|
Calendar
Sparkling Wine
NY Temp.
NY Wineries
|
Reading:
Sparkling Wines
Thomas Henick-Kling
- Vineyard Site
- Cultivar Selection
- Vineyard Management
- Grape Maturity & Harvest
- Juice Extraction
- Alcoholic Fermentation
- Malolactic Fermentation
- Wine Aging (Storage) -Sparkling wines
champagne vs Champagne
The term champagne in the USA generically means sparkling wine.
Chamapagne is a wine growing region in France and the sparkling wine made there under exactly defined rules.
The term 'methode champenoise' in the USA means: that this sparkling wine was fermented in the bottle in which it is sold. In France the methode champenoise also defines the grape varieties used and other processing techniques.
The term 'transfer process' in the USA says: that the wine underwent second fermentation in a bottle and was subsequently filtered into another bottle to remove the yeast.
The terms 'bulk' 'Charmant' ' cuve close' refer to: production of sparkling wines in a closed pressurized tank. When second fermentation is complete this wine is transferred under pressure into bottle.
sparkling wines, Champagnes, Sekt typically have 5.5 to 6.5 atmospheres of pressure.
Vins crˇmants, vin pˇtillant, vins mousseux are sparkling wines with less pressure.
IMPORTANT STEPS IN MAKING SPARKLING WINES
First Stage: vineyard site - must allow slow maturation, moderate fruit flavors, high acidity, low phenolic content
Second Stage: preparation of base wines
grape maturity to yield wine with 10-11% alcohol (chaptalization is necessary)
grapes hand harvested and pressed very soon to avoid breakage which leads to extraction of excessive phenolics, oxidation, production of acetic acid.
whole cluster pressing and fractioning of must is most important
must clarification
primary fermentation with neutral yeast, some barrel fermentation, some malolactic fermentation
Third Stage: Assemblage
tasting and assembling of new wines
blending of new wines
cold stabilization
Fourth Stage: Tirage
prise de mousse: addition of fresh yeast culture and some sugar to base wine in order to achieve second fermentation in bottle with the desired 6.5-7 atm of pressure.
Fifth Stage: Riddling and Disgorging
riddling to remove yeast sediment
dosage: adding wine & sugar to balance acidity and sweetness in the final wine
|
