Champagne? Sparkling wine? Prosecco?
There are some key differences between Sekt and Champagne.
The base wines for Champagne must come from Champagne in France. It must be produced in Champagne according to the "méthode champenoise" (bottle fermentation) and may only consist of the grape varieties Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay (as well as Pinot Blanc, Arbanne, Petit Meslier). Furthermore, Champagne must be sealed with a natural cork.
Another difference lies in the grape harvest. In Champagne, the grape harvest is carried out exclusively by hand. In Germany, the grape harvest can also be done mechanically. In the Champagne region, it is forbidden because otherwise the quality of the grape berries would be compromised. However, there are still manual grape harvests in Germany.
Sparkling wine, or quality sparkling wine, must legally:
- be made from quality wines
- have at least 3.5 bar at 20°C
- contain at least 10% by volume of alcohol
- carbon dioxide must exclusively come from the second fermentation
- be stored under full pressure for 9 months (after fermentation)
The production process is not prescribed for sparkling wine, meaning it can also be produced using the following methods.
Charmat or tank fermentation method: Fermentation takes place in tanks with a capacity of 200,000 liters or more. After just 1 month, the yeast can be separated from the sparkling wine by means of a filter. After adding the dosage, the sparkling wine is bottled and corked. Only this cost-effective method makes today's large-scale production possible. 95% of German sparkling wine is produced using this method.
Considering that the sparkling wine tax alone in Germany is €1.02 plus VAT per bottle (which is naturally included in the selling price), one can imagine what they are drinking when buying a bottle of sparkling wine for €2.99...
What is the Méthode Champenoise?
To enable secondary fermentation, cane or beet sugar and some yeast, called liqueur de tirage, must be added to the wine. The bottles are then sealed with a crown cap that contains a plastic capsule, called a bidule, which serves to collect the sediment. Secondary fermentation takes about three weeks, after which the champagne has about 1.2% more alcohol than the base wine. Only in Champagne may this process be called Méthode Champenoise.
After fermentation is complete, the champagne improves on the lees and can be stored in this way for many decades. The dead yeast undergoes an enzymatic decomposition process called autolysis, which gives the champagne its aroma. Furthermore, autolysis ensures a fine dissolution of carbonic acid in the wine, which later provides the fine, long-lasting perlage in the glass. Therefore, a minimum maturation period of 15 months is prescribed for non-vintage and three years for vintage champagne. Quality-conscious houses usually release their champagnes much later.
The fermentation then makes the big difference between sparkling wine and champagne: the Méthode Champenoise allows champagne to have a more beautiful color and a fuller taste than, for example, sparkling wine.
However, it is also important to know that these sparkling wines are industrial sparkling wines, and in comparison, there are also very good winemaker sparkling wines that are produced identically to champagne using traditional bottle fermentation from selected base wines and a long aging period on the lees.
Sparkling Wines
Today, the name Sekt stands for all sparkling wines that are not allowed to be called "Champagne". In Italy, Sekt is called Asti spumante (Italian spumare, to foam). Asti is an Italian city and also the name for the grape variety cultivated there.
By the way, there are also "Perlweine" (semi-sparkling wines). These are effervescent wines with a low residual sugar content, produced by fermentation in tanks under pressure, but without a second fermentation. This would include Prosecco. They must not be confused with Sekt or Champagne and must bear correspondingly clear labels. "Prosecco" is the name of a grape or wine variety and also a regional name. Prosecco grapes may be cultivated throughout Italy and also abroad. But only where Prosecco grapes are present, may it be labeled Prosecco. There is "Prosecco Frizzante" (carbonation pressure between 1 and 2.5 bar and total alcohol content at least 10.5% vol.) and "Prosecco Spumante" (carbonation pressure at least 3 bar and total alcohol content at least 11% vol.).
I would like to thank "Narciso" who provided this detailed explanation on wer-weiss-was, and Mr. Barzen from Weingut Barzen who produces Winzer Sekt using bottle fermentation.
But ultimately, it's about taste, and some people will prefer to drink Sekt or Prosecco over Champagne. One must respect every personal taste.
With us, you can only order grower Champagnes from France and then enjoy them ;-))
