SPARKLING WINES

Definition

Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it making it fizzy.

Methods of making sparkling wine

1. Champagne method (Methode Champenoise)

2. Transversage Method (Transfer to another bottle)

3. Charmat Process (Cuve close / Tank / Bulk method)

4. Carbonation (Injection method)

Charmat Method, Metodo Italiano, Cuvée Close, autoclave (tank method)• Base wines are added together with the sugar and yeast

mixture (Tirage) into a large tank. As the wine has a second fermentation, the CO2 released from the fermentation causes the tank to pressurize, whereafter wines are then filtered, dosed (with Expedition liqueur) and bottled without aging.

• Tank method sparkling wines have a much more freshly made character with stronger secondary (yeasty) flavors. Some may argue that the tank method is not as high-quality of a production method as the traditional method of sparkling wine. While the process is more affordable (and thus is popular with lower quality wines), it is still used for fine sparkling winemaking.

• 2–4 atmospheres (ATM)

Transfer Method a.k.a. Transversage

• This method is identical to the Traditional method except that wines need not be riddled and disgorged in the same manner. Instead, the bottles are emptied into a pressurized tank and sent through pressurized filters to remove the dead yeast bits (lees). Then, the wines are bottled using pressurized fillers. You’ll find this method used most commonly for non-standard sized bottles (splits or jerobaum and above).

Carbonation

• The carbonation method simply takes a still wine and carbonates in a pressurized tank. While it’s possible that this method has benefits, at the moment the only carbonated wines are lower quality bulk wines. Still, if you’ve ever drank New Age on the rocks, while sitting outside in the sun, you might feel it was quite alright after all (BTW, New Age is a carbonated sweet white wine blend of Torrontés and Sauvignon Blanc).

Champagne

• Champagne is defined as a wine produced, harvested and processed in a specific part of the province of champagne.

• Only three grape varieties can be used

a. Pinot noir (black)- body and strength

b. Pinot meunier (black) – freshness and youth

c. Chardonnay (white) – elegance and fineness

• Comité Inter professional du Vin de Champagne (C.I.V.C.).

History

• Developed in France about 300 years ago.

• Coronation drink for French kings.

• Credited to Dom Perignon for (accidental) discovery of sparkle (bubbles) in the bottle.

• The name derives from the Latin ‘campus’, ‘campania’ or field. In old French this became ‘Champaign; today Champagne.

• Romans planted the first vineyards.

Father of champagne

• Dom Perignon was a Benedictine monk at Abbey of Hautvillierswho at the age of 30 in 1688 was appointed the cellar master & treasurer at the Abby of Hautvillers.

• Died in 1715 after 47 years at the Abby.

• Dom Perignon(1670-1715)laid down basic principles of Champagne making The “ Father of Champagne” accredited with

a. Blending different “cuvees”

b. introducing corks that could withstand the pressure

Champagne on France Map

Production process

• Picking or• Harvesting• Epluchage• Pressing –• Debourbage• First fermentation• Topping up• Racking and• fining

METHODE CHAMPENOISE• Preparation of the cuvee• Liqueur d triage:• Bottling• Corking• Second fermentation

Ageing• Remuage• Resting• Degorgement:• Liqueur d’ expedition• Recorking• shaking Resting• Labeling

1. Harvesting - Takes place usually in mid-September.

• Grapes are hand picked.• Attempt is to ensure the best quality of the

“must”.2. Pressing –• Deboubarge - settling out of skin& yeast

sediment at ambient cellar temperatures.• can get better result at -5centigrade with

bentonite.

3. First fermentation - vats are of premier importance-stainless steel ensures hygiene but Krug still uses oak

• Alcohol percentage goes upto 5-6 %

• Racking and fining -

Methode champenoise

4. Preparation of the cuvee- “ASSEMBLAGE”

This is a process of blending wines. About 40-45 wines can be blended together.

• Ensures consistent quality ( proportion of previous wine used in the process)

• The wine again undergoes cold stabilization & is clarified & racked for the third time

5. “Liqueur de Tirage”

• a mixture of reserve wine, beetroot sugar & selected yeast ( Manufacturer Discretion) used to for a secondary alcoholic fermentation

• Vin mousseaux means fully sparkling - 6 bar

• Cremant means partially sparkling. - 3 bar

• 4 gram of mixture is required to generate 1 bar pressure

• Bottling - The type of the bottle

• 1. Traditionally green

• 2. Glass is of greater thickness

• 3. The “punt” at the base

• 4. It can hold 20 bar pressure

6. Corking- With Agrafe

7. Ageing and secondary fermentation

• The 2nd fermentation goes on for a period of 3 to 6 month. The temperature that is maintained is around 10 to 12c.

• Bottles are allowed to lie horizontally in huge piles in caves for a period of 3 to 6 years. During this period the dead yeast becomes in contact with the wine.

• The more is the contact of these dead yeast with the wine the better is going to be the quality of the champagne.

8. “Remouage” – Riddling

• Removal of the sediments of the secondary fermentation

• Bottles transferred to racks called “Pupitre”

• Allows the movement of the bottles from a horizontal to a vertical position

• Done by”remueurs”

9. DISGORGING

• Undertaken by a “degorgeur”

• A la volee- The degorger cut the agrafe foil with the special knife & with the help of pincer which look like a lobster claws & the cork get thrown off.

• A la glace- The neck of the bottle is immersed in chilled brine (-24 degree) & the frozen plug removed by pressure

• Loss of liquid needs to be topped up.

10. Liqueur d’ expeditionAddition of Sugar

• Sweetness of champagne

• Brut: 6 to 15 grams/ litre of champagne.

• Extra day: 12 to 20 grams/ litre of champagne.

• Sec: 17 to 35 grams/ litre of champagne.

• Demi : Sec 33g of sugar per 1 lt.

• Doux: More than 50 gram of sugar / litre of champagne.

11. Re corking

12. Shaking

13. Resting

Sparkling wines from other countries

• Asti Spumanti – Italy

• Sekt- Germany

• Cava/ Spumantee- Spain

• Espumantee- Portugal

Bottle sizes

• Bottle sizes• Quart – 18 cl = 1/4 btl• Demi- 37cl = ½ btl• Bouteille- 75cl = 1 btl• Magnum- 150cl = 2btl• Jeroboam- 300cl= 4btl• Rehobaom- 450cl = 6btl• Mathusalem- 600cl = 8btl• Salmanzar- 900cl = 12 btl• Balthezar- 1200cl = 16btl• Nebuchhadnezar- 1500cl =

20btl.

Brand names

• Krug

• Piper Heidsieck

• Moet et Chandon

• Bollinger

• Tattinger

• Veuve Cliquot

• Louis Roederer

• G.H Mumm

Indian sparkling wines

• Marquis de pompadour ( MDP)

• Vin Baille

• Cool cat

• Blue Buck

• San Bendetta

Interesting facts about champagne

• bottle of champagne contain 49 (approx) million of bubbles

• James Bond Favorite Champagne- Bollinger

• Official Drinks at Oscar and Cannes film festival

Terminology for champagne

• Assemblage A preliminary combining and blending of wines from different vineyards after the first racking.

• Bead• A bubble forming in or on a beverage; used to mean CO2 bubbles in general or

sometimes to the ring of bubbles around the edge of the liquid.• Blanc de blanc• Champagne made from white grapes.• Blanc de noir• Champagne made from the juice of Pinot noir; may impart a light salmon color to the

wine.• Cremant• A very lightly sparkling, creamy, and frothy wine, usually higher in sugar content.• Cuvée• Literally tubful or vatful, this refers to a particular blend to be used for sparkling wine.• Dégorgement• The disgorging or removal of the plug of sediment which collected on the cork during

riddling.

Dosage

Same as dosage in English: an amount of sweetener added back to the bottle after dégorgement.

Liqueur de tirage

The mixture of sugar added to the cuvée for the second fermentation.

Méthode champenoise

Traditional champagne production method that promotes a second fermentation in the bottle.

Mousse

Froth, foam; frothy or sparkling; used as a synonym with crémant.

Pupitres

The hinged sloping racks used to hold bottles during the riddling process.

Remuage

Refers to the riddling or turning of the bottles to dislodge yeast sediment and allow it to collect on the cork.

Remueur

Refers to the person who riddles the bottles.

Tirage

Refers to drawing off the base wine combined with sugar and yeast for second fermentation in the bottle or a tank.

Vin de reserve

Some of the base wine held in reserve in which the sugar for the dosage is dissolved.