The Complete Process of Making Champagne

Champagne is the greatest celebratory drink. It’s used to toast newlyweds, applaud accomplishments, and admit milestones. A large portion of its appeal is a result of the bubbles that spill forth as soon as the bottle is uncorked. These bubbles come from tiny drops of liquid disturbed by the escaping carbon dioxide or carbonic acid gas that’s a natural by-product of the double fermentation process unique to champagne.

The Harvest

The grapes are chosen by hand between August and October, the harvest time is dependent upon how ripe the grapes are. The wine producers, such as Champagne Roger Constant-Lemaire in Villers-sous-Chatillon, aren’t permitted to pick the berries using a machine. The grapes need to be chosen by hand so that only the very best and ripened grapes are donated to the Champagne.

Fermentation

Two fermentation phases — alcoholic involving yeast and malolactic involving bacteria — function to generate the tastes and style of every Ruinart Blanc De Blanc variety.

Blending

The mind wine waiter combines different wines in order to make a cuvee presenting special features. A vital step in the winemaking process, “blending” gives each wine its distinctive personality, based especially on the soul of the Champagne House producing the wine. After blending, cold stabilization intends to attain the ideal stabilization of the champagne. Clarification then leaves the wine completely clear by removing any particles suspended in the mix.

Second fermentation

During the bottling process, the winemaker adds the liqueur de tirage (a sweet combination of 1 kg of cane or beet sugar per liter of older wine), which initiates the second fermentation period lasting for 6-8 weeks.

The Aging

Since the fermentation proceeds, yeast cells die and after a few months, the fermentation process is complete. However, the Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label continues to age in the cool basement for many more years resulting in a toasty, yeasty character. During this aging period, the yeast cells divide open and spill into the solution imparting complicated, yeasty flavors into the Champagne. The very best and most expensive Champagne is aged for five decades or more. This method completes the second fermentation.

The Riddling

Following the aging process is finished, the dead yeast cells have been eliminated through a process called riddling. Every day, the Riddler gives the bottle a 1/8th of a turn whilst keeping it upside down. This process forces the dead yeast cells float into the bottleneck in which they’re subsequently removed.

The Champagne bottle is kept upside down while the throat is suspended in an ice-salt bath. This process results in the creation of a plug of frozen wine containing the cells that are dead. Finally, the bottle cap is removed and the pressure of carbon dioxide gas in the bottle forces the plug of frozen wine outside (“disgorging”) leaving behind apparent Champagne. By doing this, a tiny bit of wine has spilled from the bottle.