In an area where residents argue on Facebook about which Red Lobster offers a better dining experience, itâs kinda surprising that Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Bradenton, Sarasota and, yes, Lakeland(!) are actually carving out a collective culinary identity worthy of attention.
Cava is not âChampagneâ and neither is California sparkling wine, even if it is called âChampagne.â We donât need to go into great detail about the history of Champagne here, but it is probably helpful to know the basics of Champagne to then understand Cava. There are 3 traditional grapes used in Champagne. They can be used individually, or they can be used 2 or 3 together. The basic, traditional blend of Champagne is of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay. They are grapes that are indigenous to the Champagne region of France.
Champagne: This is made from a combination of all or some of the traditionally permitted grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Blanc de Blancs (âWhite of whites,â or white wine from white grapes): This is made from 100 percent white grapes. In the case of Champagne, it will be 100 percent Chardonnay. In regions outside of Champagne, any white grapes may be used, either as a pure varietal or a blend.