Making sparkling wine explained
There was a time in New Zealand and other countries when nearly all sparkling wine was labelled Champagne. Because of this there was zero guarantee of authenticity and quality. The intellectual property of placenames and its key products did not have recognition or power giving rise to the misuse of names and placenames and counterfeit. This was challenging for the vignerons of authentic Champagne, but eventually in 1994 the CIVC (Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne) won protection of the name and geography of Champagne. Provisions of the Marrakech agreement including trade related aspects of intellectual property was agreed to by 162 member states (nations) of the WTO. A case involving Yves Saint Laurent and their perfume called ‘Champagne’ was also resolved in favour of the CIVC. The ‘94 agreement was a turning point and wake up call for sparkling wine producers outside of Champagne and France to come up with a new and better way to describe their sparkling wine without relying on the French to help sell their wares. Most producers now use the term ‘Methode Traditionnelle’ on a wine label to denote a bottle of sparkling wine made using the same methods and techniques that Champagne vignerons have perfected. Today, there are just four countries that do not recognise the name Champagne, some still using the title on their sparkling wine labels.
All Champagne is sparkling wine, but not all sparkling wine is Champagne. The vignerons in Champagne France own the use of the terms ‘Méthode Champenoise’ and ‘Champagne’. Even within France if you make a bottle fermented sparkling wine and are not within the geography of Champagne you must use the term Crémant (a Méthode Traditionelle) on the label. If a wine is not labelled ‘methode traditionnelle’ but is still a sparkling wine then it is likely tank fermented in bulk, a carbonated wine or involves a technique that is not bottled fermented in the same way.
Both methode champenoise and methode traditionnelle achieve the same outcome, a bottled fermented sparkling wine aged on yeast lees, disgorged and sold in the same bottle it which it was made. However, this is only true of standard 750ml and magnum sizes, the rest use a transfer system, explained later.
To make a perfect example of methode champenoise or traditionnelle the technique and steps must be exacting, many house champagnes and local producers in New Zealand keep their formulas and techniques secret for good reason – style, quality and taste.
There are seven key steps to making a bottle fermented sparkling wine. Step one is the ‘Assemblage’ a blend of base wines in precise portions, they already contain alcohol, high acidity and flavour and are blended into a house style is called the ‘Cuvée’. You may see the term ‘grand cuvée’ or just ‘cuvée’ from time to time on a label. Next, the cuvée is put into bottle and a mix of sugar and yeast is added called Liqueur d’Tirage, this step initiates another fermentation inside the bottle creating the bubble. The bottle is then sealed using a crown-cap and in some cases a cork, this step is called Tirage. The wine ferments again, this time inside the bottle creating the bubble and when the yeast has consumed all the sugar the wine is bone dry, yet continues to age and develop on the spent lees (Sur Lie) for a minimum time, typically 18 months. This refermentation and ageing step is called Entriellage. After ageing the spent yeast has to come out of the bottle with a process called Remuage. This step is a bottle movement technique completed by machine using a gyropalette or by hand known as riddling, it moves the yeast from the sides of the bottle plus any in suspension to the bottle neck. The yeast forms a plug which is quick frozen into a tiny ice block ready for extraction. Also completed by machine or by hand the step of removing the ice plug is called Degorgément. To create the finished style such as Brut, more of the original cuvée and a measure of sugar syrup are added. This step is called the Liqueur d’ Expedition sometimes called Dosage. A cork is forced into the bottle and wired down.
The Transfer system or ‘Transversage Method’ provides 375ml bottles and anything larger than a magnum. These small or very large bottles of Champagne are still made with the same method(e) and aged in the traditional manner (either 750ml or 1.5 liter bottles) transferred under pressure and filtered into a small or large format. The Charmat or Cuve Close is a bulk production method where a cuvée is refermented in large tanks rather than individual bottles, some ageing may occur, then the wine is filtered into various bottle sizes. The carbonation method uses a CO2 gas injection system into non sparkling wine.
Champagne Bollinger Cellars