The Nude Wine Company

Michelle: We’re joined by Corinna Hardgrave. She is going to give us a little lesson on where we are and what we’re doing, what we’re looking for with sparkling wine and the difference between Prosecco and champagne. Why would you choose one over the other? What matches what food.

Corinna: I think some people choose based on what they like best. But there are few things that make them different. So the first one is where they come from. OK, so the Prosecco comes Italy from the Veneto region in the north of Italy, Cava comes from Spain, from a few regions in Spain. But mainly Penedes just outside of Barcelona. Champagne comes from Champagne in France. And then we’ve got sparkling wine made in other parts of the world. Can I buy wine from California? No, because it’s protected. It’s an EU thing. OK. So you can only call something champagne if it’s made in champagne.

Corinna: What’s the grape Prosecco? So the grape in prosecco is actually prosecco, but they changed the name to Glera so that no one else can use the name Prosecco so its quite clever what the Italians did there. But its only one grape and that’s another point of difference because in fact it was just one grape. But in both champagne and in Cava, it can be a blend of grapes.

Michelle: In Champagne you can have white and red grapes mixed together?

Corinna:  Yeah.

Michelle: Can you have white and red grapes mixed together in Cava?

Corinna: You can, but they don’t typically. So the indigenous grapes are three of them are white. But then you can also and more recently you can use Pinot Noir which is I shall pay not sure tonight but like the really traditional Cava guys don’t want to do that. They want to just use their own.

Michelle: And where do I go if I’m looking for some good value?

Corinna: Well it depends what you like. So always buy what you like. But Cava is actually really, really good value because a lot of people don’t know the Cava is made it the same method of champagne. One of the big differences between Cava and Prosecco is age. So prosecco, it’s made in tanks and is made very quickly. It’s lovely and is made for immediate drinking. It’s not aged where as Cava has to be aged for a minimum amount of time, so after the bubbles are formed in the bottle, it must be aged for a minimum of nine months for it.

Michelle: Brilliant, and finally, whats your tipple.

Corinna: Champagne. And of course I like very well made Cava too.

Michelle: So I’ve just discovered Colfondo Prosecco, so that’s my current
favourite!

Corinna: And I like that too because that’;s the original and its exciting. It’s cool.

Michelle: Right. Thank you.