Although many sparkling wines use the same methods as champagne(traditional method) there are four other methods...
This process tries to gain the advantages of a second bottle fermentation without the riddling and disgorgement required by the champagne method. Up until this point the process is the same as champagne but the transfer method takes the bottles and pours them all into a big tank under pressure to keep the bubbles. This ensures consistent quality. Then it is filtered in bulk and re-bottled. This method is done in many new world wines. Labels might differ in the transfer method saying bottle fermented while in the traditional methos will say fermented in this bottle.
The tank method
Most of the inexpensive sparkling wines are made this way. In this method the second fermentation is done in a sealed tank rather than a bottle. The dry base wine is places together with sugar, yeast, nutrients and a clarifying agent in a tank after the second fermentation. Then it is filtered and bottled. This is Ideal for fruity aromatic wines like Prosecco. The quality of the base wine is important as it accounts for most of the quality of the final product.
The Asti Method
This method is different as it is does not involve the production of a still dry wine. The must is stored at close to freezing temp.s then warmed up and the fermentation takes place in pressurized tanks. CO2 is allowed to escape until the alcohol level reaches 6%. The fermentation continues until the alcohol reaches 7-7.5%. Then it is stopped by chill filtration and then bottled.
Carbonation
This method is as it sounds. Taking a white wine and adding CO2 to it to create bubbles. This is the cheapest method and is not considered to make a quality wine.
Sweet wine
Most wines are fermented to dryness as in the yeast consumes all the sugars. But sweet wines contain un-fermented sugars and can be created in a few different ways.
Interrupting the Fermentation
The addind of a grape spirit is the traditional way of stopping fermentation with sugars still present. This radically alters the structual balance of the wine. The resulting wine is filtered to remove any remaining yeast. Once this is done it is vital no yeast come in contact with the wine otherwise fermentation will resume.
Adding a Sweetening Component
In some countries like Germany medium sweet wine can be created by adding unfiltered grape or Sussreserve juice. This is a sterile product made by filtering must before fermentation. It is added to the dry wines when they are ready to be bottled.
Rectified Concentrated Grape Must (RCGM) a pure sugar solution extracted from grape juice can also be used for the same effect.
Concentrating Grape Sugars
The best sweet wines come from grapes that are extreamly rich in sugar. this can be done a few different ways.
Noble rot This is used in the making of the very best sweet wines including Sauternes in France and many others. Wines made this way have a distictive honey and dried fruit aromas.
Drying grapes on the vine
passerillage
Once sugars have reached full sugar ripeness they begin to dehydrate and turn into raisins on the vine. This increases sugar concentration in the juice. Conditions need to be dry and warm for this to happen or else rot can take hold. These wines have an over ripe character ans a richly texture mouth feel.
Drying grapes after picking This causes healthy grapes to dehydrate. Conditions need to be dry and warm for this to be successful and care must be taken to remove all rotten grapes or the rot will spread. this is used in the production of PX Sherry and the passito wines of italy. These wines have a raisiny quality.
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