Champers, Champagne, Prosecco or Cava the choice is yours

I never knew this, but I recently learned from some friends visiting from the UK that they call Champagne "Champers" over there. I like that name. It has a nice ring to it, very friendly.  

They say that there's no other wine on Earth that enjoys quite such a glamorous reputation as Champagne. For centuries, this most celebrated of French wine has been synonymous with good times and good taste and it's still the 'go-to' sparkling wine when we want to mark a special event or celebrate in style. But with wine lovers across the UK collectively tightening their belts,

Champagne has seen sales slip as sales of alternative, more affordable sparklers like Prosecco and the 'other' French wine, Clement, soar. The internet has opened up a whole new world of wine and the opportunity to buy wine online means that we can now take our pick from an unprecedented range of sparkling wines - in such a market, can we still justify splashing out on a bottle of Champagne?

Of course, the answer to this question is largely dependent on personal taste. Italian  sparkler Prosecco, a light and fruity fizz, is now easily outselling Champagne in the UK, with many people buying wine online discovering that they actually prefer the drink to traditional Champagne. Certainly, it is a deliciously drinkable wine, although some Champagne enthusiasts would argue that it lacks the depth of flavour of a good bottle of Champers.

Similarly, Spanish sparkling wine, Cava, has seen its profile rise enormously over the last decade and has sometimes outperformed Champagne in blind taste tests. Despite this, however, Cava lacks the distinction of its more celebrated French counterpart and anyone presenting a bottle at a wedding or special occasion still runs a slight risk of appearing to have taken the budget option. But is Champers snobbery an outdated notion? And what makes it different from other sparkling wine anyway?

Under EU rulings, bottles of sparkling French wine can only be labelled as Champagne if they are entirely produced within the strictly measured borders of the French wine region of the same name, made entirely with grapes grown in the region and made according to the traditional Méthode Champenoise, where secondary fermentation takes place within the bottle. A good bottle of this most famous of bubblies is indeed a wonderful thing, but it is perfectly possible to find a sub-standard bottle of Champers that would be the inferior of a decent Cava or Prosecco.

Those who like their brand names will find that a bottle of Moet & Chandon, Cristal or Bollinger is unlikely to disappoint, but the mere fact of a sparkling wine being Champers as opposed to, for example, Crement, does not necessarily guarantee a superior drinking experience. Tastes vary and one person's perfect tipple is another person's unpalatable plonk, so before you buy, think about whether you want to buy dry (brut or extra brut) or sweet (sec or demi-sec) and don't be afraid to ask wine merchants for advice about which sparkling wines they would personally recommend - Champers may not even top their list. If you are planning to buy wine online, you will have access to abundant reviews and opinions, making it easier to decide whether it's worth splashing out on a bottle of genuine Champers or not when you buy wine online.

What ever you choose, live it up.

Comments

[Janet Guthrie]

Of all the choices given above, champagne is the best. The other choices are just common in taste yet cheap. The people must have a great taste when they choose this one, champagne.

[orange county brewery]

Cava does not have the difference of its more famous France version and anyone presenting.

[Jasmine Smith]

I would normally disregard content on this topic but your first sentence interested me enough to read on. You have done an amazing job with the detail and effort you put into this article. Thanks!