Liqueur de tirage

French · tirage liqueur

Liqueur de tirage is the product added to the cuvée before tirage, made of wine with sugar, must or concentrated must (OIV).1 In Champagne it brings about 24 g of sugar per litre, plus yeast, giving roughly 6 kg/cm² of pressure.2

The Union des Maisons de Champagne gives the liqueur's own strength as 500-625 g of sugar per litre, added at 3 litres per hectolitre.2 Riddling aids (adjuvants de remuage) are added along with it.2

EU rules say tirage liqueur may not raise the total alcoholic strength of the cuvée by more than 1.5% vol.3 Some methods use none: Clairette de Die méthode ancestrale prohibits it.4 Compare liqueur d'expédition, added after disgorgement. See tirage.

See also

TirageMethodsTirageGlossaryLiqueur d'expéditionGlossarykg/cm²GlossaryAncestral methodMethods

Sources

  1. OIV International Code of Oenological Practices, II.4.1 Definitions common to all sparkling wines (II.4.1.1-II.4.1.10)
  2. Union des Maisons de Champagne. Tirage or bottling the blended wine
  3. legislation.gov.uk (The National Archives). Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/934, Annex II (sparkling wine oenological practices), as reproduced on legislation.gov.uk (2019-03-12)
  4. INAO. Cahier des charges AOP Clairette de Die, proposed modification approved by national committee 29/30 June 2023 (2023-06-30)

Facts checked on 2026-10-19