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Introduction to Vines and Wines

Hort/VE 113 Fall 2012Session 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 fizzOth 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 t d i di t i t– Northern-most grape producing district

– 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 17 8 – 21 4 17 0 – 20 0 16 5 – 17 5Brix 17.8 21.4 17.0 20.0 16.5 17.5grams/100 mL acid

0.85 – 1.5 0.9 – 1.7 1.05 – 1.1

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 FranceWill d i k th i f th • Will drink the wine from the same 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:• 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 flavourflavour

– 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 capcrown cap• Stored during 2nd FermentationYeast produce another 1.5% alcohol

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• In the second fermentation stage, a liquer d'expeditionis 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 h h i t h it t d d th l

Fermentation in bottle (second fermentation)

• Although each vintner has its own standards, the general 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 • 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 d h i t ll– Placed horizontally– 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

dremoved

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Degorgement• Bottles placed neck down in subfreezing bath– Cold to minimize loss of CO2– As neck is frozen, collected yeast , ysediment 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 undergo same oxidative 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 productionp

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 addedg

• 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 bottle

Add dosage to the tank of wine

Bottling Recork the same bottle in which fermented

Add SO2. bottles filled using a machine

Bottle aging potential after release

Up to 10 years For a few months to reduce odor of SO2

Time to complete the process

2-4 years 0.5 to 2 months

Labels and glasses

• Sweetness –– Brut, extra dry, doux

• Wine glassesS h d– Saucer-shaped

– Flute

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Labels and glasses

• Methode Champenoise:– “Naturally fermented in THIS bottle”

Ch B lk P• Charmat Bulk Process:– Naturally fermented Charmat bulk process

Sensory Attributes

• Appearance:– Small, long lasting bubbles– Creamy mousseA 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=Xu6Nmq3hbFc&feature=related