Education
Prosecco vs Champagne: What Actually Separates Them
July 2026
At almost every celebration, someone lifts a glass of sparkling wine and calls it Champagne. It is an easy habit. Both wines arrive cold, both open with a soft sigh, both catch the light the same way. But Prosecco and Champagne are different wines, from different places, made by different methods, at very different prices. Knowing the difference makes you a sharper buyer and a more confident host.
Two methods, two characters
Champagne is made by the traditional method. The wine goes through a second fermentation inside the very bottle you eventually open, then rests on its spent yeast, the lees, often for years. That long, labour intensive process is what gives Champagne its signature depth - the bready, brioche-like richness that sits underneath the fruit.
Prosecco takes another road. Its second fermentation happens in large steel tanks, the Charmat or tank method, and it is finished in weeks rather than years. The point is not to cut corners. The point is to protect what Glera does best: fresh orchard fruit, white flowers and a bright, easy sparkle. Neither method is better than the other. They simply build wines for different moments.
The grape and the place
Champagne is blended mainly from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier, grown in the Champagne region of northern France. Prosecco is made from the Glera grape in the hills of north-east Italy. Both names are protected by law. A sparkling wine can only call itself Champagne if it comes from Champagne, and only wines from the designated Italian zones may be labelled Prosecco. When you read the label, you are reading a place as much as a style.
Why the price gap
Champagne's price is built into how it is made. Fermenting in each individual bottle, cellaring for years before release, and farming some of the most constrained vineyard land in the world all cost money, and the bottle carries those costs. Prosecco's tank method is far more efficient, which is why it delivers the same celebratory sparkle at a much friendlier price.
You are not paying for bubbles. You are paying for time.
That is the honest heart of the comparison. Champagne asks you to pay for years of patience. Prosecco asks you to pay for freshness, and freshness is quicker to make.
Which should you pour
Let the moment decide. For brunches, aperitifs, receptions and weddings where the glasses keep coming, Prosecco is the natural choice - generous, bright and easy to serve at scale. For slow-sipping landmark moments, an anniversary toast or a once-in-a-decade milestone, Champagne's depth earns its keep.
A note in the interest of honesty: our house range carries no Champagne. The MBG portfolio we represent is led by Prosecco Spumante DOC, and we stand behind it for every festive table in Lagos. But if Champagne is the right call for your occasion, we will happily tell you so.
If a case of Prosecco sounds like the right start, browse the Collection, save what interests you, and send us your wishlist. We confirm availability and reply with a quote.