp (and clean!) pillowcase in your refrigerator. Or simply wrap it well in plastic on the platter. Not sure what to do with your leftovers? Read ahead for some delicious recipes for repurposing the rest of your ham (and see more Christmas leftover recipe ideas for turkey, prime rib, and pork roast).

Deviled Ham

Chowhound

Unhappy about having to get back to work right after the holidays? Bring along a sandwich made with this deviled ham recipe to break up the monotony of your typical lunchtime sandwiches and make it easier to get back to the grind. Get our Deviled Ham recipe.

Leftover Ham and Potato Soup

This soup is the ultimate comfort food, ideal for a post-holiday meal on a day when you’re lazing around the house. Top it with some chopped ham for even more flavor. Get the Leftover Ham and Potato Soup recipe.

White Bean and Ham Soup

Chowhound

Once you try this hearty and filling soup, you’ll want to keep warming up on colder days with it. We’re pretty sure the veggies included in this recipe cancel out all the pumpkin pie you’ve eaten in November, too. Get the our White Bean and Ham Soup recipe.

Breakfast Casserole

Chowhound

On the hunt for a cheesy, filling, yet uncomplicated meal to put on the post-holiday brunch menu? Then this casserole is just what you’ve been searching for. Even better, it’s ridiculously easy to make and sure to impress any guests you’re having stay with your for the weekend. Just replace the bacon with leftover ham cut into fine dice (or use both!). Get our Breakfast Casserole recipe.

Pea and Ham Soup Recipe

This vibrantly emerald soup is not only visually stunning, it’s a rich addition to your table. The stock is made with a ham hock, which you can buy in advance from butchers or supermarkets. Get the Pea and Ham Soup Recipe recipe.

Monte Cristo Sandwich

Chowhound

Another update on the classic ham and cheese sandwich, this Monte Cristo is going to have you drooling. With just the addition of a few ingredients (egg, mayonnaise, and mustard), you get a crispy twist on the standard brown bag lunch. Get our Monte Cristo Sandwich recipe.

Ham Cobb Salad

After chowing down on all your favorite Thanksgiving goodies, your body is likely craving some veggies. Use leftover ham to throw into this Cobb salad as a post Turkey Day reset. Get the Leftover Thanksgiving Ham Cobb Salad recipe.

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Did We Always Hate Fruitcake?

Fruitcake lives a sad life as the reigning punchline of holiday food. The much maligned dessert has a well-worn reputation. When we think of fruitcake we think of a thick, dense brick of a cake. One dotted with candied fruits and nuts. Perhaps it’s doused in rum, or some other alcohol, to which Truman Capote quipped, “that’s no way to waste good whiskey.” Maybe it’s the spawn of a Jell-O mold or a relic of your grandma’s 1960s kitchen. Whatever it is, it’s ugly.

Americans have spent decades rolling our eyes at this beast and its questionable taste, texture, and toughness. In a now classic “Tonight Show” monologue, Johnny Carson claimed, “The worst gift is fruitcake. There is only one fruitcake in the entire world, and people keep sending it to each other.” That was in 1985 and that attitude has prevailed ever since. Nowhere is this more evident than in Manitou Springs, Colorado. The city is home to the Great Fruitcake Toss, an annual event where people compete to see who can fling the dessert the furthest using a variety of mechanical contraptions.

But has it always been this way? And more importantly, should it be? As is usually the case when history is long and complicated, the answer is both yes and no.

The Origins of Fruitcake

Get the GoodsShockingly Tasty FruitcakesWhile fruitcakes date back to ancient Rome, the dense, spiced cakes didn’t take on a life of their own until the modern era. Fruitcakes became holiday staples as early as the 1800s and were considered an easy way to share the gifts of each year’s harvest. However, rather than eat them right away, people would wait an entire year before serving them, out of superstition that it would bring good luck for the new year. While the cakes can withstand 365 days without refrigeration, they were rarely properly preserved. Thus, this tradition helped the cake achieve its reputation as a tough, rock hard dessert.

As evidence of their long shelf life, a 106-year-old fruitcake was found in Antarctica earlier this year. And yes, it is believed to be edible. The cake is thought to have belonged to British explorer Robert Falcon Scott, who even in the most frigid of circumstances, left his dessert untouched.

However, fruitcakes’ reputation as stale, whiskey-drenched doorstoppers is very much an American phenomenon. Despite their questionable texture, they still maintain their status as special occasion treats overseas. To this day, they remain the British royal wedding cake of choice, ever since a plum fruit cake was served at Prince Albert and Queen Victoria’s wedding in 1840. Prince Charles and Princess Diana honored the tradition, as did Prince William and Kate Middleton. A slice from the most recent royal wedding even sold at auction for $7,500 dollars. That sale alone more than defies the cake’s bargain bin status and gave fruitcake its biggest ego boost yet.

How Did Fruitcakes Fall Out of Favor?

In terms of price point, fruit cake’s reputation as a cheap dessert didn’t emerge until the early twentieth century. By the 1900s, thanks to increasing industrialization and inexpensive access to fruits and nuts, Southern bakeries were able to mass produce the dessert.  Because of these conveniences and their remarkably long shelf life, the cakes were able to be sold via mail order catalog across the United States. All of a sudden there was a cheap, accessible, and easily gift-able cake on the national scene. They filled an untapped market, resulting in quick proliferation and near ubiquity.

Chowhound’s Spiced Dark Fruitcake

While commercial saturation was near, the tide against fruitcake didn’t turn overnight. During the 1940s and ’50s, prominent eateries like the Collins Street Bakery in Corsicana, Texas and the Claxton Bakery in Claxton, Georgia emerged as the premier purveyors of the dessert. These dueling cities continually duke it out for the title of “Fruitcake Capital of the World,” a somewhat dubious distinction that wasn’t always that way.

In fact, for a while, people actually liked receiving fruitcakes as presents. An article published in a 1953 issue of Los Angeles Times,  unironically exclaimed, “Some like them dark. Some like them light. But everybody likes fruitcake!” In 1958 a headline in the Christian Science Monitor read, “What Could Be a Better Gift That Fruitcake?” Most people today would say anything.

Chowhound’s Caribbean Dark Fruitcake

Perhaps the biggest misconception about fruitcake is that they have to taste bad. The problem doesn’t lie within the cake itself, but the ingredients and recipes people tend to use. The brighter-than-a-Christmas-tree, neon, jellied fruits that top many cakes are often the major culprit. If you replace those saccharine candies with figs, dates, glacé cherries, and apricots, you’ll end up with a much better tasting cake, albeit a less kitschy one. Also brandy. Use brandy. It’s the ideal liquor for the job.

Or you could just leave it off your dessert spread altogether if you don’t want to risk contaminating your apple and pumpkin pies by sheer association. But it’s easier to pull together than figgy pudding.

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What Is the Difference Between Champagne and Cava?

There are so many different types of wine varietals that are infused with bubbles. There’s Champagne, of course, and then sparkling wine. Within that category, there are even more variations like lambrusco and prosecco. While not every carbonated wine is made the same way or is to be sipped in a similar fashion, there are two sparkling cousins that are very similar—Champagne, which hails from the Champagne region of France, and cava, a sparkling wine variety made in Catalonia, Spain.

Will Willis, International Wine Development Director at Freixenet Group, educated us on the similarities—and differences—between the two wines.

“There is very little difference between the process of creating Champagne and the process of creating cava. Both use up to three grape varieties [and] early harvesting to keep high acidity. There is also a base wine fermentation from predominantly free run juice and a second fermentation in the bottle,” he says.

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Freixenet Cava Brut Cordon Negroabel (price varies), on Drizly

Be sure to try new things while you’re at it.

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Grape Varietals

Willis notes, though, that the grape varietals in these wines are different. Champagne uses chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier grapes in its process, while cava is made up of macabeo, parellada and xarel-lo grapes. However, Willis says, the demand for new and different flavors in sparkling wine has winemakers experimenting with new grapes and techniques as well.

“More recently chardonnay and pinot noir are also being used more in cava production. Rosé wines in Champagne are mainly made by blending a small portion of pinot red wine back into the base wine blend whereas most Cava rosé is made from a natural rosé base wine from the red grapes trepat, garnacha, or monastrell,” he says.

Fermentation Factor

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¿Con cuál de nuestros cavas vas a brindar todo lo bueno que ha pasado este año? 🥂 🍾✨ #CordonNegro #CartaNevada#CelebraAtuRitmo

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In addition to the grape varietals, Willis says that the fermentation process between the two is also slightly different. Both Champagne and cava go through a two-step fermentation process, and while the first fermentation is the same for both drinks, it is during the second fermentation that things change for the sparkling cousins.

“For the second fermentation in the bottle, the minimums are different, with cava being a minimum of nine months and Champagne being 15 months, which includes 12 months on lees and three months with a cork for non-vintage cuvées,” he said.

When it comes to cava, the second fermentation does vary for different levels of the wine, he notes, with reserva cava spending a minimum of 15 months in the cellar and gran reserva 36 months. However, the minimum for vintage Champagne cuvées is three years.  

“In practice, most Champagne wines are cellared for longer: two to three years for non-vintage wines and four to ten years for vintage Champagne,” he says.

Flavors and Food Pairing

The fermentation process where cava and Champagne see the most deviation, said Willis, is what influences flavor profiles as well as acidity. He says that Champagne tends to be much higher in acidity, so a mouth-watering and sharp character is the first noticeable difference between the wines. Cava, he notes, has very obvious fruity characteristics which include apple, melon, and peach, as well as “a softer mouthfeel due to the lower acidity.”

And it seems that cava is giving Champagne a run for its money when it comes to complementing flavors as well. While food and wine lovers alike laud Champagne for its ability to pair with bites ranging from oysters and caviar to french fries, Willis says that it is actually cava that should be tops when it comes to food pairings.   

“Because of the fuller flavor from riper fruit and softer acidity, cava has more natural pairings than Champagne, especially with fuller flavored garlic, spice, and cheese dishes. Many of Champagne’s subtle flavors can be lost with full flavored foods and just become a hard acid mouthfeel,” he says.   

Champagne Cocktail

Chowhound

It doesn’t have to be a special occasion to treat yourself to a luxurious cocktail. With just three simple ingredients, a Champagne cocktail can make any gathering, meal, or romantic night in just a bit more elegant. Get our Champagne Cocktail recipe.

Champagne Gelée with Strawberries

Chowhound

Take strawberries and Champagne to the next level. Impress guests, your partner, or even your mom with this sophisticated yet simple three-ingredient dessert. Add more—or different—fruit to switch up the taste, so it feels like the first time every time. Get our Champagne Gelée with Strawberries recipe.

St. Cecilia’s Punch

Chowhound

Need a fun, boozy punch to serve up at your next in-home gathering? St. Cecilia’s Punch is a batch cocktail recipe that includes rum, Champagne, and citrus fruits for a palate-pleasing sip. Get our St. Cecilia’s Punch recipe.

Yellow Bicycle

Chowhound

While cava can stand on its own, it also pairs well with spirits for unique cocktails. Mix it with elderflower and yellow Chartreuse for a new flavor experience. Get our Yellow Bicycle recipe.

Spanishy Scrambled Eggs with Bell Peppers and Garlic Toast

Chowhound

Need the perfect appetizer to pair with your cava? Whip up this Spanish-influenced egg dish for a flavorful combination. Get our Spanishy Scrambled Eggs with Bell Peppers and Garlic Toast recipe.

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