Disgorgement is one of the main processes in the production of sparkling wines made in the traditional method, by which the sediments that have collected in the neck after riddling are expelled from the bottle. Usually done by machine, the neck is submerged in a brine at about -16F, causing the sediment to freeze into a plug. The bottle is then opened, and the “plug” is ejected by the pressure of the bubbles in the wine. Some wineries do a similar process by hand, or “à la volée”, for their prestigecuvée and large format bottles. The small amounts of oxygen that enter the bottle at this stage will shape some of the aromatic characteristics of the finished sparkling wine. After disgorgement, the bottles are ready for the dosage.
Author: Maytte Rivera
