As many of you know I’m a devoted Champagne and Prosecco drinker. My two favorite brands are Maison Veuve Clicquot and Mionetto Prosecco. I don’t need a special event or occasion to pop open a bottle of one of those fancy bubbles. Today during lunch I realized that a restaurant bartender didn’t know the difference between the two. Well, to keep the story short we noticed at lunch the bartender kept pouring us Prosecco but charged us for champagne. Everything was taking care of by the manager who was so embarrassed because the poor girl said she’s been doing this for some time because she didn’t know the difference.
Luv my Veuve Clicquot
Luv my Mionetto Prosecco
So, what’s the difference between Champagne & Prosecco? Here’s a tip about the two wines from Wine Folly.Â
*The quick answer is Champagne is from France and Prosecco is from Italy, but there are some other things to know about both wines –especially if you like bubbly wine.
Champagne
Champagne is a sparkling wine made in the Champagne region of France around the city of Reims about 80 miles (130 km) Northeast of Paris.
- Made with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes
- Produced using a costly method called the ‘Traditional Method’
- A standard pour of Brut Champagne has ~128 Calories (12% ABV)
- $40 for a good entry-level Champagne
Prosecco
Prosecco is a sparkling wine made in the Veneto region of Italy around the city of Treviso about 15 miles (24 km) North of Venice.
- Made with Prosecco (a.k.a. Glera) grapes
- Produced using an affordable method called the ‘Tank Method’
- A standard pour of Prosecco has ~121 Calories (11% ABV)
- $12-14 for a good entry-level Prosecco
Read more about it on Wine Molly
If you didn’t feel like doing all that reading basically champagne have persistent bubbles, its stronger with a drier taste and prosecco  has a lighter, spritzy bubbles and the taste is more fruity and sweet, at least to me. So, now I’m wondering how often does this happen. Have anyone else ever caught your bartender pouring you the wrong wine but charged you for a higher end wine?
I’m not big on drinking either, but I appreciate the information!
I love both of those bottles! And I also have some bubbly currently chilling in the fridge for tonight because why not? The bartender must’ve been very inexperienced because it doesn’t take a pro to know ordering prosecco vs. champagne is going to have a way different price and they are not the same! Prosecco is always a cost-effective yet still chic option for me if I’m out 🙂 You rarely find bottles of champagne for under $100 at a bar. Glad they were able to sort out your bill. xo J
Oh dear goodness I’m a wine novice and I knew the difference! That hasn’t happened to me but I wouldn’t be happy, not only because of the price difference because Prosecco makes me sick. :-/ I’m glad you caught it though! It’s a good reminder to always check your bubbly 🙂
At first I thought it was old because of the bubbles, always the first sign. But if someone doesn’t drink then they will not understand the difference. She was actually nice and had diarrhea at the mouth sharing that she’s not a big wine drinker. This place where we had lunch was a nice spot so that’s why the manager was embarrassed