sparkling wine

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Wine that contains bubbles of CARBON DIOXIDE gas. There are generally four methods to infuse wine with gas. MÉTHODE CHAMPENOISE is the traditional method used in France’s CHAMPAGNE region and other countries that make fine sparkling wine. With this method, a second fermentation takes place in the bottle, thereby creating carbon dioxide that permeates the wine. The TRANSFER METHOD is similar to méthode champenoise except the RIDDLING and DISGORGEMENT processes are replaced by conveying the wine through a pressurized filtration system and then rebottling it. The CHARMAT PROCESS, also called bulk process or cuve close, uses large pressurized tanks throughout production. These interconnecting tanks retain the pressure created during a second fermentation throughout the entire process. A fourth method, called CARBONATION, injects carbon dioxide directly into the wine. This last method is the least successful in creating effervescence and is used only for very inexpensive wines. Sparkling wines are measured for pressure in ATMOSPHERES (atm). Technically, an atm is the normal air pressure at sea level, approximately 14.7 pounds per square inch. Sparkling wines such as champagne or SPUMANTE should have 6 atm of pressure. A CRÉMANT-style sparkling wine has about half that pressure, and some FRIZZANTE-style Italian wines may have only 2 atm of pressure.