What Is Méthode Champenoise?
Méthode Champenoise, also known as Méthode Traditionnelle, is the traditional method used to make French Champagne and many of the world’s finest sparkling wines. What makes this method so special is that the second fermentation happens right in the bottle. That’s where the bubbles come from, and it’s also an important part of what gives sparkling wine its character.
Here’s what I’ve learned about this fascinating process and what makes it so special.
We made our first sparkling wine in 2008, and it’s been an amazing journey of discovering how sparkling wine is made and how the process differs from making our reds, whites, and rosés. I always loved drinking sparkling wine, at least once I realized it could be dry, interesting, and delicate. But I didn’t know how it got to be that way until we started making it ourselves. Today we make six estate-grown sparkling wines!
What Is the Méthode Champenoise?
Méthode Champenoise, or Méthode Traditionnelle, is the process used to make French Champagne, as well as many other sparkling wines around the world. There are several methods for making sparkling wine, but the traditional method is widely regarded as one of the best for producing wines with fine bubbles and complex flavors.
The term “Méthode Champenoise” is traditionally associated with Champagne, while “Méthode Traditionnelle” is commonly used for sparkling wines made by the same method outside Champagne.
In this method, the wine goes through a secondary fermentation in its own bottle. Unlike still wines that are fermented only once in tanks, barrels, or other vessels, sparkling wines made by the traditional method are fermented twice. The second fermentation is what makes the wine “sparkle.”
What Is Secondary Fermentation in the Bottle?
After the initial fermentation, the sparkling wine is bottled with an additional mixture of sugar and yeast, called the liqueur de tirage. The sugar acts on the yeast, producing carbon dioxide gas that is trapped in the bottle, thanks to a crown cap (like a bottle of beer).
Quality sparkling wines are left on the yeast, or lees, for several months, sometimes years. This time on the lees contributes to the complex flavors and creamy texture associated with traditionally made sparkling wines.
Does the Yeast Stay in the Bottle?
No, and this is another distinctive feature of the Méthode Champenoise. The reaction of the sugar and yeast produces carbon dioxide – the bubbles – and dead yeast cells. The residual yeast cells are removed by a process called disgorgement. But first, the spent yeast needs to be consolidated in the neck of the bottle so it can be removed.
What Is Riddling?
Prior to removal of the crown cap, the bottles are riddled, a process where the bottles are turned on their heads and slowly shifted each day until all the dead yeast cells are in the neck of the bottle.
The process can be done by hand by experienced “riddlers,” with the bottles resting with the tops down in riddling racks. It’s more common today to accomplish riddling in huge cages that gently shake the wines on a daily schedule over the course of several days.
What Is Disgorgement?
I know, it isn’t exactly the most appealing word for such beautiful wines. It sounds much better in the original French – dégorger (pronounced day-gor-zhay).
In disgorgement, the dead yeast cells are propelled from the bottle when the crown cap is removed by the pressure of the carbon dioxide in the wine . This is typically done mechanically inside a bullet-proof glass machine. Disgorgement can be done by hand but is much faster and safer to do by machine. It’s fascinating to watch – providing you have on a pair of safety glasses and are standing behind the safety glass!
Why Is Méthode Champenoise Used for Fine Sparkling Wine?
Fermenting the wine in its own bottle is what produces the fine bubbles that are coveted in the best Champagnes and sparkling wines. There are other methods of producing sparkling wines that are faster and less expensive, but they do not produce the same delicate bubbles and complex flavors that can develop through the traditional method.
Want to treat yourself to our bubbles? Come Taste with Us!
In addition to our collection of estate-grown sparkling wines, we also have a wonderful lineup of Rhône reds.
Still Thirsty?
If you want to learn more, here is a curated list of resources.
