Guests are stepping aboard at 1800 and the owner wants "champagne on arrival." What is actually in the fridge is a Prosecco and a Cava - and after dinner someone will ask for "a port, or that sherry we had in Spain." Three of the most misused words in wine service. Get them right.
Sparkling wine
Bubbles come from a second fermentation: yeast and sugar are added to a finished still wine, and the carbon dioxide it produces is trapped.
| Style | Where | Grapes | Method | Character |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champagne | Champagne, France only | Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Meunier | Second fermentation in the bottle (traditional method) | Fine persistent bubbles; citrus and apple plus bready, biscuity, brioche notes from ageing on the yeast |
| Prosecco | North-east Italy | Glera | Second fermentation in a tank | Fruity and floral - pear, apple, white flowers. Light, fresh, no bready notes |
| Cava | Spain, mostly Penedes | Macabeo, Xarel-lo, Parellada | Traditional method, in the bottle | Citrus, apple, a light savoury bready edge; excellent value |
Most are Brut (dry). Remember: Extra Dry is sweeter than Brut. Only wine from the Champagne region may be called Champagne - never use the word as a generic. Serve all sparkling at 6-10 C.
Fortified wine
Grape spirit is added, raising alcohol to roughly 15-22% abv. The timing decides the sweetness: add spirit during fermentation and you kill the yeast while sugar remains, so the wine is sweet; add it after fermentation finishes and the wine stays dry.
Sherry (Jerez, southern Spain)
Mostly the Palomino grape, and dry unless stated otherwise.
- Fino / Manzanilla - pale, bone dry, tangy, saline; aged under a film of yeast called flor. Serve chilled, 6-8 C, and treat like white wine: it is best fresh, so finish an open bottle within days.
- Amontillado - amber, dry, nutty.
- Oloroso - deep brown, rich, dry, walnut and dried fruit.
- Pedro Ximenez (PX) - intensely sweet, raisin and treacle, almost black.
Port (Douro Valley, Portugal)
Fortified during fermentation, so sweet, and usually red.
- Ruby - young, fruity, purple-red.
- Tawny - aged in barrel; nutty, caramel, dried fig. Serve lightly chilled.
- LBV and Vintage - concentrated and age-worthy. Vintage Port throws a sediment and must be decanted.
Onboard Notes
- Never call Prosecco or Cava "champagne" in front of a guest. Say the wine's name with confidence - it reads as expertise, not correction.
- Fino sherry with olives, almonds and jamon is one of the great aperitifs. Keep a half bottle chilled.
- Tawny port with cheese or chocolate; Fino with salty snacks. Both punch far above their cost onboard.