Methods
Every sparkling wine is defined by where its carbon dioxide comes from and where it is trapped: in the bottle, in a tank, in an unfinished fermentation or from a cylinder.
Methods
Traditional methodSecond fermentation in the bottle that is sold, then lees ageing and disgorgementMéthode traditionnelle · metodo classico · método tradicionalTransfer methodFermented in bottle, then emptied under pressure, filtered and rebottledBottle fermentation, filtration in tankTank methodSecond fermentation in a closed pressure tank, then bottling under pressureCharmat · Martinotti · cuve closeAsti methodOne fermentation of Moscato must in a pressure tank, stopped while sugar remainsSingle fermentation of Moscato must in autoclaveAncestral methodOne fermentation begun in vat and finished in the bottle, with no added liqueurMéthode ancestrale · historic méthode dioiseCarbonationCarbon dioxide is added to still wine; EU law treats it as a separate categoryAerated sparkling and aerated semi-sparkling wine
From grape to bottle
HarvestWhy sparkling-wine rules ask for whole bunches and, often, hand pickingStep 1 · whole bunches, often by handPressingGentle pressing of whole bunches and the split into cuvée and tailleStep 2 · cuvée and tailleDébourbageThe fresh juice rests so that solids sink, then the clear juice is drawn offStep 3 · settling the juiceFirst fermentationSettled must ferments to a dry, still base wine (vin clair)Step 4 · the still base wineMalolactic fermentationBacteria turn malic acid into lactic acid; in Champagne each producer decidesStep 5 · optionalAssemblage and reserve winesBase wines from plots, varieties and years are blended into the cuvéeStep 6 · building the cuvéeTirageBottling the cuvée with sugar and yeast to start the second fermentationStep 7 · liqueur de tiragePrise de mousseYeast ferments the tirage sugar in the closed bottle and pressure rises to about 6 barStep 8 · second fermentation in the bottleAgeing on leesBottles rest on dead yeast, whose autolysis shapes aroma and foamStep 9 · yeast autolysisRiddlingTurning and tilting bottles until the yeast deposit gathers in the neckStep 10 · remuage on pupitre or gyropaletteDisgorgementThe deposit in the neck is frozen or simply ejected by the pressureStep 11 · à la glace or à la voléeDosage and liqueur d’expéditionA small dose of sugar dissolved in wine tops up the bottle after disgorgementStep 12 · setting the sweetnessCork and wire cageA mushroom cork held by a wire cage, then a shake to mix in the dosageStep 13 · bouchage and museletRest after disgorgementBottles are usually held a few months after disgorgement; no legal minimum was foundStep 14 · before shipping
Rules
Minimum ageing by appellationLegal minimum months on lees for Champagne, Cava, Franciacorta, Trento, Crémant, Sekt and moreMonths on lees or from tirage, comparedEU categories of sparkling wineSix legal categories set by CO2 origin, pressure at 20 °C and alcoholRegulation (EU) No 1308/2013, Annex VII Part IILabel terms in EU lawSugar terms, vintage, bottle-fermented, traditional method, Crémant, WinzersektRegulation (EU) 2019/33 and national terms