Difference Between Wine and Champagne

Main Difference – Wine vs Champagne

Wine is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented grape or other fruit juice. Champagne is a type of wine that is made with specific grapes and in a specific region. This is the main difference between Wine and Champagne.

What is Wine

Wine is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented grape juice. Though grape is the standard and the most used ingredient in wine production, some other fruits and herbs can also be used in the wine production as well. Irrespective of the fruit used, the fruit juice must go through the fermentation process where the sugar is transformed into alcohol. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts- which is used in fermentations- produce different styles of wine.

Wine can be basically categorized into fortified wine, sparkling wine, and table (still) wine. Fortified Wine is a method of wine making that involves fortifying wine with spirits. Sparkling Wine is a method of wine making that involves a secondary fermentation causing bubbles. Still or table wine is a light wine that does not fall into the above categories, and it typically contains 8.5% and 14% alcohol content. Still wine is classified as red, white and rosé depending on their color.

The regulations regarding the classifications of wine vary in different regions. European wines are often classified by the region (Bordeaux, Chianti, Champagne, and Rioja) whereas Non-European wines tend to be classified by grape. (Pinot Noir and Merlot)

What is Champagne

Champagne is a sparkling wine produced in the region of Champagne, France. Champagne is grown, fermented and distilled in Champagne. Only certain varieties of grapes are used as the base. Point Noir, Point Meunier, Chardonnay are the most used varieties of grapes.

Champagne is produced in a special process called Méthode Champenoise. It involves a two-step fermentation process; the grape juice is first fermented into alcohol, and then it is bottled to trap CO2 gas that forms the bubbles in Champagne.

There are strict rules governing the champagne making. For example, all grapes that are used in Champagne must be handpicked. Champagne can be classified as vintage. When wines are made with grapes of one year’s harvest, it is a vintage wine, when a mix of grapes from different years is used it is called non-vintage.

Difference Between Wine and Champagne

Definition

Wine is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented grape or other fruit juice.

Champagne is a sparkling wine produced in the region of Champagne, France.

Classification

There are many types of Wine, and they are classified according to grapes, regions.

Champagne is a type of wine.

Grape

Wine is mainly made of grapes, but other fruits such as apples, pomegranate, and elderberry wine.

Champagne is mainly made of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and white Chardonnay.

Region

Wine is mainly produced in European countries, the United States, Australia, and China.

Champagne is only produced in the Champagne region.

Image Courtesy:

“Tempranillowine” by Mick Stephenson mixpix 20:28, 2 April 2007 (UTC) – Own work. (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons

“Champagne uncorking photographed with a high speed air-gap flash” by Niels Noordhoek – Own work. via (CC BY-SA 3.0) Commons 

ncG1vNJzZmiolZm2oq2NnKamZ5Ses6ex0Z6lnJ1dl7K1w8SepWavmaOybq3NnWScoJGivaKzzZ5m