Now You Know: Champagne?


If there's one thing I've learned
is that people are particular 
about their sparkling wine....

Excusez-moi, "champagne."

Because, in France, mon ami,
you can find Champagne
most every where you go...
since it's made there.

If you go to a cafe in London,
you may find other bubbles on the menu
but just because it's pretty and sparkling,
doesn't mean it's "Champagne."

It could sparkling wine from Italy, Spain or Napa.

(Though, you won't see American wine on a European menu too often.)

Champagne is the name that is given ONLY
to sparkling wine grown in the Champagne region in France.

Only.

And they get really fussy if you give it's name 
to anything that isn't from that area.

So here's a quick tutorial for you 
so that you can speak of the sparkling
and babble of bubbles 
correctly where ever it is
you find yourself.







Are there bubbles in your glass?

It's sparkling!


Is it from France?

Then it's probably Champagne...
but check that the bottle says so.


Is it from Italy?

Then it's not Champagne- it's prosecco.


Is it from Spain?

Then it's not Champagne- it's cava.



* * * 


Look at that.

We've all got a bit smarter 
and more refined.

Cheers to that.






*image via

15 comments:

  1. Haha, love this quick (and so necessary) breakdown of sparkling wines. One of my favorite activities in Paris was taking picnics with champagne.

    xx,
    Rachel
    Suppose Anything Goes

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  2. I'm just learning this now? At this age? Yikes! (And thank you so much for not assuming that we all know this 😜)

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  3. And in Germany…it's called Sekt! :)

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  4. Haha love this post. I am from the Midwest and that is a common misconception and after living in Germany I learned the error of my ways when introduced to Prosecco- YUM! Anything that has bubbles is champagne here lol and I don't have the heart to correct them as I usually get the you are so odd side eye. Also no one knows what to do with the spoon that comes along with your pasta. Again I get the side eye. So I just eat my pasta and drink my "champagne" and chuckle inside at the Midwest bubble they all live in.

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  5. I feel so cultured now! Ha! Actually, I knew only true champagne was from that region of France. However, I didn't know the names other countries called their version. I call my champagne "$5 after New Years Special" ;)

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  6. noted! :) :) and now i feel a little smarter! xo jillian - cornflake dreams

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  7. How funny, I have a Champagne review post scheduled for next week!!! Must be something in the water making us mama's prefer the bubble right now!!! :) xx

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  8. Ha, thanks! I need those lessons from time to time. I know it all depends on bottle/individual kind, but I of the ones I've tried (which is limited to say the least), I don't really like champagne, but I do like prosecco. Weird?

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  9. Haha, I love this post. Mostly because this is one of my biggest pet peeves ever. Unless the menu calls it out from Champagne, it's not Champagne. It's sparkling. And count me in as a Champagne girl...the drier, and finer the bubbles, the better! xo, vmac

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  10. Aaaah I'm so glad to see I'm not the only one about this common mistake!! I learned it in French class in high school, but then when I lived in Rome I had to do a business memo for a class over a 48 hour period and learned why it's actually only allowed to be called champagne if it's from Champagne, France -- it falls under a PDO. By that same name, parmesan cheese is only allowed to be called parmigiano-reggiano cheese if it's made in Parma, Italy! It's all in the processesing apparently. Seriously, the things you learn when you're under a deadline and get asked vague questions about whether a mythical company from Wisconsin can sell cheese to the EU.

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  11. There's also sparkling wine from outside the Champagne region, but still from France, called Cremant, just to add another layer to this!

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  12. I love this little champagne lesson, I'm a huge fan of champagne and mimosas. Can I tell you how jealous I am that you're LIVING in Paris right now! ;) One of my goals is to live in France for at least 3 months-each month a different area: Provence, Paris & Nice. I've been to all but Provence so far and just love French culture.

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