Sparkling Wine 101
These beauties are the result of a long history of coaxing the bubble into the drink.
By Rachel Brown
It’s fizzy, bubbly and utterly delightful to drink—but what’s really in your glass? Not all sparkling wines are the same. Stylistic and regional differences play a large role in sparkling wine and it’s important to know the different styles, textures and regions that create these bubbling delights. There are four different styles in making Champagne or Sparkling wine and each has their own unique step. So, let’s get started.
First, it’s important to know that not every sparkling wine is Champagne.
Champagne is not only the type of wine, but also the region in France where the wine is exclusively made. Thanks to the French AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée), a wine can only be labeled as a Champagne if it’s made in that specific region and made with Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. The wine also needs to made in a specific way, which is the Traditional Method or Méthode Champenoise. This a multiple step process to achieve fine and silky bubbles, called mousse, and that well-known and widely appreciated breadiness that comes from this style of fermentation.
Grapes are harvested and go through primary fermentation. This becomes the base of the Champagne. Typically, grapes are harvested a little early to preserve acid.
The next step in this is called ‘Tirage’, which means that a small amount of sugar and yeast is added to the bottle and then sealed. This mixture is called Liqueur d’Tirage. This will kick start a secondary fermentation. Once that process begins again, the sugar and yeast will create alcohol and C02. With nowhere to go, the bubbles are reabsorbed back into the wine and the mousse is created.
From there, this wine is left to age and the wine goes into autolysis. Autolysis is the breakdown of yeast. Once it is fully fermented, it is referred to as ‘lees’. Leaving the lees in the bottle this way is what gives Champagne those yeasty and bready aromas that the wine is known for. At this stage, the wine can continue to age for various lengths of time depending on the quality of grapes.
Riddling is the next step. Riddling is the process of slowly rotating the bottles so that the dead yeast cells begin the slow journey from the bottom of the bottle to the top of the neck.
Once the lees reach the top of the neck, the bottles are frozen. This process is called Disgorgement. The cap of the bottle is removed, and the frozen lees are ejected from the bottle, leaving space for topping off.
With the space now available in the bottle, the wine is topped with something called Liqueur d’Expedition. This is a mixture of wine and residual sugar (RS).
From there, the bottle is resealed and will go to the market in the same bottle it underwent all the previous stages in.
Typically, almost all sparkling/champagnes made in this style will have residual sugar because of how they’re topped off. There are levels within the Champagne AOC to know when looking at labels, and that is the sugar levels. Wines are labeled from ‘Brut Nature’ to ‘Doux’, with progressively high levels of residual sugar in each style. It’s incredibly important to read the labels before you buy to understand what's in the glass.
Other styles of wine done in the Traditional Method is the ever-popular Cap Classique, which is a South African sparkling wine made from Chenin Blanc. Producers in South Africa can use those classic grapes from Champagne but the name must change, and thus, the Cap Classique.
From there, we move into the second style of making sparkling wine: The Transfer Method
The Transfer Method and the Traditional Method are fairly close in steps, but the largest difference is that in the Transfer Method, the wines are disgorged in bulk through a tank. They go through primary fermentation, are bottled and then receive the Liqueur d’Tirage and are left to go through the secondary fermentation in the bottle. They are aged and move through their time in the riddling rack. When the time for disgorgement comes, they are dumped back into a tank and the entire contents of all the bottles are disgorged and topped off at once with the Liqueur d’Expedition. The wine is moved through a high-pressure filter for a final clarification before it goes into bottling, which removes the lees since this style of wine doesn’t go through the same disgorgement process. The wine will go into fresh bottles, unlike those in the Traditional Method, and that is how it will make its way to market.
The third method is called the Tank Method. Sparkling wines made with this method are Prosecco, which is made with a grape called Glera. Glera grows well in the Veneto region in Italy and the DOC (Dominazione di Origine Controllata) requires that Prosecco be primarily made with this grape, with the allowance of 15% of another blend, such as Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc or Pinot Grigio. The Tank Method has a much simpler process. The base wine is moved into a tank and it undergoes the secondary fermentation all at once. The sugar and yeast are added into the tank and begin to create alcohol and C02, the gas is forced back into the wine and the mousse is formed. The wines are dosed after words and bottled and do not go through the aging process. Wines done in this style retain their lively fruit character and the yeasty characteristics come in as a secondary tasting note. This is the most cost-effective way to make sparkling wines, and can still result in some high-quality wines.
The fourth method is Carbonation, which is fairly self-explanatory. This is a process of taking a still wine base and force injecting carbonation. They go to market shortly after. This method is typically to make bulk sparkling wines and can result in lower quality wines.
There are dozens of sparkling wines from all manner of countries and the U.S. Sparkling Rosés have become increasingly popular among younger consumers. Wines like the German Sekt, Italian Spumante or the lightly bubbly Frizzante are also fun alternatives to Champagnes or Proseccos and typically remain light and fruity with a touch of sweetness.
Sparkling and Champagnes can pair across the board. From aperitifs to a digestif, we can swing these wines from salty and savory, to rich and creamy. We can utilize them for dessert pairings as well, especially if those bright fruit characteristics hang around!
While you’re prepping for the holiday season and out hunting for sparkling wines to bring in the New Year or to have a virtual cheer, keep these factors in mind when selecting your next bubbly!