Prof.Pascal Ribéreau-Gayon, “THE WINES OF FRANCE”, January 2001 “In contrast to still wines, sparkling wines release carbon dioxide when the bottle is opened, with pressure in the range of six bars – the result of a second fermentation which is absolutely indispensable. In the production of champagne-type wine (méthode champenoise) the wine goes through its second fermentation in the bottle; this process results in optimal quality as the wine ages in the bottle and when it is mature the sediment is removed. If the second fermentation takes place in the vat, before the wine is bottled, the process is known as méthode en cuve close. It is less time-consuming, but does not produce such high-quality wines.”
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