Méthode Traditionelle(Traditional Method)
The method of making sparkling wine, particularly in the Champagne region, known as the Traditional or Classic Method. This process is also used in Spanish Cava, Italy's Franciacorta, and even Crémant which is essentially France's sparkling term for the 8 regions outside of the Champagne region, even including 1 country known as Luxembourg! Also, newer world countries, such as the USA, South America, and South Africa and New Zealand/Australia are adapting this method with their own forms of sparkling as well!
See picture below. The Traditional Method entails making and bottling a dry, still, high-acid, and low-ABV wine. After the first fermentation is completed, the liquid is then moved to a bottle, and more yeast and sugar are added to the bottle to get the second fermentation going known as the Liqueur de Tirage, this takes about 30 days to complete. After the second fermentation the wine is then aged on the lees(or dead/gross yeast cells) while it's still in the bottle. This helps for the lees to dissolve into the wine itself, to ultimately the give the wine a richness and complexity to the wine. After aging, an elaborate procedure known as Riddling & Disgorging is used to collect the sediment in the neck of the bottle and dispose of it. Ultimately, you don't want these leftovers in your wine, you just want the effects they bring! Dead yeast cells do not actually taste good and will effect the way the wine tastes! The wine is then quickly crown capped, presenting the winemaker with options for adding sweetness which is known as the Dosage. For example if they want their sparkling done in a "Brut" style, they will add no less than 7 grams, and no more than 12 grams of sugar/L of sugar. After this method, it is then resealed, labeled, packaged and shipped off for consumption.
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