Sparkling wine is made when a secondary fermentation is introduced when wine is in the bottle, resulting in carbon dioxide that’s sealed under cork – until you pop it open!
That’s the TL;DR version of sparkling wine. What actually goes into getting that wine into a bottle is a labor of love that will likely make you understand the high prices that Champagne fetches (and appreciate an affordable bottle ofSparkling wine is made when a secondary fermentation is introduced when wine is in the bottle, resulting in carbon dioxide that’s sealed under cork – until you pop it open!
That’s the TL;DR version of sparkling wine. What actually goes into getting that wine into a bottle is a labor of love that will likely make you understand the high prices that Champagne fetches (and appreciate an affordable bottle of bubbles).
Primary fermentation is the first step. As with all wines, grapes are crushed to make a sweet juice. Then yeast ferments the sugars in the juice into alcohol. For sparkling wine, grapes are picked when they are less ripe, so as to encourage high acidity in the base wine – this is important because more sugar will be added later in the production to start the secondary fermentation. ...more ...less
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We cannot currently ship this product to the following states: AL, AK, AZ, AR, CO, CT, DE, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NC, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, WI
We cannot currently ship this product to the following states: AL, AK, AZ, AR, CO, CT, DE, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NC, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, WI
Keep Reading About Sparkling Wine
The traditional method is that which producers have used to make Champagne for generations – and is increasingly practiced in other regions, including to make Cava, Franciacorta, and much of the finest sparkling wine from the New World. After primary fermentation, sugar and yeast are added to the base wine and this cuvee is bottled under a crown cap. While still in bottle, the added yeast and sugar kick offThe traditional method is that which producers have used to make Champagne for generations – and is increasingly practiced in other regions, including to make Cava, Franciacorta, and much of the finest sparkling wine from the New World. After primary fermentation, sugar and yeast are added to the base wine and this cuvee is bottled under a crown cap. While still in bottle, the added yeast and sugar kick off a secondary fermentation that results in carbon dioxide being created in the bottle, aka, bubbles.
Since this secondary fermentation results in lees still being in the bottle, the sediment has to be dealt with somehow. Via a process called riddling, the bottle is slowly moved (generally over a period of years) so that its cap is facing downward and all the lees settle in the neck of the bottle. The next step is disgorgement, in which the necks of the bottles are plunged into a freezing solution, and when the crown cap is opened, the lees deposit flies out of the bottle. The wine is then topped up as needed (this is when sweetness level is determined – a standard brut-level sparkler will have 0-12 grams per liter of residual sugar) and sealed under a Champagne cork and wire cage, ready to be sold.
Tank method is a little more direct. The secondary fermentation takes place in a large sealed tank and the wine is quickly moved off its lees and bottled, resulting in a wine with a fruit-forward taste that is meant to be drunk young – think Prosecco or sekt. ...more ...less