Champagne or Sparkling for Valentine’s Day

When it comes time to select a champagne for yourself or perhaps that special someone, it can be difficult to understand what you’re really getting yourself into when you pick up that bottle. Here at O’Bryan’s, we want you to have a stress-free time selecting that perfect bubbly for you and your lover (or you, in front of your TV, in your pajamas, with your cats). We’ve put together a list of terms that you may come across on Sparkling wines/Champagne labels to help you know what you’re really getting when you pick a ‘demi-sec’ to pair with your strawberries. Here we go…

Champagne: A sparkling wine made in the Méthode Traditionnelle or Méthode Champenoise typically with grapes, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay from the Champagne region in France.

Sparkling Wine: These bubbly wines come from other countries, but are not deemed Champagne because it’s not from the French region.

Extra/Ultra Brut: Bone dry, no sugar added.

Brut: Dry. Can have up to 1% of residual sugar (excess sugar), tastes dry.

Extra Dry: May have up to 2% residual sugar.

Sec: Means dry, but isn’t.

Demi-Sec: Means medium-dry, but it will taste quite sweet.

Asti Spumante: Spumante means sparkling. The grape is Moscato di Canelli which makes a sweet, grapey, low alcohol sparkler.

Cava: Sparkling wine from Spain.

Prosecco: Dry, light bodied sparkler from Italy.  Made from the Glera grape.

Blanc de Blancs: Champagne made from only white grapes (Chardonnay).

Blanc de Noirs: Champagne made from only black grapes (Pinot Meunier & Pinot Noir).

Cheers!