For something to be officially and legally categorized as Champagne, it must come from the Champagne region in France. It's a legally designated region just a little northeast of Paris. Anything we make in America, or anything made in Italy or any other country, is sparkling wine.
The way that Champagne and sparkling wines are prepared is identical.
After the juice is pressed, it ferments a little while, and in essence, after three to six months you have some fermented grape juice, which could be this nasty wine. The way they make it into Champagne is by adding sugar and yeast.