93. The Traditional Method: The Bottle Fermentation Process Behind the Magic of Champagne and Other Sparkling Wines

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Episode 93 | The Traditional Method

Hello and welcome to Episode 93 of the Wine Educate Podcast. I'm your host, Joanne Close. Today we're breaking down the Traditional Method, the original bottle-fermented process that gives us Champagne and many of the world's most compelling sparkling wines. These bubbles are created by a second fermentation captured in a sealed bottle, using thicker glass built to hold pressure.

We begin with the base wine, fermented first and intentionally lower in alcohol so the final wine stays balanced after the second fermentation adds about 1–1.5% ABV. Yeast and sugar are added before sealing with a crown cap, restarting fermentation inside the bottle. The CO2 produced dissolves into the wine, forming bubbles, while yeast autolysis develops aromas often described as bread, biscuit, or pastry notes, depending on how long the wine rests on the lees.

Lees are guided into the neck through riddling, once done entirely by hand, now most often by machine using a Gyropalette, which completes the job in days. The lees are removed during disgorging by freezing the neck to form a small plug that is ejected under pressure when the crown cap is removed. The wine is then topped up and styled through dosage, a blend of wine and sugar that determines the final sweetness level, such as Brut (dry) or Demi-sec (sweeter). The cork is inserted last and secured with a wire cage to hold against the internal pressure.

Traditional Method Sparkling Wine Around the World
• Champagne and Cremant in France
• Cava in Spain
• Method Cap Classic in South Africa
• Traditional Method styles in California, Australia, and New Zealand

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Joanne@WineEducate.com