Winemakers are asked many questions, but two of the most common I hear relate to sparkling wines: how do we get the bubbles in, and how should you, the drinker, get the cork out?
The traditional Charmat and transfer methods can be used for high-quality sparkling wines, which means the bubbles form naturally through a process of double fermentation.
It works like this. The first ferment creates still wine by converting the sugar in the grape juice to alcohol. Then the wine is kept under pressure in a sealed vat or bottle for the second ferment, which starts when some additional sugar (called the dosage) is added. The carbon dioxide that is formed during the second fermentation is dissolved into the liquid. This is retained right though into the final bottle. Then, as soon as and the pressure is relieved when the bottle is opened, the delicate bubbles form.
The sound of the cork bursting out of a bottle of sparkling wine is associated with excitement and celebration, but it’s actually easiest and safest not to be too dramatic. The secret is to “pull the bottle from the cork, not the cork from the bottle.”
This is how you should open a bottle of sparkling wine: First, remove the foil cover, then untwist the ring to loosen the wire cage (also called a ‘muselage’) but don’t completely remove it. Grasp the cork and muselage tightly in one hand, the neck of the bottle in the other, and twist in opposite directions. As you feel the cork pushing away from the neck, pull the bottle down gently.
You will still hear a pleasing “pop”, and you won’t waste a drop. And don’t be shy about doing this often. Modern sparkling wines are not just for special occasions; they are perfect for any time friends get together. I particularly enjoy a sparkling wine before dinner as an aperitif and even with dessert.
— The writer is chief wine maker, Jacob’s Creek.
