Champagne vs. sparkling wines and how to pick one for celebrating

Who couldn't use a few great ways to add some excitement and exhilaration to their holiday celebration? Well, we have a few suggestions - actually, about 50 million suggestions.

It is estimated that about 50 million golden aromatic bubbles are exploding in a single bottle of Champagne. That's likely enough bubbles to add a sparkle to anyone's festivities.

When you look down the sparkling wine aisle and see rows and rows of elegantly packaged bottles and a wide range of prices, you may be wondering if they are all that different, or is it all just fancy foils and massive marketing? Let's dive into this enchanting, effervescent wine so you can easily select the perfect product for your palate.

To begin with, any wine with those beautiful bubbles is technically a sparkling wine. If the sparkling wine comes from the world-famous region of Champagne, France, (and meets the French government's rigorous high standards and approval), it can then be called a true Champagne. The name Champagne is a highly protected and highly regulated designation.

The combination of Champagne's unique chalky soil, cool temps, permitted varietals (mainly Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier), and required production method are just a few components of Champagne's magic.

The production method required in Champagne is called the Traditional Method, also known as Méthode Champenoise or "Méthode Traditionnelle. Here, the bubbles are created inside the sealed bottle and produce incredible aromas and flavors reminiscent of vanilla, almond and toasty brioche (think warm, golden biscuits just out of the oven). The wine's texture tends to be creamier and the ultrafine bubbles are petite and delicate. The Traditional Method of sparkling wine production yields a product that is both highly desirable and highly labor-intensive, so be prepared to pay the higher price. This Traditional Method of production is also used in many other wine regions that seek to produce sparkling wines with these cherished aromas and flavors.

Outside of Champagne, France, there is another common method of producing those exhilarating bubbles called the Charmat method (aka Tank Method).

This process offers a lighter, crisper, fruitier style. The carbonation created in this method is formed inside a pressurized, stainless steel tank and yields larger, looser bubbles. This process is significantly less labor-intensive, thus, demands a notably lower price. An Italian Prosecco is a fine example of a beautifully crisp and refreshingly fruity sparkling wine produced in the Charmat method.

Often, the bottle's label will designate which method is used. Still, if not, the notable price difference between a sparkling wine made in the Traditional Method vs. the Charmat Method can be a good indicator.

Various wine regions often have their own terminology for their sparkling wines. If the bottle's label reads Cava, this means that it comes from Spain. Prosecco is a very popular sparkling wine from Italy, and in Germany they use the term Sekt. Crémant is the name used in France when the sparkling wine is not Champagne. Here in the U.S., our labels say sparkling wine.

A great tip to remember when purchasing your sparkling wine is that Cava and Crémant tend to be produced in the Traditional Method and therefore typically have those classic yeasty, almond, vanilla and brioche aromas and flavors. Prosecco and Sekt typically yield crisp, light, fruity notes with those larger, looser bubbles, as these are produced in the Charmat Method.

Sparkling wines made here in the U.S. can use either the Traditional or Charmat method, so check the label, as many bottles will designate the method.

Most people have a particular and definite level of sweetness they look for when searching for bubbly. The following are the average grams of sugar per typical 5-ounce glass of Champagne or sparkling wine. Use this as a handy buying guide. The bottle's label actually indicates the sweetness level, but the terms are often very confusing, so here's a cheat sheet to become an expert.

Not a fan of sweet bubbly? If so, look for labels that read "Brut Nature" (aka Ultra Brut), it is the least sweet sparkling designation and generally ranges around 0.4 grams of sugar per glass. "Extra Brut" typically has 0.9 grams. "Brut" has about 1.8 grams.

Got a sweet tooth? For those who prefer a sweeter taste, select one of the following: "Extra Dry" has approx. 2.5 grams of sugar per glass. "Dry" has about 4.7 grams, and "Demi Sec" has approx. 7.4 grams. If you see "Doux" on the label, it generally has more than 7.4 grams of sugar per glass and is perfect to pair with a sweet dessert.

While sparkling wines are fantastic on their own, they are also the easiest to pair with a variety of foods due to their high acidity level. The acidity cuts through the richness of fat in food, so sparkling wines are perfect pairings with fried foods. Salty foods also go great with wines in general, especially sparkling wines. This is why Champagne and caviar are a classic pairing, although the more everyday fun foods like popcorn or salted almonds are also great with sparkling wines.

A common misconception is that Champagne and sparklings are only for New Year's Eve, weddings or anniversaries, and are always costly. Due to the versatility of sparkling wines' styles and production methods, the price points vary from very inexpensive to moderately priced to higher end. There is a perfectly wonderful sparkling wine out there for everyone's palate.

With your newly acquired knowledge of Champagne and sparkling wines, you can now feel confident in selecting the perfect gift to treat your palate to 50 million explosions of incredible aromas and flavors for the holidays or every day.

Cheers and Carpe Vinum! (Seize the Wine)

• Robin Tarragano, Sommelier, CSW, (Certified Specialist of Wine) and Dan Tarragano, NVWE (Napa Valley Wine Expert) of We Know Vino Wine Educators teach Wine 101 and French Wine 101. All classes are taught online. To learn more about classes, contact them at weknowvinoeducators@gmail.com or visit www.weknowvinoeducators.com.