Parlez-vous Champagne?

The language of the Champagne-making process is mystifying, especially to those who have never observed it in person.  The purpose of this Blog is to demystify it by breaking it down into three digestible pieces.  First things first, however; only a sparkling wine made in the demarcated area of Champagne, France can legally be called Champagne.  Now, here’s what you need to know about the process.

# 1:  Bubbles are created by yeasts

                                           Dead yeast cells are trapped in the bottle

     
After the wine is finished being made, a small amount of yeast is added to each bottle of wine, as well as a very small amount of sugar.   Bubbles form as a result of the yeast eating the sugar.  These bubbles are actually carbon dioxide which is given off by the yeast (those who have made bread well know the bubbling that occurs during yeast’s activity).  Carbon dioxide becomes trapped inside the bottle.  This process is known as the second fermentation in the bottle.

# 2:  Riddling is the process of how dead yeasts are prepared for extraction

                                          Riddlers turn each bottle daily over months

        
Once the yeast eats the sugar it lives for a short time and then dies.  These dead yeasts are called "lees."  The lees, like carbon dioxide, are trapped inside the bottle.  Riddling rotates the wine bottles a small amount each day to slowly move the dead yeasts toward the neck of the bottle.  Once the bottle is entirely inverted to a vertical position, it is ready for the next stage.

# 3:  Disgorgement is how dead yeasts are removed from the bottle

                            In a nano-second the frozen cube of dead yeast is removed

The vertical bottle is inserted into a super cold ice bath which essentially freezes the yeast debris trapped in its neck.  In the flicker of an eyelash, the cap of the bottle is removed and the frozen “yeast ice cube” pops out.  A new cork is now applied.  This is the disgorgement process.

Wine-Knows will be visiting Champagne in June of this year.  We’ll be tasting at some of the grandest producers of Champagne.  Currently there are three openings. For more information about this trip (which also visits Burgundy), check our website:   http://www.wineknowstravel.com/burgundy-champagne/