What To Expect From Tasting Champagne, Prosecco & Cava

When enjoying a glass of Champagne, Prosecco or Cava, there are certain aromas and flavours that are common amongst each of them.

Now, not every Champagne, Prosecco or Cava will taste similar, some will end up completely surprising you with their own unique aromas and flavours.

Champagne

The aromas and flavours from a Champagne can all depend on how much time it spends fermenting in oak barrels compared to stainless steel vats.

The typical aromas and flavours from Champagne can be very similar, so I’m just going to list them together.

Aromas & Flavours:

• Toast
• Burnt Toast
• Butter
• Brioche
• Croissant
• Yellow Fruits
• Yellow Stone Fruits
• Green Fruits
• Oak
• Burnt Oak
• Zesty – Lemon or Lime
• Floral

Prosecco

The notes on a glass of Prosecco are widely different from Champagne, because Prosecco is made using the Charmat Method instead of the Classic, Champagne Method, the aromas and flavours are much fruitier than in a glass of Champagne.

Aromas & Flavours:

• Green Fruits
• Apples – Red or Green
• Pears
• Tropical Fruits
• Pineapple
• Banana
• Melon
• Peach
• Blossom – Yellow or White
• Floral
• Zesty – Lemon or Lime

Cava

The third big name in the Sparkling Wine industry, Cava also has its own unique aromas and flavours to become familiar with.

Aromas & Flavours:

• Petroleum 
• Plastic
• Green Apples
• Green Fruits
• Zesty – Lemon or Lime
• Grapefruit
• Red Berries
• Summer Berry Fruits
• Raspberries
• Citrus – Lemon or Lime

 

There you have it, some of the most popular aromas and flavours from Champagne, Prosecco and Cava, there are of course going to be some outliers and aromas/flavours that will have you stumped, but for the most part, you will get some of these aromas and flavours.

I hope this helps you with discovering the mysteries in your glass. I would recommend that when you start out wine tasting to have a picture of different foods including herbs, spices and floral in front of you to aid you in picking out the aromas/flavours, because it can be very overwhelming and sometimes impossible to pick out the certain aromas and flavours when you are starting off, it’s only when someone points it out or you see a piece of fruit for example that it triggers your memory to what you are experiencing.