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Making Sparkling Wine/Champagne
Sparkling wines are made from white and red still wines (see white winemaking and red winemaking), such as Chenin Blanc, French Colombard, Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. After choosing one of these wines, or a blend of several, for a base wine, the winemaker mixes up a "tirage", which includes some of the base wine plus yeast and sugar. He or she then adds the tirage to the rest of the base wine, causing the entire mixture to ferment again - this time in a sealed container. As the sugars convert to alcohol, the carbon dioxide that results is trapped inside the container, producing the finished wine’s effervescence, or bubbles.
A winemaker may choose from two basic methods for this secondary fermentation: "methode champenoise" or bottle fermented, and the "charmat" or bulk process. Each process produces a different style of sparkling wine.
Methode champenoise is the more time-intensive of the two processes. Tirage and the base wine are bottled and cellared for a period of six months to two years or more. Fermentation happens in the bottle, and since the yeast is left with the wine, the yeast cells break down and contribute unique aromas and flavors. When fermentation is complete, any leftover yeast sediment is collected and removed. This usually lowers the volume of wine in a bottle, so "a dosage" - or a blend of wine and sweetener - is added to make up the difference before the cork is inserted.
The bulk or charmat process is similar except the wine undergoes fermentation in a tank, instead of the bottle, and is fermented for a shorter period of time.
A winemaker may choose from two basic methods for this secondary fermentation: "methode champenoise" or bottle fermented, and the "charmat" or bulk process. Each process produces a different style of sparkling wine.
Methode champenoise is the more time-intensive of the two processes. Tirage and the base wine are bottled and cellared for a period of six months to two years or more. Fermentation happens in the bottle, and since the yeast is left with the wine, the yeast cells break down and contribute unique aromas and flavors. When fermentation is complete, any leftover yeast sediment is collected and removed. This usually lowers the volume of wine in a bottle, so "a dosage" - or a blend of wine and sweetener - is added to make up the difference before the cork is inserted.
The bulk or charmat process is similar except the wine undergoes fermentation in a tank, instead of the bottle, and is fermented for a shorter period of time.