Champagne is another name for what type of wine?

Champagne is classified as a type of sparkling wine. This designation comes from the unique production process used to create champagne, which includes secondary fermentation in the bottle to produce carbon dioxide, resulting in bubbles. The region of Champagne in France is renowned for this specific method and grape varieties used, such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier.

Understanding that champagne is a sparkling wine is crucial, especially in bartending, as it informs how to serve and pair this type of wine. Sparkling wines have distinct characteristics compared to still wines, which do not undergo this production process and do not have bubbles. The other classifications mentioned, such as dry wine or fortified wine, do not accurately describe champagne and could lead to confusion when ordering or serving in a bartending context.