Champagne

Glossary of Terms

Champagne is a sparkling wine which is produced using the secondary fermentation process in the bottle. This traditional method involves bottling the base cuvee with a mixture of sugar and yeast, which then ferments in the bottle to produce a carbonated beverage. Other sparkling wines may be produced by an injection of carbon dioxide. The bubbles in sparkling wines are caused by contact with a dry glass when pouring, but a nucleated champagne flute is usually required to keep the drink fizzy. A bottle of Champagne takes its name from the Champagne region in France, yet many other and countries and wine regions produce sparkling wines varieties, including Espumante in Portugal, Cava in Spain and Spumante in Italy.

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