By Ashley Herzberg, Amista Vineyards Winemaker
Have you ever wondered how sparkling wine gets its fine bubbles and festive sparkle? At Amista Vineyards in Healdsburg, California, we craft our estate-grown sparkling wines using the méthode traditionnelle—the same time-honored process perfected in Champagne. One of the most fascinating (and essential) parts of this process is the very last step: disgorging.
As a winemaker, I’ve always loved bubbles. And now I get to create them! Disgorging may sound technical, but it’s actually a beautiful blend of science and artistry. Let me take you behind the scenes and walk you through the process step by step.
Step 1: Chilling the Necks
The disgorging process begins with chilling the necks of the bottles. By lowering the temperature, the yeast sediment left over from the secondary fermentation inside the bottle becomes frozen. This frozen plug of yeast is essential because it allows us to remove the sediment cleanly without losing the sparkle.
Step 2: Popping the Cap
Once the neck is frozen, we carefully remove the crown cap. The pressure inside the sparkling wine bottle forces the frozen plug of yeast out—this is the actual disgorging step. It’s quick, dramatic, and always exciting to watch.
Step 3: Adding the Dosage
After disgorging, a small amount of liquid is missing from the bottle, so we add what’s called the dosage. This is a mixture of the base wine and sometimes a touch of sugar. The dosage balances the wine’s natural acidity and determines its final style—whether it will be extra brut, brut, or slightly sweeter. It’s one of the most important choices a sparkling winemaker makes.
At Amista, we believe the beauty of sparkling wine lies in its purity. By keeping our dosages very low—often zero or extra brut—we allow the vineyard and each grape variety to speak for itself. The result is a wine that shimmers with freshness, carries graceful texture, and celebrates the vibrant fruit born of our Dry Creek Valley estate.
Step 4: Corks and Wire Hoods
Next, we seal the wine with its signature sparkling closure: a natural cork held securely in place with a wire hood. The wire cage ensures the pressure inside the bottle (around 5–6 atmospheres!) is safely contained until you’re ready to pop it open for a celebration.
Step 5: Mixing the Dosage
After the cork is secured, we gently turn the bottles upside down and right side up to make sure the dosage is fully integrated with the wine. The blend becomes seamless, ensuring every sip is perfectly balanced. One of my favorite examples is our Amista Fusión, a unique sparkling blend of Chardonnay, Grenache, and Syrah—a combination rarely seen in sparkling wine!
Step 6: Wash and Blow Dry
Even sparkling wines need a little pampering. Each bottle is washed and blow dried to remove any residue from the disgorging process. This ensures the bottles are sparkling clean—inside and out.
Step 7: Getting Foiled and Crimped
Now it’s time for the wine to get dressed up for the party. Each bottle is topped with foil, which is crimped tightly around the neck. The foil isn’t just decorative; it also protects the cork and gives sparkling wine its polished, celebratory look.
Step 8: Labeling
Finally, we add the labels. This is the finishing touch that transforms a bottle of wine into a story you can share with your family and friends. At Amista Vineyards, each sparkling wine reflects the character of our Dry Creek Valley estate vineyards and our love of Rhône and Chardonnay varieties.
Of course, there’s one more unofficial step: pop the cork, pour yourself a glass, and raise a toast! After all, sparkling wine is made to be enjoyed.
See the Sparkling Wine Disgorging Process in Action
Want to see for yourself how sparkling wine is finished in the méthode traditionnelle? Disgorging is the final stage that prepares each bottle for release. I’ve put together a YouTube playlist showing the entire sparkling wine disgorging process at Amista Vineyards—from freezing the neck and removing the lees to adding dosage, corking, and wire-hooding. It’s a behind-the-scenes look at how sparkling wine is made. Click the image below to see each of the eight steps in the process.
Why Disgorging Matters
Disgorging is more than just a final step—it’s what gives sparkling wine its clarity, elegance, and finesse. Without it, the wine would remain cloudy with yeast sediment. Done well, it elevates sparkling wine into the crisp, joyful experience we all love.
At Amista Vineyards, every bottle of sparkling wine is disgorged by hand in small batches, a labor of love that ensures quality in every sip. Whether you’re enjoying a classic Blanc de Blancs, a bold Syrah sparkling rosé, or our signature Fusión, you can taste the care that goes into every stage of the process.
Experience Sparkling Wine at Amista
Want to see how sparkling wine is made up close? Come visit us in Healdsburg, in the heart of Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley. You’ll discover our collection of sparkling wines, learn more about traditional winemaking, and, of course, enjoy a glass (or two) of bubbles with us.
Amista means “making friends,” and what better way to celebrate friendship than with a toast of sparkling wine?
