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Sparkling wine is always associated with celebrations and holidays, which is why it’s the perfect topic for this week’s column … and how I spent my very untraditional Thanksgiving sipping Champagne in , France. It was an amazing and educational trip for my family who went on the work sip trip with me. (I might mix work and family trips a bit too often.)

We had the opportunity to see the Champagne production taking place from the disgorgement and dosage to the riddling of bottles. It was fun for me to see, but eye-opening for my family who did not fully understand the process. With that in mind, I wanted to share a little more on the difference among sparkling wines as I’m sure many of you will be popping bottles in the coming days.

There is literally a whole world of sparkling wine to explore; nearly every wine-producing country crafts its own sparkling wines. But, with a word limit for this column we’re sticking with the most popular – Champagne, Prosecco and Cava. While each are sparkling wines, the methods used to produce them differ as do the grapes, and the regions they are from.

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Champagne

Champagne comes from the Champagne region in France and uses pinot noir, pinot meunier, and chardonnay grapes. It is produced using the winemaking style called Méthode Champenoise Traditionnelle, or just the Traditional Method, which is labor-intensive and what makes Champagne a standout sparkling wine.

Cava

Cava is produced in using the same French method, Méthode Champenoise Traditionnelle, but from a blend of grapes, the main ones being Macabeo, Xarel·lo and Parellada. Chardonnay and local varietals such as Trepat, Garnacha and Malvasía can also be used.

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Nearly all premium sparkling wines in the New World use the Traditional Method. (New World wines are basically every wine region not in Europe.) In the United States, sparkling wines using the Traditional Method are identifiable on their labels with the terms, “Classic Method” or Traditional Method” or “Fermented in This Bottle.”

Understanding Méthode Champenoise Traditionnelle

There are a lot of steps to making bubbles using the Traditional Method, but it begins like all wines, with the grapes being pressed and the juice fermenting in tanks or barrels. Once ready, the fermented juice is blended and bottled, BUT now a mixture of yeast and sugar is added to create a second fermentation phase inside the bottle. During this phase, the yeast consumes the sugar and creates bubbles (CO2) inside the bottle. As the second fermentation runs its course, the yeast cells die, releasing compounds that create the nutty, brioche flavors.

During the aging process, bottles are gradually tilted and turned in special racks (traditionally by hand, now often by machine) to slowly move the lees sediment — those dead yeast cells — toward the bottle neck, this is called riddling.

Once the bottles have aged for a minimum of 15 months for non-vintage and three years for vintage Champagne, it’s time to remove the sediment in the neck of the bottle, aka the disgorgement process. (This was the process I got to see for the first time at Ruinart in Champagne. I have a .) The bottle is turned upside down, the neck is frozen, trapping the sediment in an ice plug. When the bottle cap is removed, the pressure shoots the frozen sediment out.

Next, the official taster — who might have the best job, ever — makes sure the bottle is good and tops off the bottle since some of the wine came out in the disgorgement process. The top off — a dosage — is a mixture of wine and sugar that is added to determine the sparkling wines final sweetness level. The bottle is then corked, wired, labeled and aged briefly before release.

Prosecco

Prosecco is made in Veneto, Italy from the Glera grape (at least 85%) but other local and international varieties can also be used. Prosecco uses the more simplified method called Martinotti or the Charmat Method of production, also known as tank fermented. Unlike Champagne and Cava, the second fermentation of Prosecco — where the bubbles are created — and the addition of the dosage takes place in a stainless-steel tank before the wine is bottled. The majority of German Sekt is also produced using this method.

The Sweetness Scale

The various categories of sweetness in sparkling wines is based on the sugar concentration, much of which is added in the dosage. Most bubble lovers will be familiar with Brut sparkling wines, which represents the industry standard but here is a quick run-down to understand before your next run to the wine store.

Brut Nature, Brut Sauvage = Zero sugar added

Extra Brut = Very dry

Brut = Dry

Extra Dry & Extra Sec = Off dry

Sec = Slightly sweet

Demi-sec = Sweet

Doux = Very sweet

Elaine Schoch is an award-winning travel writer and wine judge, certified by the , and a certified American Wine Expert. She is also the editor at Carpe Travel, a content site focused on wine travel. You can follow her wine 101 and sipping adventures on ´Ç°ùÌý.Ìý