Sparkling Wine: Muntean Maxim TVPF-191

Sparkling wine
Muntean Maxim TVPF-191

Sparkling Wine
 Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it, making it fizzy.
While the phrase commonly refers to champagne, EU countries legally reserve that term
for products exclusively produced in the Champagne region of France. Sparkling wine is
usually either white or rosé, but there are examples of red sparkling wines such as the
Italian Brachetto, Bonarda and Lambrusco, and the Australian sparkling Shiraz. The
sweetness of sparkling wine can range from very dry brut styles to sweeter doux varieties
The sparkling quality of these wines comes from its carbon dioxide content and may be the
result of natural fermentation, either in a bottle, as with the traditional method, in a large
tank designed to withstand the pressures involved (as in the Charmat process), or as a
result of simple carbon dioxide injection in some cheaper sparkling wines.
History
 The tendency of still wine from the Champagne region to lightly sparkle was noted in the
Middle Ages but this was considered a wine fault and was disdained in early Champagne
winemaking although it made the pride of other historic sparkling wine production areas
like Limoux. Dom Pérignon was originally charged by his superiors at the Abbey of
Hautvillers to get rid of the bubbles since the pressure in the bottles caused many of them
to burst in the cellar. The British were the first to see the tendency of wines from
Champagne to sparkle as a desirable trait and tried to understand why it produced bubbles.
Wine was often transported to England in wooden wine barrels where merchant houses
would then bottle the wine for sale. During the cold winters of the Champagne region,
temperatures would drop so low that the fermentation process was prematurely halted—
leaving some residual sugar and dormant yeast. When the wine was shipped to and bottled
in England, the fermentation process would restart when the weather warmed and the cork-
stoppered wine would begin to build pressure from carbon dioxide gas
Semi-sparkling wine
 Fully sparkling wines, such as Champagne, are generally sold with 5 to 6 atmospheres of
pressure in the bottle. This is nearly twice the pressure found in an automobile tire.
European Union regulations define a sparkling wine as any wine with an excess of 3
atmospheres in pressure. These include German Sekt, Spanish Espumoso,
Italian Spumante and French Crémant or Mousseux wines. Semi-sparkling wines are
defined as those with between 1 and 2.5 atmospheres of pressures and include
German spritzig, Italian frizzante and French pétillant wines.
Red sparkling wine
 While the majority of sparkling wines are white or rosé, Australia, Italy and Moldova each
have a sizable production of red sparkling wines. Of these, Italy has the longest tradition in
red sparkling wine-making, particularly along the Apennine side of the Po Valley. Notable
wines include Brachetto and Lambrusco. Also very well known and with rich tradition are
Gutturnio, Bonarda and sparkling Barbera; in central Italy, lesser known Red Vernaccia
produces semi-sweet sparkling reds. In Australia, red sparkling wines are often made from
the Shiraz grape
Production
 The viticultural and winemaking practices of making sparkling wine have many similarities to

the production of still wine with some noted divergence. At the vineyard, grapes are harvested
early when there is still high acid levels. In areas like Australia, winemakers aim to harvest the
grapes at 17 to 20° brix. Unlike still wine production, high sugar levels are not ideal and grapes
destined for sparkling wine production may be harvested at higher yields. Care is taken to avoid
tannins and other phenolic compounds with many premium producers still choosing to harvest
by hand rather than risk mechanical harvesting which may split the berries and encourage
maceration between the skins and juice. The press house is often close by the vineyard to where
the grapes can be quickly pressed and separated from their skins. Red wine grapes like Pinot noir
can be used in the production of white sparkling wines because their juice is initially clear and
is only later tinted red through exposure to the color pigments in grape skins. While some skin
exposure may be desirable in the production of rosé sparkling wines and some blanc de
noirs (white of blacks), most sparkling wine producers take extended precautions to limit the
amount of skin contact
Bubbles
 An initial burst of effervescence occurs when the sparkling wine contacts the dry glass on
pouring. These bubbles form on imperfections in the glass that facilitate nucleation.
Nucleations are needed to stimulate the formation of bubbles because carbon dioxide has
to first diffuse from the wine solution before it can rise out of the glass and into the air. A
poured glass of sparkling wine will lose its bubbliness and carbon dioxide gas much more
quickly than an open bottle alone would. The frothiness or "mousse" of the wine, along
with the average size and consistency of the bubbles, can vary depending on the quality of
the wine and the type of glass used
Sweetness
 Depending on how much sugar is added, sparkling wine has different sweetness levels,
depending on the residual sugar left after fermentation.
They are split into seven categories :

Brut Nature or Brut Zero: Sparkling wines with 0-3 grams of sugar per liter
Extra Brut: Sparkling wines with 3-6 grams of sugar per liter.
Brut: Sparkling wines with 6-12 grams of sugar per liter.
Extra-Sec (or extra dry): Sparkling wines with 12-20 grams of sugar per liter.
Sec: Sparkling wines with 17-35 grams of sugar per liter.
Demi-Sec: Sparkling wines with 33-50 grams of sugar per liter.
Doux: Sparkling wines with over 50 grams of sugar per liter.
Vocabulary
 Fizzy – gazata
withstand – rezista
involved – implicat
cheaper – ieftin
disdained – dispretuit
rid – scapa
merchant – comerciant
warmed – incalzit
automobile tire – anvelopa auto
notable – notabil
lesser- mai putin
burst – izbucni
occurs - apare
pouring – turnind
diffuse – difuz
frothiness – spuma
fully – in intregime

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What are the main methods used to produce sparkling wine?

What are the differences between fully sparkling and semi-sparkling wines?

Sparkling wine

Muntean Maxim TVPF-191

 The viticultural and winemaking practices of making sparkling wine have many similarities to

They are split into seven categories :

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