Over he holidays and the New Year many people will want to open a good champagne for toasting with their family and friends to celebrate. For many this is the only time of year they buy and consume champagne so many are not aware of the varieties available and the wording used on labels.
First of all only sparkling wines made in Champagne, France can actually be called Champagne while those made elsewhere using the same process can only be called sparkling wines. This does not mean that these wines are substandard they are just produced elsewhere.
Champagnes and sparkling wines do not have to be sweet as many people think they do. Those marked Brut are low in sugar and therefore less sweet than those which are Sec, or middle of the road in sweetness, or even those of Demi-Sec or full sweet Doux.
By understanding the words used on sparkling wines and champagnes buyers can get just the right one for parties and wine baskets this holiday season that will pare up perfectly with the fare or taste of those they are buying the wine for. Enjoy these bubbly sparkling wines along with champagnes for the holidays this year.