Sparkling wine vs Champagne: main differences

1. The region of producing

The primary difference between Champagne and sparkling wine is the region where the wine is produced. A bottle of sparkling wine can be labeled as Champagne only when it is made in the French region called Champagne. At the same time, there are multiple types of sparkling wine found all over the globe. For instance, the Spanish sparkling wine known as Cava is produced mainly in the Penedes area in Spain, while the Italian sparkling wine Prosecco is made only in the Veneto region of Italy.

2. Grapes

The main grape types used for Champagne production are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and occasionally Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. Other sparkling wines can be made of a blend of several international grape varieties. For example, German sparkling wine Sekt is most often produced from a blend of Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Noir grape varieties.

3. Aroma and flavor

If you still wonder is Champagne and sparkling wine the same, they also differ in their tastes and notes in the aroma. Champagne features a more complex flavor with bold, toasty motives resulting from wine aging. In addition, some vintage Champagnes can stand by biscuit or toast notes in the scent. The fine texture of this alcoholic drink is also possible thanks to the long aging process. 

Depending on the sugar content, Champagne varies from dry (known as brut) to sweet that has bold fruity notes in the flavor. On the other hand, different sparkling wines are considered more fresh and light with prominent fruity additives. The Italian Prosecco is well-known for its apple, pear, and peach notes in the taste, while Spanish Cava is associated with powerful citrus motives.

4. Price

Many collectors truly appreciate Champagne for its 15-25 years of aging, making this wine more expensive than typical sparkling wine. The grapes are also one of the reasons for the high price of Champagne since only a few grapes are growing in this French region that winemakers can use for Champagne production. 

By the way, this sparkler is usually made in limited parties due to the time-consuming winemaking process. Consumers can purchase a bottle of fine non-vintage Champagne for $30, and the price for vintage Champagne can reach even $5,000. In contrast, a bottle of fine Prosecco can cost between $3 and $50, while Cava usually costs no more than $20.

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Proper diet and eating as healthy as we can improve how we feel and how long we may live. Remember that both mental and physical health cannot be considered as two separate things. As a rule, poor physical health can lead to a higher risk of developing a row of mental health problems.

Many people believe moderation is the key to this. Others believe we need strict diets and to watch all we eat. To keep yourself in safety, you need to know the list of foods that better to be excluded from your daily food ration. 

Fizzy drinks

Research has shown that drinking just one drink a day increases your risk of diabetes by 22%. You may be better off with soda water, low-sugar fruit juice, or diluted fruit juice.

Caffeine

It has been debated back and forth for years as to if caffeine helps or hurts our systems.  It is still advisable to limit the amount of caffeine we take in.  The stimulant can affect our hormones, and mood, and blood pressure.

Crisps 

They are high in fat and also sodium.  Switching to baked crisps is an option and has worked for me. But crisps can lead to obesity, heart disease, etc.  But they taste so good!

Margarine

Butter gets a bad rap, yes it is high in fat, but it is also natural, not man-made with tons of chemicals, etc., in it.  Some healthy options include spreads with plant sterols in them to help reduce cholesterol.  These plant sterols are supposed to help reduce cholesterol with regular consumption.

White bread

It isn’t that white bread is bad for you, but it doesn’t hold much in the line of healthy properties.  Switching to brown or whole grain bread is a good choice.  

Red meat 

We all know eating too much red meat has been linked to heart disease. Switching to a meat substitute like Quorn can be an optimal variant in this case. 

Popcorn 

The hot air popcorn poppers are the best, but the popcorn seems to be a bit dry and tasteless. The microwave varieties taste good but can have flavorings that can be high in chemicals such as diacetyl which give it the buttery taste. They can also be high in fat due to the oils used. An alternative is to just put some popcorn kernels in a brown paper bag on their own and microwave them. They may not taste just as good, but they will be much lower in fat and chemicals.

Alcohol

Nothing really new here as the NHS tells us and posts the number of units we are supposed to limit ourselves to on just about everything.  But the fact is what the NHS is saying is true. Too much alcohol is a reason for diverse medical problems. 

Dairy products 

Butter can also be included in this category, but we mentioned it before. This is more like cheese and creams, mike and other cow/dairy related foods. Most of us love cheese and cream sauces, unless you’re lactose intolerant. But they are high in fat and cholesterol and need to be eaten in moderation. Drinking skims or low-fat milk is an option.

You’d be surprised how many ready-made foods or ready meals have high daily contents in them in the form of the heavy sauces.  In one meal, some read meals alone are 50% to 75% of our daily fat allowance.

Salad dressings 

Some of these, even the «light» ones, are loaded with fat and chemicals. Making your own dressing with vinegar and olive oil is an alternative.

Granola or Trail Mix 

It isn’t that eating these mixes or granola bars are unhealthy, they can be loaded with calories and fat. One bar alone can be 25% of your allowed calories and more than that of allowed fats. Some of which may be good fats, but we still need to watch and limit the number of fats we take in.

Dips 

Some dips just seem to sound healthy, like artichoke dip, but the fact is they are heavy with cheese and other fatty sauces. They can be very high in calories and fat.  Most dips are cream or dairy based, which makes them taste as good as they do, and makes them as high in fat and calories as they are.

Fat-Free 

A label stating a food item is fat-free doesn’t necessarily make it healthy. It may be high in sodium or sugars to make up the taste that is missing from the fats. Read the labels.

Plan your diet attentively taking into consideration all the above-mentioned tips.

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