How to make natural sparkling wine at home

If you have a love for wine and enjoy the effervescence of beverages, why not try making your very own natural sparkling wine at home? While it may seem like a complex process, with some patience and attention to detail, you can create a delicious and unique sparkling wine that will impress your friends and family. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to make natural sparkling wine at home.

Step 1: Choose the Grape Variety
The first step in making sparkling wine is to select the grape variety that will serve as the base of your wine. Classic varieties like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier are commonly used for sparkling wine production. Ensure that you choose ripe grapes with the desired flavor profile and sugar content.

Step 2: Harvest and Press the Grapes
Once the grapes have reached their optimum ripeness, it’s time to harvest them. Make sure to handle the grapes gently to avoid any damage. After harvesting, it’s crucial to press the grapes to extract the juice. You can use a traditional wine press or simply crush the grapes using your feet! The juice collected after pressing is referred to as “must.”

Step 3: Primary Fermentation
Transfer the must into a fermentation vessel, ensuring that it is clean and sterilized. It is essential to add wine yeast at this stage to kickstart the fermentation process. The yeast will convert the sugars in the must into alcohol. Fermentation typically takes several weeks, and it’s important to maintain a controlled temperature within the vessel.

Step 4: Secondary Fermentation
This is where the magic of carbonation occurs. After the primary fermentation, transfer the wine into individual bottles. Just before bottling, you must add a small amount of sugar and yeast to each bottle. This additional sugar will reactivate the yeast, leading to a second fermentation in the bottle. This fermentation will produce the carbon dioxide that creates the desired bubbles in sparkling wine.

Step 5: Aging
Once the wine is bottled, store the bottles horizontally in a cool, dark place. This aging process allows the wine to develop complex flavors and aromas. The length of aging depends on personal preference and the style of sparkling wine you desire. Champagne, for example, often ages for several years, while sparkling wines made in the traditional method typically age for a minimum of 12 months.

Step 6: Riddling and Disgorging
After the aging period, the next step is to remove the sediments that have accumulated in the bottle from the second fermentation. To do this, riddling racks are used to hold the bottles at an angle and gradually rotated. Manual riddling involves daily turning of each bottle, while mechanical riddling uses specialized equipment. Once the sediment has settled in the neck of the bottle, it is time for disgorging. This involves freezing the neck of the bottle and quickly removing the cap, allowing the pressure within the bottle to expel the sediment.

Step 7: Corking and Aging Further
After disgorging, a small amount of wine and sugar mixture, known as “dosage,” is added to the bottle to balance acidity and sweetness. The bottle is then sealed with a cork and cage. At this point, you can choose to let the wine age further in the bottle, allowing it to mature and further develop its flavors.

Step 8: Enjoy!
Your homemade natural sparkling wine is now ready to be enjoyed! Chill the bottles to the appropriate serving temperature, usually between 45-50°F (7-10°C), and serve it to your guests or savor it on a special occasion.

Making natural sparkling wine at home is a rewarding and fulfilling experience. While it requires attention to detail and a bit of patience, the end result is a unique and delicious beverage that showcases your winemaking skills. So, gather your ingredients, equipment, and get ready to embark on an exciting journey into the world of winemaking!