General Sparkling Wine

Question 1

What are the general specs of grapes for sparkling wine?

Answer 1

Just-ripe, high acidity, low potential alcohol (9-11% - changes from style to style).

Question 2

What sort of grape-varieties are especially suited for sparkling wine?

Answer 2

Early-ripening grapes (A long ripening-season will accumulate too much sugar compared to acidity.)

Question 3

When is harvesting generally done, compared to still-wine-production

Answer 3

Early - less sugar, just-ripe fruit and high acidity.

Question 4

Describe the general pressing of grapes for sparkling wine

Answer 4

Whole-bunches are often used, to preserve the fresh fruit aromas and the pressing itself is very gentle, to avoid phenolics from seeds and skin
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Pneumatic and basket-press is seen most often.

Question 5

What is the general temperature-spand in the primary fermentation?

Answer 5

Cool fermentation is most often seen (14-20 degrees)

Question 6

Why would a producer seek to have a malolactic fermentation done, besides the fact that it can contribute with aromas?

Answer 6

To control excessive acidity, or to avoid it from happening during the second fermentation in the bottle, as it can create hazyness.

Question 7

Name the different methods

Answer 7

Traditional Method
	* 
Transfer
	* 
Ancestral
	* 
Tank (Cuvee Close, Charmat, Martinotti)
	* 
Asti
	* 
Carbonation

Question 8

Briefly describe the Traditional Method - From finished basewine and foward

Answer 8

• Second fermentation (Prise de Mousse = Capturing the sparkle)

Liqueur de Tirage is added to the basewine, that has been put on a bottle
Pressure is up to 6 bars.
*
- Lees Ageing

Bottles are placed “Sur Latte” in stacks or gyropalettes, at approximately 10 degrees.
If the aromatics (Autolysis) of the lees are wanted, the bottle needs to be sur latte for more than 9 months.

• Riddling and disgorgement

Now the bottles are moved onto pupitres (up to 8 weeks) or gyropalettes (3 to 4 days) for riddling (Remuage).
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Now the wine can be disgorged, bottles are cooled to approximately 7 degrees, and the neck of the bottle is frozen by brine.
*
Liqueur de Expedition is added (dosage) and this will decide the final sugar-level in the wine.
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The sugar in the liqueur d’expédition reacts with compounds formed during yeast autolysis in a process called the Maillard reaction. This encourages the development of roasted, toasted vanilla aromas, and the cork-sealed sparkling wines may be stored for an extra few months to ensure the integration of these aromas before release onto the market.

Question 9

Briefly describe the Transfer Method

Answer 9

A method like traditional, but riddling is taken out of the equation.
*
Bottles are, after the lees ageing, cooled down to 0 degrees and opened within pressurized tanks, here the wine is adjusted and then bottled.
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Often used for Small bottles and jeroboams or larger, as riddling becomes difficult at these sizes.

Question 10

Briefly describe the Ancestral Method

Answer 10

Also referred to as Pet Nat (Petillant Nature).
*
Partially fermented wine is put into bottles, and the last remaining sugar will be converted into alcohol and Co2 - Wines will be hazy, as the deposit from the yeast will be in the bottle, and the style is often nontraditional.

Question 11

Briefly describe the Tank Method

Answer 11

Base wine is added to a steel-tank, sugar and yeast is added, the second fermentation takes place and is quickly locked down, by cooling the must, the wine is filtered (some producers choose to keep lees with the wine for up to 9 months, to have an effect, but this is rare) - wine is adjusted and put on bottles under pressure, to retain the freshness (no oxidation) and to retain the little Co2.

Question 12

Briefly describe the Asti Method

Answer 12

A Variation of the tank method.
*
Must is fermented in pressurized tanks, but during the first stages (up till 6 percent alcohol) the Co2 is being let out - after this stage the tanks are closed, this means that pressure will build up and alcohol too (the process will be stopped when the wine is approxemately 7.5 percent alcohol). Pressure ends up being around 5 bars.
*
The wine is then cooled down and filtered - this is important, as the wine contains quite high amounts of sugar; any remaining yeast could restart the fermentation.

Question 13

Briefly describe the Carbonation Method

Answer 13

Sodastream-techniques; Co2 is added to a wine.

Question 14

What different sort of closures can be used for sparkling wine?

Answer 14

Corks and Beer-caps

Question 15

What does the liquer de tirage contain and when is it added? What is the goal of adding LdT?

Answer 15

Sugar, selected yeast, yeast-nutrients, clarifying agent (Bentonite and/or Algenite). It is added to start the second fermentation, that will create more alcohol and carbon dioxide.

Question 16

What amount of sugar is added with LdT, to a traditional fully sparkling wine, to get a proper amount of alcohol and CO2?

Answer 16

24 grams of sugar will result in 1,5 degrees alcohol-addition and Carbon dioxide to reach approximately 6 bars of pressure.

Question 17

At what temperature does the 2nd fermentation typically take place?

Answer 17

Moderately at 16 degrees

Question 18

At what timeframe are we looking at, if lees-ageing has to affect the end-product aromatically? How long will the effect continue?

Answer 18

Lees ageing start releasing autolytic aromas after 9 months, and is said to be able to develope through 5-10 years.

Question 19

What do you have to consider when chosing a yeast-string for a traditional method fermentation?

Answer 19

Is is aromatic - rarely wanted for a method-traditionelle wine, as the aromatic aromas may interferre with the autolytic ones.
Can the yeast-string handle the hostile invironment in the 1st and 2nd fermentation? (High pH around 3, high alcohol around 10 degrees, rising pressure up to 6 bars)

Question 20

What is the most common yeast-string called?

Answer 20

Prise de Mousse (EC1118) - Most commercially used

Question 21

Why is buttery notes rarely found in method traditionelle wines even if they have undergone malolactic conversion? And why can avoiding malolactic conversion result in problems?

Answer 21

Diacetyl (Which gives buttery aromas) are metabolised by the yeast during the 2nd fermentation.
If Malo is blocked, it may happen in during the second fermentation, and create a hazy wine, which is very difficult to filter, without losing the pressure in the bottle.

Question 22

What is the point of riddling?

Answer 22

Over a period of time (around 8 weeks manually and 3-4 days with a gyropallette) to gather the lees around the nect of the bottle, preparing for desgorgement.

Question 23

In preperation of digorgement, the wine is cooled down. What is the temperature and what is the reason?

Answer 23

7 degrees and then briefly frozen, reason is to freeze the sediment in the neck easing extraction. Cooling aslo increase the solubility of Carbon Dioxide that reduces the likelihood of the wine gushing upon reopening.

Question 24

What does the Liquer de Expedition contain and when is it added?

Answer 24

Mixture of wine and sugar (or RCGM). Tops up the bottle, and decides the sweetness of the final wine