Technically, the champagne appellation indicates sparkling wines from an eponymous French province. Nowadays, all sparkling wines are called champagne all over the world. Besides the sparkling aspect, what differentiates champagne from wine? The difference can also be seen in the following parameters.
The Sugar Content
Whatever its region or country of origin, champagne is often made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. On the other hand, the grapes intended for the production of champagne are picked while they contain less sugar. Then, a good champagne worthy of the name is fermented twice in order to increase its alcohol content. Indeed, the low sugar content of the grapes impacts the alcohol content of the juice during its first fermentation. Champagne is also less acidic than a great wine online. Even with two fermentations, champagnes have a sugar content between 17 and 19% while wines contain between 22 and 24% of sugar.
The Grape Varieties
As a reminder, sparkling wines, especially those from the Champagne region are produced with Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir. On the other hand, wines are made from a wider variety of grapes. In order to obtain the color that we know, champagne is mainly made from green grapes even if some producers use red grapes to give it a pink shade. All colors of grapes are allowed to produce wines.
The Fermentation
As we have already indicated above, champagne goes through a second fermentation after bottling, whereas wine only undergoes one. This second fermentation takes place when alcohol and carbon dioxide bubbles form. Connoisseurs call this process “En Tirage”. It is followed by an aging process that must be held in a cool place to promote the formation of bubbles.
The Aging
As they say, fine wine gets better with age. This is not always the case with champagne. Many sparkling wines are the result of a non-vintage combination of older and newer wines. Most champagnes have a shelf life of 1-2 years. If it is a vintage champagne, the storage time can extend up to 10 years. However, some oenophiles claim that champagne ages as well as wines. In any case, a good red wine can be kept for up to 30 years in your wine cellar. The best wines like some Bordeaux can even stay in the cellar for up to 50 years or more.
You can go to this site to learn more about the difference between wine and champagne.