Champagne making process // champagne vs sparkling wine // How to make sparkling wine //

Harvest grapes from vineyards

Crush grapes to form must

Press grapes to separate juice from must

Put juice into a tank for fermentation

Ferment juice with yeast to convert sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide

Clarify the wine to remove tannins, proteins, and dead yeast

Blend reserved wine to create the base wine (cuvée)

Add sugar, yeast, and yeast nutrients to the base wine to create liqueur de tirage

Pour the wine into thick glass bottles and seal with a bottle cap

Store bottles horizontally in a cool cellar (55-60°F) for secondary fermentation

Wait for the fermentation to create pressure and bubbles in the bottle

After fermentation, remove sediments (lees) through riddling

Place bottles on a riddling rack (pupitre) and gradually rotate to collect sediments in the neck

Freeze the neck of the bottle in an ice salt bath to solidify sediments

Remove the bottle cap to let the pressure push out the frozen plug

Add dosage liqueur (refrigerated reserve wine and sugar) to restore wine level and carbonation

Cork the bottles and wire down to secure them for high pressure

Age the champagne further before consumption

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

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