Sparkling Wine Production: How To Make a Bottle of Bubbly

The sparkling wine production process contributes to a very significant part in the global food and beverage industry. Sparkling wines are often a key component of celebrations, fine dining experiences, and parties. But are you familiar with how they’re made?

Whether it’s Champagne or Prosecco wine, sparkling alcoholic beverages are often best-sellers. The process of making such wines requires many steps and involves several variables. If you’d like to learn all about sparkling wines and the production process of making them, continue reading the rest of this blog post!

What Is Sparkling Wine?

Sparkling wine is any wine that contains bubbles due to carbonation. The fizziness in the wine is a result of fermentation, which naturally produces carbon dioxide (CO2).

The bubbbliness of the sparkling wine is also due to the secondary fermentation process that takes place. Plus, this step of the process is what can add sweetness, complexity, and depth. But we’ll talk more about that in a bit.

The 12-Step Sparkling Wine Production Process

The sparkling wine production process comprises a meticulous series of events that can go on for years. Review a simplified outline of the key stages required to make sparkling wine below:

Harvesting: The first step of the sparkling wine production process is to carefully pick the perfect grapes.
Pressing: Grapes must be gently pressed to extract the juices.
Fermentation: In tanks or barrels, the grape juice must ferment, converting sugars into alcohol.
Blending: Wines from different vineyards can be blended to achieve consistency or a desired style.
Bottling With Yeast and Sugar: By adding yeast and sugar to the wine upon fermentation, sparkling wines are able to produce the right molecular composition.
Secondary Fermentation: While bottled, the wine will undergo extended fermentation, which provides sparkling wines with carbon dioxide.
Aging on Lees: This step simply refers to the waiting game of storing all the wine bottles horizontally, allowing the lees (or yeast sediment) to impart flavor notes into the wine. This step can go on for months or years.
Riddling: As the aging process continues, winemakers will tilt the bottles while rotating them, strictly to get the “lees” within the neck of the bottle.
Disgorging: By freezing the necks of the inverted bottles, the yeast freezes in the neck. Then, the cap is quickly popped off the pressurized bottle, discarding the frozen chunk containing the yeast.
Dosage: Unless you’d like a dry or “brut” sparkling wine, this step is when you’d add any additional sugar to adjust the flavor.
Corking and Sealing: A final cork is placed in each bottle, which unlike those in still wines, is secured by a metal cage that can withstand the internal pressure.
Labeling and Wholesale Packaging: The sparkling wine production process is complete–finally. Simply label it, and it’ll be easy for distribution and consumption.

Factors That Impact the Sparkling Wine Production Process

While the sparkling wine production process is the same among different wine classifications, many factors can impact the final product. Whether it be the level of sweetness or fruity flavor notes exuding from the wine, there are reasons why not all sparkling wines are the same. It’s because no two or more are made equally.

Discover three key factors that impact the sparkling wine production process:

Climate and Terroir

Before we delve into how the terroir of a region impacts the sparkling wine production process, it’s worth noting that it’s a reflection of multiple factors. The same concept also applies to climates. Terroirs are simply the combination of environmental conditions, from sun exposure to soil compositions. Then, you have climates which revolve more around temperatures, rainfall, and humidity.

When it comes to producing sparkling wines, winemakers in cool climates tend to perform best. Cool climates and the terroirs in such regions produce crisp and refreshing wines with stellar acidity.

Grape Varietals

Different grape varieties impact different flavor notes and textures, which can impact the viscosity and dryness of the wine. For fresh sparkling wine, a go-to grape is Chardonnay. Meanwhile, those looking to craft a rich and full-bodied wine might opt for Pinot Noir. Then, you can’t forget about the sweet bottles of bubbly, which are often made from the Meunier grape.

Yeast and Sugar

In order for the fermentation process to occur when producing wine, there must be yeast added to the wine. The yeast will turn into sugar. Then, this sugar will be what turns into alcohol and CO2. It’s important to remember that the amount of sugar you add during the second round of fermentation is what will impact the sweetness of the final product. So, keep this in mind if you’re aiming to make a dessert wine.

Types of Wines That Go Through the Sparkling Wine Production Process

The current wine market includes quite a few sparkling wines. These beverages are also best-sellers in countless bars, restaurants, and other hospitality establishments. After all, the carbonation adds a nice touch to what could be a standard glass of wine.

If you’re unsure of which wines are carbonated, take a look below to discover which varietals go through the sparkling wine production process:

Champagne: Made exclusively in Champagne. France, the region’s chalky soil contributes to the classic crispness in a bottle of French bubbly.
Prosecco: Made primarily from the Giera grape in Italian wine regions like Veneto, Prosecco is a fruit-forward sparkline wine.
Cava: As one of the most popular products from the many Spanish wine regions, Cava utilizes traditional wine production methods more often than not. It’s also a bit more complex than Prosecco.
Crémant: If you’re looking to source a wine that’s comparable to champagne but much more affordable, Crémant is a stellar choice.

Other grape varieties can make sparkling wines by executing a wine production process. However, the ones mentioned above are the standard options that you can find on almost any wine list.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sparkling Wine Production

There are many working parts to each sparkling wine production process. It’s also worth noting that various grape varieties can impact the way a wine production process unfolds. Now, if you’d like to learn more about sparkling wines and how they’re made, check out the following selection of frequently asked questions and answers.

Is the Sparkling Wine Production Process Expensive?

Yes, sparkline wine production is expensive due to the labor-intensive methods–especially those used in the traditional techniques. It’s also important to remember that costs will increase with aging, quality control, and tasks completed via manual labor.

How Long Does the Sparkling Wine Production Process Take?

The sparkling wine production process can take anywhere from several months to several years. In the traditional wine production method, the wines undergo a second fermentation and aging process. These processes can last anywhere from nine months to over five years. If you’re striving to develop wines with more complex flavors, the producers can prolong these processes.

What Types of Grapes Are Used for the Sparkling Wine Production Process?

Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier are the three wine varietals that are most commonly used during the sparkling wine production process. These varietals are often selected for their freshness, body, and complexity. Meanwhile, they’re all able to withstand rigorous fermentation and aging processes.

Can Sparkling Wine Be Made Without Added Sugar?

Yes, sparkling wines can be made without added sugar. When the second round of fermentation takes place, the winemaker will not add additional sugar to the wine. As a result, the natural, already-existing sugar from the grapes will be used during fermentation. In doing so, the final product tends to be super dry and crisp.

How Is Sparkling Wine Different From Champagne?

Sparkling wine refers to any type of wine with bubbles, regardless of its origin; therefore, Champagne is simply a type of sparkling wine. The sole reason as to why people tend to view Champagne within its own category, is because it’s named after its birthplace–one of the most prestigious French wine regions.

Learn More About All Things Wine-Related

Now that you’re familiar with how sparkling wines are made, it’s time to learn all about other types of wines, different types of glassware, the leading wine regions, and all things related to building a wine list. Visit the BinWise blog for several posts a week all about the beverage market and related topics!