There are many ways to make sparkling wine. First, let’s talk about the bottle secondary fermentation method and wine barrel secondary fermentation method, which have a sharp contrast in flavor. Secondary fermentation in the bottle is a representative brewing method in the Champagne region. This method is generally used when brewing high-end sparkling wine, which has a more complex taste. In France, except for the Champagne region, the sparkling wine made with this technique is generally called Clement. Sparkling wines are produced by secondary fermentation in bottles all over the world, among which Franciacorta in Italy and Cava in Spain are well-known.
The sparkling wine produced by secondary fermentation in barrels is pure, fresh, full-bodied and easy to drink. This method is widely used to make sparkling wine all over the world, among which the more representative ones are Italian Prosecco and Asti sparkling wine.
Below we introduce the main brewing methods of sparkling wine in detail
1. Traditional brewing method (secondary fermentation in bottle): put the wine, sugar and yeast that have been fermented once into the bottle, cover the cork and ferment again. Alcoholic fermentation in the bottle will produce carbonic acid gas, after the residue is removed, the cork can be put on the market. Champagne from the Champagne region, Franciacorta from Italy and Cava from Spain are all made in this way.
2. Barrel secondary fermentation method: the method of placing wine in stainless steel tanks for secondary fermentation to increase the content of carbon dioxide in wine. After removing the dregs with a filter device, it can be bottled and marketed, which is equivalent to the “Coke version” of still wine. Adopting this brewing method of sparkling wine can reflect more the original flavor of the wine, and it is also easy to realize mass production.
3. Carbon dioxide injection method: This is a commonly used brewing method for cheap sparkling wines on the market. The static wine is directly poured into pressurized wine barrels and then injected with carbon dioxide for brewing. The method is straightforward and rude. Sparkling wine of 3 standard atmospheres can be brewed at very low cost.
High-quality sparkling wine not only has rich fruit aroma, refreshing taste, charming bubbles, and elegant style. It is also one of the most difficult wines to make, from picking, juicing, fermentation… to secondary fermentation in the bottle, shaking the bottle, removing the lees and other tedious processes, and finally, we can taste the unusual sparkling wine .
