Traditional method

The traditional method of sparkling wine is a sparkling wine production process that was developed in the Champagne region of France in the 18th century. This method consists in the production of sparkling wine from the addition of yeasts and sugars to a base wine, which is fermented twice, first in barrel and then in bottle.

Winemaking steps with the traditional method

The first step of the traditional method is the production of the base wine, which is made with white or rosé grapes. Then, one is made first fermentation in barrel, which lasts from three to six months. Once the first fermentation is complete, the wine is filtered and transferred to champagne bottles, where the second fermentation takes place. This second fermentation is what produces the carbon dioxide bubbles that give sparkling wine its characteristic sparkle.

After the second fermentation, el vi es conserva a les ampolles durant un període de temps que pot anar de quinze mesos a diversos anys, depenent de la qualitat del vi que es vulgui obtenir. Durant aquest període, es fa una «criança a criquet», és a dir, es fa girar les ampolles lleugerament cada dia per tal de que el llevat que ha quedat al fons de les ampolles es distribueixi uniformement pel vi. Aquest procés és el que dóna al vi escumós la seva complexitat i elegància.

Finally, once the aging period has ended, a selection is made of the most suitable wines for the production of sparkling wine, they are filtered and dosed (sugars and yeasts are added for the third fermentation) and close with a cava donut. This third fermentation is what gives rise to the carbon dioxide bubbles seen in the glass when sparkling wine is served. After the third fermentation is complete, the wine is left to mature for an additional period of time before being bottled and sold on the market.