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WHAT'S UP IN THE VINEYARD AND CELLAR
Making sparkling wine
by Charl Theron
The average drinker of sparkling wine most probably thinks that sparkling wine (erroneously called champagne by all and sundry) is simply a wine with lots of carbon dioxide and associates it with festivities where the popping of the cork contributes to the fun. Producers of traditionally made sparkling wines, otherwise called bottle fermented sparkling wine, know that this opinion is far removed from the truth.
A sparkling wine seminar was recently held in California where international experts gathered to discuss various aspects of making sparkling wine.
2,150 Million bottles of sparkling wine are produced annually, with approximately 25% bottled in France, 20% in Germany, 10% in Spain, 9% in Italy and 7% each in the USA and Russia. It is a rapidly growing market, especially in the segment for young people. Sparkling wine may be made in different ways, ranging from basic carbon dioxide impregnation to the traditional bottle fermentation method. A vinification method that falls between the two extremes is the Charmat method, where the role of the bottle in the traditional method is fulfilled by a tank; the advantages being the vinification of fruit-driven sparkling wines at an affordable price. The other alternative vinification method is a continuous process developed in Russia and used in Germany and Portugal. It entails a continuous feeding of grape juice through a series of tanks to convert the juice to base wine and the latter to sparkling wine before being bottled. The production cost of the method in question will obviously determine the price and the place in the market of the end product. All vinification methods consist of two basic phases, viz. the vinification of the base wine and the conversion of the wine from a still to a sparkling wine. The following aspects determine the quality of the sparkling wine:
- The cultivar used to make the base wine. Pinot noir has the best sparkling characteristics, for example, while Chardonnay is second best. Only good quality grapes may be used to make sparkling wine, because the sparkle emphasises defects in the wine, which is why it is easier to make still wine.
- The ripeness of the grapes. The grapes should be picked at between 18 and 19,5° Balling, with all grapes being picked between these parameters and not ranging from 14 to 24°B Balling to produce an average of 19°B Balling. The grapes should also be picked early morning with pruning shears and not grape cutters. Only whole berries should be used and pressed as soon as possible after picking without crushing and destemming. The juice recovery should be as low as 150 to 175 litres per ton of grapes.
- The grape selection and handling should be determined by the end product, be it a Brut, Rosé or Blanc de Blanc, and not the other way around. Likewise it should be decided in advance whether to make a fruity or matured sparkling wine and neutral cultivars should preferably not be used. If a fruity wine is to be made, oxidation should be prevented, fermentation should take place at a low temperature and the young wine should be racked as soon as possible after fermentation; on the other hand lees contact in old barrels and malolactic fermentation should be allowed if full-bodied, complex wines suitable for maturation are to be made.
- The sparkling quality of the sparkling wine. This characteristic determines the first impression when pouring a sparkling wine and plays an important role in the consumer’s perception of sparkling wine quality. The size of the gas particles, the tempo of bubble release, and the sustainability thereof are factors that come into play. Bentonite fining may inhibit the sparkling action and consequently it should be used in conjunction with a protein fining aid such as gelatine.
- The additions to initiate the bottle fermentation (tirage). This dosage is crucial seeing that the sparkling wine bottle will be left on the lees for a period from months to years for bottle fermentation and subsequent maturation. The sugar-yeast mixture should not be a standard mixture, but depends on the yeast culture and aspects such as yeast counts and growth factors should also be taken into account.
As a result of cost considerations the traditional bottle fermentation process, which required a fair amount of manual labour, has necessarily made way for mechanisation of all stages.
Reference
Intardonato, John. 2009. Thinking About Making Sparkling Wine? Wine Business Monthly 16(1): 118 - 119.
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