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Introduction to Vines and Wines
Hort/VE 113 Fall 2012
Session 19- Sparkling Wine Production
What are sparkling wines?
• Wines with bubbles
• Mousse
Production methods
• Méthode Champenoise
– Thought to produce highest quality wines
– Small bubbles, long lasting fizz
• Oth m th d
Other methods
• “Champagne”
– Wine must be produced in Champagne
region
– Term may be used generically
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Grape varieties, growing
conditions
• France: Chardonnay, Pinot noir, Pinot
Meunier
• Champagne district:
– N th
Northern-most grape producing district
t d i di t i t
– Grapes ripen slowly under cool conditions
• Recognizable varietal aromas and
flavors not necessary in sparkling
wines
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Grape Harvest
• Grapes harvested early; less mature fruit
Chardonnay Pinot noir Pinot Blanc
Brix
°Brix 17.8 21.4
17 8 – 21 4 17.0 20.0 16.5 17.5
17 0 – 20 0 16 5 – 17 5
grams/100 0.85 – 1.5 0.9 – 1.7 1.05 – 1.1
mL acid
pH 2.85 – 3.3 2.9 – 3.3 3.1 – 3.2
Methode Champenoise
• Fermentation in the bottle
• No clear definition in US or France
• Will d i k th wine f
drink the i from th same
the
bottle in which the second
fermentation occurred
Harvest the grapes under cool conditions
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Creating the Cuvee (base wine)
• Blend of wines
• Selection involves 5-7 weeks of intensive
blending and tasting (late fall or spring)
• Ideal base wine:
– Clear, low in color, free of odors or flavors,
delicate aroma and flavor, dry, low to
moderate alcohol, high in acidity, light body
• Not great table wines
– Needs the second fermentation to add
bubbles
Creating the Cuvee
• Different grape varieties add unique
qualities:
– Pinot noir – used for body and depth of
flavour
– Chardonnay – acid and and aging potential
– Pinot blanc – lengthen aftertaste
• Unusual for cuvee to be a single
varietal
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First of two fermentation steps
• During the double fermentation,
several other natural ingredients are
added to the wine.
• Yeast, usually Saccharomyces, is
, y y
added during the first fermentation
to help the grapes' natural sugar
convert to alcohol.
• A liquer de tirage, cane sugar melted
in still champagne wine, is added.
Fermentation in bottle (second
fermentation)
• Make the cuvee
• Bottled with small amount of sugar and
fermenting yeast
• Sealed with
crown cap
• Stored during 2nd
Fermentation
Yeast produce
another 1.5%
alcohol
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Fermentation in bottle (second
fermentation)
• In the second fermentation stage, a liquer d'expedition
is added. This consists of cane sugar, still wine, and
brandy. The amount of sugar added at this stage
determines the type of champagne, from sweet to dry.
• Alth
Although each vintner has its own standards, the general
h h i t h it t d d th l
guide is as follows:
– 0.5% solution yields the driest champagne, known as brut
– 1% is added for extra sec
– 3% for sec
– 5% for demi-sec, the sweetest type of champagne.
Fermentation in bottle (second
fermentation)
• Heavier bottles are used (compared to
table wine)
– Need to hold back pressure
• Dark green glass to minimize light
exposure
– Otherwise may have off-flavours
Aging with the yeast/Tirage
• Bottles left stacked to age for 2-4
years
• During aging:
– Wine matures as the reactions of bottle
aging occurs
– Dead yeast cells break open (autolysis),
release amino acids into the wine
• Add to development of
the wine
• (toasty champagne bouquet),
• keep carbon dioxide dissolved
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Riddling
• Remove yeast from bottle
• Riddling is used to accumulate the
yeast at neck
– Pl
Placed horizontally
d h i t ll
– Each day, twisted and placed at slightly
steeper angle
– Several weeks… when complete, yeast
settled at neck, bottle is upside down
(gravity collects yeast in neck)
Riddling
Riddling
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Riddling
• After riddling
– All yeast sediment is collected in the
neck on the stainless steel cap
Mechanized Riddling
Disgorging/Degorgement
• Removal of the yeast
• Sediment trapped in neck by freezing
• Forced out by pressure when cap is
removed
d
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Degorgement
• Bottles placed neck down in
subfreezing bath
– Cold to minimize loss of CO2
– As neck is frozen, collected yeast
, y
sediment and tartrate crystals are
trapped in small ice cube of wine
– Bottle is then turned 45° angle and cap is
removed
– CO2 pressure pushes the frozen wine and
sediment out of the neck
– Loses very little CO2
Dosage and Corking
• After yeast is removed, small amount
of wine and sugar and added to top
off and add sweetness
• Dosage can be cane sugar, wine,
g g , ,
brandy
• After dosage is added, bottle is
quickly closed with cork and wire cage
Bottle Aging
• Minimum aging time is 3-9 months
– Dosage combines with wine to add
complexity to bouquet
• Don’t undergo same oxidative
Don t
reactions as tables wine because of
high pressure
• Recommended no longer than 10 years
– Best 3-5 years after release
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Other methods of sparkling
wine production
p
Charmat Bulk Process
• ~75% of US sparkling wine produced this
way
• Makes relatively simple sparkling wines
• Low production costs
• Have young, fruity characteristics
• Grape varieties:
– French Colombard, Chenin blanc, Sylvaner
– Grapes harvested early
• Base wines for the cuvee roughly meet
same criteria as those for MC
Charmat Process
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Charmat Process
• Base wine (fermentation 1)
• Charmat Process
– Bulk fermentation (500-1000 gallon)
– Yeast, sugar added
g
• Filter
• Bottling Tank: Dosage added before
bottling
– Carbon dioxide trapped in wine
• Bottling Line
• Finished bottle
Methode Champenoise Charmat bulk process
Grape varieties Chardonnay, Pinot noir French Colombard,
Chenin blanc
Second fermentation In bottles In a pressure tank
Ageing on yeast lees 1-3 years Most likely avoided
Clarification Riddling/disgorging Filtering/filtering
Adjust sweetness Add dosage to the each Add dosage to the tank
bottle of wine
Bottling Recork the same bottle Add SO2. bottles filled
in which fermented using a machine
Bottle aging potential Up to 10 years For a few months to
after release reduce odor of SO2
Time to complete the 2-4 years 0.5 to 2 months
process
Labels and glasses
• Sweetness –
– Brut, extra dry, doux
• Wine glasses
–SSaucer-shaped
h d
– Flute
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Labels and glasses
• Methode Champenoise:
– “Naturally fermented in THIS bottle”
• Ch
Charmat B lk P
Bulk Process:
– Naturally fermented Charmat bulk
process
Sensory Attributes
• Appearance:
– Small, long lasting bubbles
– Creamy mousse
• A m :
Aroma:
– Creamy, yeasty caramelized (burned,
caramel), nutty (fresh, toasted)
– Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, root beer,
lilac, apple, pear
Champagne videoclip-traditional method
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu6Nm
q3hbFc&feature=related
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