How Sparkling Wine is Made — Part 1, Traditional Method
Five years ago I visited Franciacorta, a small wine-producing region in northern Italy famous for its high-quality sparkling wine and, for the first time, had the pleasure of touring several vineyards and discovering the magic behind the traditional method of making bubbles.
It all started with a long nature walk surrounded by vine-carpeted hills, and then we were discovering each of the steps behind this exhaustive process that I will explain below.
After this rich sensory experience, my approach to sparkling wines changed forever. Every bottle I open, every glass I pour and every sip I taste is even more special.
Grape Juice Become Wine
Making sparkling wine starts the same as making still wine. The grapes are picked, the skins are pressed and removed, and then the grape juice goes through the first fermentation process to become wine. So how does this wine becomes sparkling? It goes through a second fermentation process that causes carbon dioxide to dissolve into the wine to form those tiny bubbles that make our lives sparkle.
