How Sparkling Wine Came to Be
Saturday, January 28th, 2012After many decades of creation and enjoyment, sparkling wine is still thought of a celebration wine.It is called sparkling wine because of its fizzy appearance. The presence of the bubbles in the wine is caused by the carbon dioxide created from the special procedure called secondary fermentation. This secondary fermentation procedure occurs in the bottle itself or in a big presurized tank where the wine, sugar and yeast are mixed and processed.
A lot of various methods can be applied in making a sparkling wine. The traditional or Methode Champenoise method, the evolved or Transfer method, the Charmat Bulk process and the carbonation/injection method.
Original and very first method used in producing sparkling wines is called the Methode Champenoise. In this method, the secondary fermentation takes place inside the bottle where the sugar and yeast are added. During secondary fermentation, the bottle is tightly closed and placed in an inverted position. During fermentation, the bottle precisely undergoes riddling or shaking to remove the dead yeast so it will end up in the head of the bottle. Next, the neck of the bottle is frozen so that the dead yeast will stay on top and the cap is skillfully removed to pop out the dead yeast out. Lastly, the bottle is resealed by a cork and now ready for consumption.
An evolved method of the Methode Champenoise is the transfer method. Same process to that of Methode Champenoise is done in the Transfer method but the only difference is that the process does not involve riddling to remove the sediment but instead the wine is transferred to a pressure tank where the sediment is separated. And then, it is bottled, corked and tightly closed with a wire hood before it is displayed in the market.
Charmat Bulk which is the another method of creating sparkling wine is different when it comes to the secondary fermentation because the procedure takes place in a big pressure tank. It is an efficient method because the sparkling wine is created in large volumes. When it comes to sparkling wine production, Charmat Bulk method is considered the quickest and least expensive. In this process, the sugar and yeats are added in a large pressure tank wherein the temperature is controlled. Quality of wine using this process is lower compared to that produced in the traditional method. The bubbles in this sparkling wine are larger because it did not spend the same amount time compared to the traditional method.
For the carbonation process, wine is injected with carbon dioxide. The wine is bubbled or carbonated after the fermentation procedure. This is similar to the method used in soft drinks. Carbonation procedure is also believed quick and less expensive but it loses the quality of sparkling wine.
Overall, the Methode Champenoise is the most expensive and requires more effort to make a sparkling wine but it is the best in making a good quality wine. Natural fermentation occurs in this process thus making the sparkling wine is not abused by excessive movements.
Plenty of sparkling wine makers can be found all over the world. These wine makers will apply the method they believe in so they can achieve the consumer’s satisfaction. The quality and the price of the sparkling wine do not just depend on the quality of the materials used but also the method used. To sum up, whatever the method is applied in making the sparkling wine, it is up to the consumer which they will choose.