all about sparkling wines

1. SPARKLING WINES

2. 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)

4. 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)

6. 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).

8. 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).

10. 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.).

11. 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.

12. Father of champagne
• Dom Perignon was a
Benedictine monk at
Abbey of Hautvilliers
who 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.

13. • 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

14. Champagne on France Map

15. 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

16. 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.

17. 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 -

18. 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

19. 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

20. • 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

21. 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.

22. 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”

24. 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.

25. 10. Liqueur d’ expedition
Addition 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.

26. 11. Re corking
12. Shaking
13. Resting

28. Sparkling wines from other countries
• Asti Spumanti – Italy
• Sekt- Germany
• Cava/ Spumantee- Spain
• Espumantee- Portugal

29. 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.

30. 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

31. Interesting facts about champagne
• bottle of champagne
contain 49 (approx)
million of bubbles
• James Bond Favorite
Champagne- Bollinger

32. • Official Drinks at Oscar and Cannes film
festival

33. 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.

34. 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.