For a long time Champagne was the only “good” sparkling wine that most Americans drank. Those days are long gone; today there’s a good chance you’ll see good Italian Proseccos and Spanish Cavas on wine lists and at your local wine shop. But what are the differences between these three popular sparklers? The chart below reveals the key differences — from the grapes used to how to decode the language of sweetness on the labels.

If you’re interested in learning more about the different production methods, we have a handy guide to sparkling wine production as well. Of course Champagne, Prosecco, and Cava aren’t the only sparkling wines in the world (or even their own home countries). Read our ‘Quick And Dirty Guide To Sparkling Wines From Around The World’ to learn more about many of these other styles of bubbly!

Note – Sparkling wine production in Germany actually exceeds that of Spain, but most of the bottles of bubbly — Sekt in the local parlance — made in Germany are drunk in Germany. When we say that Champagne, Prosecco, and Cava are the world’s most popular sparkling wines we mean that they are both popular where they are produced, as well as around the rest of the world.