Sparkling Wine Flashcards
Describe first fermentation of TM
Grapes are pressed and fermented into a very dry white wine
Describe assemblage of TM
Base wines from different vineyards varieties and years are blended by a master blender, except for special vintage years
Describe tirage
When a mixture of wine, sugar and yeast is added to a base wine to initiate a second fermentation
What is done after tirage?
Bottling- liqueur de tirage is added into the tank and wine is placed into bottles for second fermentation
What is aging on lees in TM
After second fermentation, dead yeast cells settle and form a sediment called lees. Over time yeast cells break down (autolysis) and produce a unique flavor
How long does Champagne need lees contact for by law?
18 months
How much does vintage champagne need lees contact for by law?
36 months
What is more important, time on lees or terroir?
Time on lees
What is remuage/riddling?
The gradual turning of bottles from horizontal to vertical to remove the yeast.
What is remuage traditionally done by, and what it is commonly done by now?
By hand, now done by machines called gyropallates
What is disgorgement?
Neck of the bottle is placed in a brine solution to freeze the lees, which forms a plug which is ejected when the crown cap is removed
What is dosage?
The addition of liqueur d’expedition added to replace wine lost through disgorgement. The amount of sugar added determines the style- brut, demi-sec.
What is difference of the TM and Transfer method?
The transfer method is identical up to second fermentation in the bottle, except the bottles are all disgorged at once into a pressurized tank. The lees are filtered out and the wine is bottled in a NEW, different bottle.
What is the Tank Method also known as?
Charmat
What is the Tank Method?
Second fermentation takes place in a tank rather than bottles.
