CSW Chapter 6 Sparkling Wine.

Describe the Traditional method or Method Champagnois

A dry, high acid, low alcohol base wine is made (from grapes harvested early to maintain acid) and then Sugar and yeast are added to create a secondary fermentation in the bottle. After about 30 days of the second fermentation

Franciacorta, Some Cremate and Cava use the Traditional Method.

What other grapes/countries are used to make sparking wine?

Italy Muscat (Moscato) Glera (prosecco) Brachetto (desert wine)

Chennin Blanc from Loir Valley

Riesling from Germany

Xarel lo, Macebo and Purellada from Spain

Why do you want to use gentle handling for grapes used in Champagne production?

To minimize the possibility that any bitter elements are transfered from the skin to the grapes. This generally begins with hand-harvesting and using small racks or bins so the grapes aren’t crushed but he weight of other grapes. Damaged bunches will be removed at the winery and whole-cluster-pressing are always used.

Describe the difference between a traditional Champagne press and a bladder press

The soft flexible skin of an air-inflated bladder press in less likely to break the cellular structure of the grapes and release bitter phenolics. The traditional Champagne press is a wide, flat, basket-press still in use today in some places though bladder is more popular.

Describe the pressing process for Champagne

The first press release most of the juice and it is the highest quality (besides free-run). Successive pressings produce juice of lower quality which may be bottled separately or mixed in with the first run depending on quality. WHat’s left at the end is too bitter and is distilled into spirits,

What happens to the (Champagne) juice after pressing?

It rests for a short amount of time to let sediment settle and then the must adjustment happens if necessary to improve balance. You could use Malo at this point but of course you don’t really want to mitigate high acidity,

What is Debourgement and Degourgement

Debourgement is the period of letting the juice settle after pressing. Degourgement is a synonym for disgorgement which is the process of removing the dead yeast cells /sediment from the champagne bottle.

What is Pris de mousse (Champagne production)

“Seizing the foam” it is the second alcoholic fermentation.

What is a pupitre? (Champagne) and Remuage?

It is a riddling rack and Remuage is the process of riddling.

What does it mean to add reserve wines

It’s when you add/blend in still wine from previous vintages that has been held back to maintain a house style.

What is Transverse (Champagne)

Transfer between bottles

What is assemblage? (Champagne production)

The Blending state of production when the wine is mixed with previous vintages/lots/etc with specific characteristics (Prestige, Vintage, Ultra Brut, NV and BdB

What is the difference between vintage and Non-Vintage champagne

Vintage is meant to highlight a specifically good year. NV is cuvee meant to show a house style and mitigate the swings between good and bad vintages.

What is Blanc de Blanc

White wine made from white grapes and in Champagne, this means 100% Chard.

What is the difference between Blanc de Noir and Rose champagne?

BdN is Champagne made with red grapes when the skins are removed quickly. It is sometimes slightly Salmon-colored. Rose is made in a variety of ways (Blending red and white base wines, Using a short carbonic maceration on red grapes before pressing, saignee method…. Pinot noir is the most likely red grape.

What happens after Assemblage (Champagne

The wine is Fined, Racked and cold-stabilized.Not much different until the second stage of fermentation!

How is second fermentation initiated (in sparkling wines)

A liquer de tirage (mixture of yeast and sugar) is introduced to the cuvee and the mixture goes into heavy glass champagne bottles (with a punt in the base to help withstand pressure) before bottle is sealed with a temporary cap.

How much does the addition of the Second Fermentation raise the alcohol level?

Usually on 1 - 1.5% W

Why is the second fermentation (champagne) done in caves and cool environments?

Because the cool temperatures keep the fermentation happening slowly so the process can take a month or more

What is the pressure in the bottles by the time the second fermentation is complete and the sugar has been used up?

5-6 Atmosphere or around 75-90 PSI Note that it is a lot of pressure but no bubbles will be visible

How does Champagne get it’s nutty, creamy flavor

Autolysis: when yeast cells left over from fermentation dissolve they release compounds which create those aromas. This is why a neutral base is used. Longer on the lees the more pronounced the flavor. Also gives more time for CO2 to integrate in to the wine which results in a finer bubble.

What is the riddling process in Champagne?

Because yeast cells stick to the side of the bottle, you gradually turn the bottle upside down and give it a shake to collect the yeast by the cap. This is Riddling

Describe Disgorgement

This is when the riddled bottles have the yeast gathered at the neck. The bottles are dipped into brine to make a solid prlug of the sediment which pops up/out from the CO2, when the bottle is turned rightside up

What is the rack used in traditional riddling (Remuage) called?

The A-frame rack is called a Pupitre

How long dies riddling last?

Several weeks to several months. Nowadays done by gyro pallets that can hold 500 Bottles/crate and complete the process in 1 week as opposed to months.

What is the Dossage (champagne)

The Liquer d’expedition the small amount of wine added to the bottle following the loss of volume in disgourgement. This is when the addition of some sugar to the Dossage can help influence the sweetness of the finish product.

why do we add sugar in a dosage?

Because the base wine is so dry and bubbles emphasize that dryness, we add a little sugar to mitigate that unless you want a Brut Nature. Wine with sugar that is barely perceptible is brut - most common style of champagne. Extra dry has noticeable sweetness,

How much pressure is a bottle of champagne under

6 Atmospheres, Which is why they have a special cork and a wire cage (Musket)

What is Transversage?

used to fill very small/large bottles of champagne that pose production problems. Champagne made the same up through disgorgement when it is put back into pressurized tanks and the dosage is added. Then wines transfered to bottles

What is the Tank/Charmat Method

When the second fermentation takes place in a pressurized tank rather than a bottle. Start with a fermented dry base wine/s cuvee. Yeast and sugar are added to the tank of base wine. Mixture ferments under oresurage keeping the CO2 dissolved in the liquid. If you want to replicate Champagne, leave it on the lees though harder to replicate given large tank v small bottle. Wine is filtered and given a dosage at the same time.

What is the Transfer Method (Champagne)

A hybrid procedure that begins like Traditional Method and then transitions to Tank Method.

After lees agin the wine goes into a tank where it’s filtered and gets a dosage which eliminates the need for riddling & disgorgement. The wine bottles are cleaned and the wine goes back in. Method saves time and money but character is lost without extended lees time. In US bottles indicate “fermented in the bottle” or Bottle fermented to indicate “Not this bottle” necessarily

Partial fermentation method

Used for Low alcohol and sweet wines like Moscato d’asti. The CO2 from fermentation is partially allowed to escape creating a moderately fizzy bubbles. When wine has desired alcohol and C02 the temp is dropped and fermentation halted. Result is 2.5 ATMospheres and low alcohol sweet wine.

What is ancestral Method

Predates champagne: using an incompletely fermented bottle of sweet base wine. Bottle is sealed and rises to 1-3ATM and 6-7% RS remains. Sedmient stays inside. AKA Pet Nat or Naturally Sparking.

Is Carbon Dioxide ever injected into the wine to skip all this?

Only in the cheapest bottles. The bubbles don’t integrate well and are large.

What’s the difference between Liqeur de Tirage and Liquer d’ Expedition

Expedition is the second addition of wine the bottle to make up for what’s lost during disgorgement. It’s also called the dosage. Tirage is a mixture of yeast and sugar is given to the still wine to begin the second fermentation.

What are the names of the champagne bottles from smallest to largest?

Piccolo (Split187) Demi Boutille (350) Standard (750) Magnum (1.5) Jerrobaum 3L Rhehobome (4L) Methuselah (6L), Salmanazar (9L) Balthazar (12L) Nebuchadnezzar (15L)

What’s order from driest to sweetest sparkling wine

Brut Nature, Extra Brut, Brut, Extra Dry, Sec, Demi Sec Doux