Champagne is not different from sparkling wine, because all champagnes are sparkling wines. However, not all sparkling wines are champagnes. Are you confused yet???? A sparkling wine is any wine, from anywhere in the world (including Champagne, France), that has bubbles in it from being carbonated. True champagne, is still considered sparkling wine, but comes from the Champagne region in France and is made by a painstaking process, developed in Champagne, France, called Méthode Champenoise. As you have probably discovered, Champagne is much more expensive than the sparkling wines that are available around the world, especially right here in the US of A.Many of France’s most noted Champagne houses have now set up shop in the United States, in an effort to get away from strict regulations, regarding the production of Champagne. This enables them to produce a sparkling wine at a fraction of the cost of Champagne. (For Instance- French Champagne laws require that the wine spend a minimum of 15 months on the lees for non-vintage and minimum 3 years for vintage Champagne. It is not uncommon for a premium Champagne to age for 7 years or more prior to release. In the US, there are no minimum requirements, and aging length can vary from 8 months to 6 years.) Another distinct difference, particularly in Californian sparkling wines, is the favorable Californian climate which allows a vintage wine to be produced nearly every year, unlike their French counterparts. Strangely enough the best Sparkling wine I have found, in this country, is produced by a frenchman by the name of Gilbert Gruet in the state of New Mexico. Not a viticultural area we normally think of when looking for a great bottle of wine. Another great Sparkling wine is produced by Lawrence Mawby of the Leelanau Peninsula, in northern Michigan. He has been making great sparkling wines in the French Method (methode champenoise) since the 1970’s. Again you probably wouldn’t think of Northern Michigan as a big hitter in the wine world, unless you have visited the peninsula (Some of the best Riesling in the country is grown there).So when you are looking for a nice bottle of Sparkling wine this season, look to our Champagne houses right here in the United States, to get the biggest bang for your buck!!! Cheers~