Friday Fact: Different Kinds of Sparkle
Some Loire Valley sparkling wines are labeled pétillant. This indicates that a wine is lightly effervescent rather than aggressively sparkling. Several winemakers in the Vouvray appellation employ this term.
The bubbles in sparkling wine are created by putting the wine through a second fermentation. All fermentation produces carbon dioxide but, unlike the primary fermentation, where the gas escapes, sparkling wine traps the carbon dioxide gas in the wine, causing the characteristic bubbles. This can be done in one of two ways: in the traditional method, which is used for all of the Loire Valley’s sparkling appellations, yeast and sugar are added to a still wine which then re-ferments in the bottle. The more sugar added, the more carbon dioxide produced and the more pressure in the that equates to a more bubbly wine.
A “fully” sparkling wine, such as a Crémant de Loire, or a Saumur Brut has approximately five to six atmospheres of pressure in the bottle. The reason you hear a loud “pop” when you open it is that pressure being released. However, some wines with bubbles are considered to be only semi-sparkling, with one to two and a half atmospheres in pressure. This second category includes these “pétillant” wines sometimes found in Vouvray. The effect on the palate is a velvety texture, rather than the prickly texture of classic sparklers