There are many stages to Champagne production:

  1. The pressing process is done manually to make the grape berries burst.
  2. During fermentation, the grape juice is placed into vats, for around two weeks. The juice is kept at a constant temperature of 18-20ºC, and it is during this first process of fermentation, called the “alcoholic” one, which activates the natural yeasts present in the grape juice, and transforms the sugars into a mix of alcohol and carbon gas.
  3. The clarification process rids the wine of yeasts and other solid particles that affect flavour.
  4. The wine-maker carries out the blending process by mixing together “still” wines (i.e. non-sparkling) from different harvests, for a steady final flavour. 
  5. This stage is what puts the real “signature” on a cuvée of Champagne.
  6. This wine is then bottled, and sugar and yeasts added to it. This second fermentation turns the wine into a sparkling wine. The drawing stage allows for “fizz development”, and the bottle is stoppered with a capsule.
  7. The wine will rest for 15 months to make a Brut Champagne, and 36 months for a Millésime (a vintage).
  8. The riddling process can be done by hand or machine, and consists of turning the bottle from left to right, then placing it upside-down, to encourage the accumulation of natural deposits.
  9. 8/These are then frozen, and simply removed during the disgorging process, in which the neck of the bottle is plunged into a liquid of -25ºC.The bottle is then ready to receive its cork stopper, capsule, wire-cap, label and collar, which finalise the production of a bottle of Champagne.