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The market
The demand for sparkling wine is growing. It produces approx. 2.5 billion bottles per year, corresponding to 8% of the total wine production of 32.5 billion bottles.
The most important sparkling wine in the world today by volume is Prosecco. Italy is therefore the leading producer of sparkling wine. Italy produces 27% of all sparkling wines in the world, followed by France with 22%. Together with Germany (14%), Spain (11%) and the United States (6%), the 5 countries account for 80% of world production.
When did the adventure start?
Sparkling wine is simply carbonated wine. This technique was discovered by British innkeepers in the 17th century before Dom Perignon (1638-1715) was falsely touted as the inventor of 'champagne'.
These innkeepers imported thin, sour wine into London and added sugar and brandy to make it taste better and last longer.
In doing so, they discovered that the wine produced bubbles. By accident, they had discovered the process of secondary fermentation that makes champagne so special. Christopher Merret outlined this process to the Royal Society of London in 1662, and within ten years other British wine merchants were still importing wine from France and making it into sparkling wine at least a decade before the French.
From still wine to bubbles
When making wine, cultured yeast is often added to the grape juice in order to better control the process, as natural yeast is more difficult to control. The yeast then converts the natural sugar in the grape juice into alcohol – and at the same time releases carbon dioxide. Usually this fermentation takes place in open vats, which means the carbonation just farts into the air. The result is therefore a wine as we know it, a still wine (without bubbles).
If sparkling wine is to be made, there are several options.
The traditional method
The traditional method also called the champagne method, méthode champenoise or methode traditionelle.
In Champagne, the traditional method has been used for more than 300 years. The basic principle here is that you mix wine from different vats and put together just the right blend, depending on which flavor you want to hit. This (non-sparkling) wine is now bottled and a small amount of yeast and 18 g of sugar are added to each bottle and the bottle is sealed. A second fermentation then starts, where the yeast converts sugar into alcohol and releases carbonic acid, which now remains in the sealed bottle.
After approximately 3 weeks, the yeast dies and eventually settles as sediment in the bottle. Here the yeast is allowed to lie for several months or years. When the time is right, the manufacturer continuously turns the bottle to allow the precipitate to collect in the neck of the bottle (remuage) After 24 days, when all the precipitate has collected, the top of the bottle is quickly frozen and the stopper is removed along with the precipitate. (dégorgement at -25 degrees). A bit of syrup is added - called "le dosage" - to give the wine the desired degree of sweetness, and then a new cork is quickly inserted with steel wire to withstand the pressure from carbon dioxide of 4-6 bar.
There are over 100 champagne houses and over 15,000 smaller wineries in the Champagne region . They have up to 350 km² of land with grapes and over 10,000 employees.
Annual sales are 300 million bottles with a turnover of approx. 4.3 billion Euro. Approx. ²/3 of the turnover is provided by the big champagne houses and their big brands (grandes marques).
58% of the production is sold in France and the rest primarily in England, the USA and Germany.
There are always a billion bottles under development in the Champagne region.
Denmark takes approx. 1.5 million bottles of champagne.
The traditional method is used for the production of Champagne, Cremant, Cava, Franciacorta and the South African Cap Classique.
The Charmat method
The Charmat method also called metodo italiano, Marinotti method or cuve close
The Charmat method is the dominant method – by volume – of producing sparkling wine.
The method allows for greater quality control so that the resulting wines are consistent as well as sparkling, which is why this method is the most widely used. At the same time, the method is cheaper than the traditional method.
The process involves the primary fermentation taking place, after which the winemaker initiates a secondary fermentation by adding a mixture of yeast and sugar. The wine is sealed in a stainless steel tank to capture the CO2 (the bubbles). How long the CO2 is trapped in the wine dictates how bubbly the final product will be – frizzante (slightly bubbly) is left for 20 days to three months; Cuvée and Prestige wines are left for up to six months.
When the second fermentation is finished, the wine is cooled and filtered and transferred to a new container, where a mixture of sugar and wine is added (dosage). The amount of sugar dictates whether the wine is called Brut, Demi-Sec or Sec. Finally, the wine is ready to be bottled under pressure.
The Charmat method is used for e.g. for the production of Prosecco, Lambrusco , Brachetto and Asti.
The Pet-Night method
Pet-Nat is an abbreviation of "Pétillant Naturel".
This is the "original" method of producing sparkling wine. The method is mentioned in France as early as the 16th century.
The base wine is chilled to stop fermentation before it is fully fermented. The wine is bottled and fermentation now starts again. No sugar is added (dosage), and the wine is not 'disgorged' either. The wines are rarely filtered, which is why the taste experience can vary considerably from bottle to bottle. But the diversity and unpredictability are part of the charm.
The production of pet nat is an art of balance, where timing is crucial.
If you tap the fermenting must too early, with too high a sugar content, you run the risk of the wine over-fermenting, causing the bottle to explode. If you bottle too late, with too low a sugar content, you run the risk of the fermentation coming to a standstill, so that the wine gets too few bubbles and residual sweetness. It is therefore important to know when the bottling is to take place.
The pressure remains relatively low, the alcohol percentage is often modest and the wines usually have a certain sweetness.
The Pet-Nat method is used i.a. for wines such as Moscato d'Asti and Vinho Verde.
Addition of carbonic acid
The simplest – and cheapest – method of producing bubbles is by adding carbonation, as we know it from a soda. It produces large, aggressive bubbles which, however, disappear very quickly, leaving behind a lazy wine. This method is only used for the cheapest wines.
Bubbles and food
Due to the many production methods and degrees of sweetness, you can always find a bottle of sparkling wine that suits the meal.
Within champagne, you can follow the recommendations below
Blanc de blancs champagne: Smoked salmon, red shellfish, grilled chicken, fish, soft cheeses and light meats.
Blanc de noirs champagne: Smoked meat, mushrooms, mature cheeses, dark fish.
Blended champagne: Aperitif, oysters and an all-rounder as an alternative to ordinary dry white wine.
Rosé champagne: For Asian, Japanese or Thai-inspired food.
Sec and demi sec champagne (sweet champagne): Wreath cake and fruit dessert.
How about beef patties? Try a rosé champagne with a few years behind it.
When the conversation regarding food pairing revolves around degrees of sweetness, we cannot avoid the rules for adding sugar during 'dosage' in the production of champagne, cava and cremant. The amount of sugar in the dosage determines the type of wine to be produced.
- Brut nature: 0-3 grams - no added sugar
- Extra gross: 0-6 grams
- Gross: 0-12 grams
- Extra dry: 12-17 grams
- Dry: 17-32
- Demi-sec: 32-50
- Doux: +50 grams
