What is the difference between sparkling wine and champagne?
As the other answer noted, the name champagne is reserved for wines produced in the AOC Champagne region of France and made using the “mthode classique”. All other fizzy wines are sparkling wines. However, there are several different production methods, all of which affect the quality of the end product. Champagnes and many sparkling wines are made using what is called the mthode champenoise or mthode classique. After the wine has completed the fermentation process, it is bottled, a dose of unfermented grape juice is added, and a temporary seal is installed, usually a crown cap. The bottles are stored in special racks and undergo a secondary fermentation. Because the bottles are sealed, the CO2 produced by the yeast is dissolved in the wine. The bottles are stored on their sides and riddled by hand or machine during the fermentation process. Riddling (reumage) is a process in which the bottles are twisted to shake the sediment loose and gradually angled downwards until they are fully i
