SPARKLING WINE AROUND THE WORLD

CHAMPAGNE

CREMANT DE LOIRE, BORDEAUX , BURGUNDY, JURA, ALSACE, ETC

BLANQUETTE DE LIMOUX

PROSECCO

CAVA

FRANCIACORTA

SEKT

AMERICAN SPARKLING WINE

MOSCATO D’ASTI & BRACHETTO D’ACQUI

LAMBRUSCO

SPARKLING WINE FROM ANYWHERE ELSE

Key factors and affecting quality
In order to avoid damaging the grapes and running the risk of colouring the juice, hand-harvesting of grapes.
Grapes are not destemmed or crushe, merely pressed, and only the juice released by the gentlest pressure is used to make Champagne.The juice released under high pressure is not able to be made into top quality sparkling wine.

Blending is vital to quality and making a consistent house style. The best producers have access to a large number of different parcels of wine, making this process easier to achieve.
The length of time spent on the lees, which is controlled either by law and/or the style of wine being produced. Longer time on the lees result in a richer wine with more autolytic character.

Transfer: Second fermentation takes place in the bottle. The wine is decanted into a sealed tank for clarification and then re-bottled. Use extensively in the new world to produce high quality wine.

Tank: Second fermentation happens in a sealed tank. This method is cheaper. Also, autolytic character can be kept to a minimum and it is ideal for wine made from aromatic varieties such as Riesling and Muscat

Asti: Must is chilled until it is needed. Only one fermentation takes place in a sealed tank

 to retain CO2.The fermentation is interrupted, wine is filtered and bottled  for immediate sale. Wine do not age.

Carbonation:(Gas injection) CO2 injected into a still wine. Only use for cheap sparkling wine

Champagne:

 Climate: Cool continental

Weather: Vintage variations, vintage Champagne only made from outstanding declared vintages

Soil: Chalk

Grape varieties: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier

Grape growing: Frost an annual threat.

In order to avoid damaging the grapes and running the risk of coloring the juice, hand –harvesting of grapes is required by law.

Ageing. Non vintage 18 months min

               Vintage 36 months min

Key style: Rose, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs, Prestige Cuvee all these styles can be made as either Non- Vintage or Vintage.

Sparkling wine :

•General: cool climate most suitable for sparkling wine

•Cremant de Loire: Chenin Blanc( Vouvray)Chardonnay,Cabernet Franc

•Cremant d`Alsace: Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay

•Cremant de Bourgogne: Pinot Noir ,Chardonnay

•Cremant de Limoux: Mauzac, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay

•Cava: Parellada, Xarel-lo, Macabeo(Viura), Garnacha, Monastrel, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir

•Prosecco: Glera

•Asti: Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains( Moscato bianco)

•Deutscher Sekt:Muller Thurgau, Riesling

•New world:Best Quality: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Shiraz for sparkling red an Australian speciality.

Ageing:Cremant, other Loire sparkling wines and Cava: 9 months minimum
Asti Unaged
Other:Varies depending on quality and price

Key Regions: Loire. Saumur, Vouvray
Spain.Cava mostly produced in Penedes
Italia:Piemonte( Asti)Veneto( Prosecco)
USA: Carneros, Anderson Valley
Australia: Yarra valley, Adelaide hills, Tasmania
New Zealand: Marborough, Hawke`s Bay and Gisborne
Cape Classic: South African traditional method Sparkling wine.