A look at sparkling wines and how they are made

1. Of the World

2.  Champagne
 Cremant
 Prosecco
 Cava
 Espumante
 Sekt
 D’Asti
 Sparkling
 Methode Champenoise (Traditional Method)
 Charmat Method

4.  Hand harvested
 Whole cluster press
 Debourbage
(settling of solids) in
stainless tanks
 Primary
fermentation
 Malolactic
fermentation
 Assemblage
(blending)
 Liqueur de Triage
 Second
Fermentation
 Maturation
 Remuage/Riddling
 Stacking
 Disgorging
 Liqeur
d’Expedition
 Corking

5.  Tank method
 Emphasizes the
youthful, floral and
primary fruit aromas
_________________
 Fermented normally
to dry still wines.
Blended as desired
 Yeast and sugar are
added to the tank of
blended base wine
 The mixture
ferments under
pressure, keeping
the carbon dioxide
dissolved in the
liquid
 Racked through a
filter
 Dosage
 Bottled

6.  Follows the
traditional method
in the beginning
 After second
fermentation,
bottles are
emptied into a
pressurized tank
 Wine is filtered
 Dosage added
 Bottled
 Step avoided is
riddling and
individual
disgorging and
dosage.

7.  Produce wines with
5-6% alcohol and
sweet
 Grapes pressed and
allowed to ferment
long enough to
produce a few % of
alcohol.
 Wine is chilled just
above freezing
halting yeast
activity
 Racked
 Later warmed up in
tanks to allow the
dormant yeast to
begin to ferment
again.
 Desired level of
alcohol and
carbonation
reached, filtered
and bottled.

8.  Zones
 Montagne de Reims
 Cote des Blancs
 Vallee de la Marne
 Cote des Bar
 Aisne
 AOC 319 villages
“echelle des crus”
 17 villages Grand Cru
 44 villages Premier
Cru

10.  Grapes used in Champagne
 Chardonnay adds adds finesse
and elegance.
 Grown in Montagne de Reims,
Cote des Blancs
 Pinot Noir – Backbone in
aroma & structure
 Grown in Cotes des Bar
Montagne de Reims & Vallee de
la Marne
 Pinot Meunier- fruit and mid
palate texture
 Grown in Vallee de la Marne
 Cru based on quality of grape
 Grand Cru score 100%
 Premier cru 90-99
 remaining 80-89
 Maturation
 15 months NV
 36 months or more Vintage
 Autolysis – lees nuclei
releases amino acids and
other nutrients into the wine
 Spend 8-10 months
 Longer more breadier
 Creates the, creamy mouth feel
biscuit and toasty flavors

11.  Non Dosage – less than 3 g/l sugar
 Extra Brut less than 6 g/l sugar
 Brut less than 12 g/l sugar
 Extra dry 12 – 17 g/l sugar
 Sec 17-32 g/l slugar
 Demi-Sec 32 to 50 g/l suger
 Doux 50 g/l + sugar
 Serving Temp between 45 - 50 degrees

12.  Sparkling wines made in other regions of France in
the Traditional Method
 Cremant d’Alsace – allowed varietals are Riesling,
Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Auxerrois Blanc
and Chardonnay
 Cremant de Bourgogne – made in Burgundy from Pinot
Noir and Chardonnay.
 Cremant de Loire – Made in the Loire Valley and
Chenin Blanc is the main ingredient. Also Chardonnay,
Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, and Grolleau Noir
 Cremant de Bordeaux – made in the Bordeaux region
with Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Muscadelle,
Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere,
Malbec, Merlot and Petit Verdot

13.  Made from the Glera Grape
 From the Veneto region. Produced in
Conegliano Valdobbiadene or Colli Asolani.
 Producing Processo the past 5 consecutive
years or must be labeled Glera
 Charmat Method

14.  Appellation in the Piedmont region
 Made with 100% Moscato
 Find flavors of peach and apricot
 d’Asti – Frizzante
 Fermenting wine is chilled and bottled after alcohol
level reaches about 5%.
 Results in a sweet, minimally carbonated, low alcohol
wine
 Asti – Spumante – full sparkling
 Fermentation until alcohol level reaches between 7-
9% and bottle is 5 asmospheres
 Sweet, not as sweet as d’Asti
 Made in the partial fermentation method

15.  Made in the traditional method
 Produced mainly in the Penedes region of Catalonia (north
east Spain)
 160 municipalities legally authorized to produce sparkling
under the Cava name. Most of these towns are located in
Barcelona, Tarragona, Lleida & Girona
 Spiritual heart of Cava is San Sadurni de Noya
 Three classic grape varieties for Cava
 Macabeo – produces dry red wines of balanced acidity and
subtle aromas
 Xarel-lo – Full bodied wines with a good degree of acidity.
Basis for most Cava blends due to its freshness and fine aroma
 Parellada – produces wines that are smooth, with moderate
alcohol and delicate aroma
 Bottles must be cellared min. 9 months, aging on their lees
to qualify as Cava

16.  Portuguese sparkling wine
 Quality Espumante produced only in DOC
Bairrada (south of Vinho Verde)
 Year of harvest stamped with VEQPRD
 VFQPRD – Regional sparkling made in Douro,
Ribatejo, Minho, Alentejo or Estremadura
regions. Made traditional, charmat or
transfer method
 VQPRD made by traditional, charmat,
transfer in injection anywhere in Portugal
 Espumosos – cheapest & lowest level of
sparkling wine made by injection

17.  Made in the Charmat/Tank method.
 Finished sweet or semi sweet
 Grapes used in production of Sekt
 Spatburgunder (Pinot Noir)
 Riesling
 Muller-Thurgau
 Grauburgunder ((Pinot Gris)
 Weissburgunder(Pinot Blanc)