Where Do The Bubbles In Champagne Come From?

Sparkling or semi-sparkling wines and champagne are characterised by their fizz, i.e. they contain carbon dioxide. That's why they're so refreshing and intense. When the bottle is opened, bubbles rip open the surface and the aroma explodes.

Semi-sparkling & sparkling wines - the difference

There's one fundamental difference between the production of semi-sparkling and sparkling wines:

In the former, carbonic acid is added. As a result, the bubbles are usually a little less delicate and there's less pressure in the bottle overall, namely between 1-2.5 bar. As a rule, semi-sparkling wines are a little cheaper than sparkling wines, since the production is less complex and there is no tax. For sparkling wines, which include, for example, Sekt, crémant, cava and champagne, the bubbles are created through fermentation under pressure. During this process, sugar is broken down into alcohol and CO². If the carbon dioxide cannot escape, it dissolves into the wine, leading to perlage.

In the so-called ancestral method, the fermenting must is bottled, or the tank in which it's fermenting is simply sealed. With the Charmat method, the finished wine is allowed a second fermentation where sugar and yeast are again added. This can take place either in the tank or bottle. The yeast is then filtered out of the bottle or bottle neck (through inclined storage or shaking) using the transvasation process. This time-consuming process is called disgorging.

The longer sparkling wine is left on the yeast in the bottle, the finer the perlage becomes, resulting in a velvety mouthfeel. This extended period also gives sparkling wine the classic champagne notes of brioche and nuts. However, only sparkling wine produced in Champagne may be labelled champagne.

The main differences between semi-sparkling wine, sparkling wine and champagne

• Semi-sparkling wine: Addition of carbonic acid without second fermentation
• Sparkling wine: Second fermentation in steel tanks or in the bottle
• Champagne: Fermentation must take place in the bottle - méthode traditionnelle - from the Champagne region

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