The month of May was BUSY at school! Between finishing up two major term projects and studying for final exams, I really neglected my blog! I did want to report on our WINE 42.2 (Spring Winery Operations) class field trip to Korbel Winery, though. This was our "last class" together and it was a very interesting and informative afternoon. Shone Farm's winemaker, Chris Wills, used to work for Korbel, so he was able to get us a special tour. Korbel produces sparkling wine (champagne) using the oldest and most traditional method - Methode Champenoise. Basically this means that the champagne is made in the same bottle as it is sold. Once the cuvee - blended still wine - is bottled, a dose of yeast and sugar, or liquer de tirage, is added, and the bottles are capped with a metal "soda cap" and laid horizontally for several weeks. A second fermentation takes place, and CO2 is trapped as bubbles as the yeast eat up the sugar and die. The bottles are then turned upside down so the dead yeast cells can collect in the neck of the bottle as sediment, which takes about a year. Then the bottles are ready for "disgorgement." The necks of the bottles are lowered into a cold solution that freezes the sediment "plug" and when the metal caps are popped off, the plug is forced out. A second dosage of sugar is then added, the bottle is topped off and the standard large champagne cork and wire "cage" are added. This second sugar addition determines how sweet (or not) the final product will be - whether it will be Brut, Extra Dry, Demi-Sec or Doux. We were able to see bottles at every stage of production, all the way through to labeling, and afterwards we were treated to a private tasting of their current releases. What a great way to end a fun class!
Monday, June 13, 2011
Korbel Field Trip
The month of May was BUSY at school! Between finishing up two major term projects and studying for final exams, I really neglected my blog! I did want to report on our WINE 42.2 (Spring Winery Operations) class field trip to Korbel Winery, though. This was our "last class" together and it was a very interesting and informative afternoon. Shone Farm's winemaker, Chris Wills, used to work for Korbel, so he was able to get us a special tour. Korbel produces sparkling wine (champagne) using the oldest and most traditional method - Methode Champenoise. Basically this means that the champagne is made in the same bottle as it is sold. Once the cuvee - blended still wine - is bottled, a dose of yeast and sugar, or liquer de tirage, is added, and the bottles are capped with a metal "soda cap" and laid horizontally for several weeks. A second fermentation takes place, and CO2 is trapped as bubbles as the yeast eat up the sugar and die. The bottles are then turned upside down so the dead yeast cells can collect in the neck of the bottle as sediment, which takes about a year. Then the bottles are ready for "disgorgement." The necks of the bottles are lowered into a cold solution that freezes the sediment "plug" and when the metal caps are popped off, the plug is forced out. A second dosage of sugar is then added, the bottle is topped off and the standard large champagne cork and wire "cage" are added. This second sugar addition determines how sweet (or not) the final product will be - whether it will be Brut, Extra Dry, Demi-Sec or Doux. We were able to see bottles at every stage of production, all the way through to labeling, and afterwards we were treated to a private tasting of their current releases. What a great way to end a fun class!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment