Sparkling wine is wine with carbon dioxide from an extra fermentation, and champagne, cava and prosecco are three different styles from three different countries. Champagne comes from Champagne in France and cava from Spain, and both ferment a second time in the bottle, while prosecco from northern Italy usually ferments a second time in a large tank.
Dims Studio's own figures: Among champagne glasses sold at Dims Studio from November 2025 to October 2026, 61% had blue, 41% clear and 30% dark orange as one of the colours (more than 50 items sold). Half of the more than 60 champagne glasses sold cost under 220 DKK.
Contents
- The short answer: what are prosecco, cava and champagne
- What is sparkling wine?
- The three methods behind the bubbles
- Champagne, cava and prosecco side by side
- Sweetness levels on the label: brut, extra dry and demi-sec
- Other sparkling wines: crémant, sekt, asti and lambrusco
- How to open and pour sparkling wine
- Frequently asked questions
- Summary
When the label says sparkling wine, champagne, cava or prosecco, the words cover different rules for origin, grapes and production. This guide takes a close look at each of them, so you know what you're pouring into the glass, and what makes that particular bottle special.
The short answer: what are prosecco, cava and champagne
Sparkling wine covers all wine with a significant carbon dioxide content, and within this broad category you'll find champagne, cava and prosecco as three regionally protected styles. Champagne is made in the Champagne region of France, cava in Spain, and prosecco in northern Italy around the village of Prosecco near Trieste. Champagne and cava get their bubbles from the wine fermenting an extra time inside the bottle itself, while prosecco usually ferments a second time in a large closed tank before being bottled. The difference in method is a big part of the explanation for why the three wines taste and cost differently, and the next sections go into detail with the methods, a comparison and the sweetness levels on the label.
What is sparkling wine?
Sparkling wine is wine with a significant carbon dioxide content, which makes it fizzy, and it's usually white or rosé. The bubbles come from a secondary fermentation, in other words an extra fermentation process on top of the normal one, where carbon dioxide forms in the wine. In the EU, the word champagne is reserved for wine made in the Champagne region of France, so a sparkling wine from anywhere else must never be called champagne, no matter how it's produced. There's a persistent myth that the monk Dom Pérignon invented sparkling wine, but that's not true, even though he did a lot to raise the quality of champagne.
The three methods behind the bubbles
There are three basic ways of making the bubbles, and the method has a big impact on both price and style.
- The traditional method: Sugar and yeast are added to the wine, and the second fermentation happens inside the bottle itself. The method is used for champagne, crémant, cava and some sekt.
- The Charmat method, also known as the tank method: The wine is put in a large tank together with sugar and yeast, the tank is sealed and pressurised, so the fermentation happens there instead of in the bottle. The method was patented by the Italian Federico Martinotti in 1895 and improved by the Frenchman Eugène Charmat in 1907, and it's usually used for prosecco.
- Carbonation: Here, carbon dioxide is added directly to the wine without an extra fermentation.
Wine made with the tank method can be produced considerably more cheaply than wine made with the traditional method, which is part of the explanation for the price difference between, for example, champagne and prosecco.
Champagne, cava and prosecco side by side
Here, the three wines are set side by side, so the differences are clear.
| Champagne | Cava | Prosecco | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Origin | The Champagne region in France | Spain, mainly Penedès in Catalonia | Nine provinces in Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy |
| Grapes | Pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay | Macabeo, parellada and xarel·lo | Glera, up to 15 per cent other approved grapes |
| Method | Traditional method with secondary fermentation in the bottle | Traditional method with secondary fermentation in the bottle | Usually the Charmat method with secondary fermentation in a tank |
| Minimum ageing | 15 months, vintage champagne at least three years | Cava de Guarda at least 9 months, Cava de Guarda Superior at least 18 months | At least 30 days of production time |
| Typical sweetness | Brut is the most common style today | Ranges from brut nature to dulce | Extra dry has been the dominant style |
Sweetness levels on the label: brut, extra dry and demi-sec
The EU has fixed sweetness levels for sparkling wine, and they must appear on the label when the wine is from the EU:
- Brut nature: under 3 grams of sugar per litre
- Extra brut: under 6 grams
- Brut: under 12 grams
- Extra dry: 12 to 17 grams
- Sec or dry: 17 to 32 grams
- Demi-sec: 32 to 50 grams
- Doux: over 50 grams
Even though the name extra dry sounds dry, it's actually higher on the scale than brut. That's why an extra dry prosecco usually tastes sweeter than a brut champagne or cava, even though the two words sound like it should be the other way round.
Tip: Check the sweetness level on the label before you choose a bottle, so you know whether you're getting a dry brut or a sweeter extra dry.
Other sparkling wines: crémant, sekt, asti and lambrusco
In addition to champagne, cava and prosecco, there are several other sparkling wines worth knowing about:
- Crémant: French sparkling wine from, among other places, Burgundy, Alsace, Loire and Bordeaux, as well as from Luxembourg.
- Sekt: sparkling wine from Germany and Austria.
- Asti: Italian sparkling wine from the Asti region.
- Lambrusco: from Emilia-Romagna in Italy and comes in white, rosé and red.
It's also worth knowing the difference between the terms. Frizzante and pétillant have less carbonation than sparkling wine and therefore fizz more gently, while perlwine has only a slight carbonation.
Find champagne glasses that add extra style to the bubbles.
See champagne glassesHow to open and pour sparkling wine
To stop the cork from shooting off and the wine spilling, hold the cork and tilt the bottle at an angle so the cork glides out gently instead of flying off. When you pour, tilt the glass and let the wine run down the side so as many bubbles as possible are kept.
A set of champagne glasses makes it easy to find the right angle, and in the shop you'll find, among others, Jazzy champagne glasses from Anna + Nina and I Love You champagne glasses from Anna + Nina. Want to know how many glasses you get from a bottle? You can read more in How many glasses are there in a bottle of wine, and champagne?
Frequently asked questions
What is prosecco?
Prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine from nine provinces in Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, made from the glera grape and usually produced using the Charmat method, where the second fermentation takes place in a tank.
What is cava?
Cava is a Spanish sparkling wine with DO status, most of which is produced in Penedès in Catalonia, and it must be made using the traditional method with a second fermentation in the bottle.
What is sparkling wine?
Sparkling wine is wine with a significant carbon dioxide content, which makes it fizzy, and the bubbles are created by a secondary fermentation.
What's the difference between champagne and prosecco?
Champagne comes from the Champagne region in France and undergoes its second fermentation in the bottle, while prosecco comes from northern Italy and usually undergoes its second fermentation in a large tank.
What does brut mean?
Brut means that the sparkling wine has less than 12 grams of sugar per litre, and it's currently the most common style of champagne.
Is extra dry sweeter than brut?
Yes. Extra dry has 12 to 17 grams of sugar per litre, which is more than brut's under 12 grams, even though the name extra dry sounds dry.
Summary
Sparkling wine covers champagne, cava, prosecco and several other styles, and the difference lies in origin, grapes, method and sweetness level. With the table and sweetness scale to hand, it's easier to choose the right bottle, and with the right grip on the cork and glass, you'll keep more bubbles in your glass.
Read also
- How many glasses are there in a bottle of wine, and champagne?
- New Year's table: how to set the table for New Year
- Cocktail glasses and drinkware: make your home bar festive
- How should glasses be placed on the table?
- New Year's menu: ideas and plan for New Year's Eve
- How to open oysters: a step-by-step guide
- New Year reception: what is it, and how do you hold one?
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