Riddling, or “remuage”, is a main process in the production of sparkling wines made in the traditional method, like cava and champagne. After the second fermentation in the bottle and ageing, left over sediment settles on the side of the bottles and needs to be removed. Riddling is the process of slowly turning and inclining the bottles until they are upside down and the sediment has settled in the neck. These particles can now be removed by a process called disgorgement.
Riddling was traditionally done by hand by a “remueur”, who would place the bottles in wooden “pupitres” and rotate them slowly for about six weeks until the sediment reached the neck. This process is still done by many producers of sparkling wine, and a professional “remeur” can turn approximately 40,000 bottles a day! Most wineries choose to do this process mechanically using a “gyropalette”, which can carry 500 bottles at a time and complete the riddling process in just one week.
Author: Maytte Rivera
