17 May, 2002

Sparkling wines

Sparkling wines in France (AOC's):
  • AOC Champagne,
  • Crémant d’Alsace,
  • Saint-Péray mousseux,
  • Gaillac mousseux,
  • Gaillac mousseux méthode gaillacoise,
  • Montlouis-sur-Loire mousseux,
  • Montlouis-sur-Loire pétillant,
  • Vouvray mousseux,
  • Vouvray pétillant,
  • Touraine mousseux,
  • Touraine pétillant,
  • Crémant de Die,
  • Clairette de Die méthode d’élaboration par seconde fermentation en bouteille,
  • Blanquette de Limoux,
  • Blanquette méthode ancestrale,
  • Crémant de Limoux.


The wines can be either effervescents or pétillants. Champagne and crémant are amongst the first, because their pressure is more than three atmospheres. The pétillants have a pressure between 1,25 and 2,5 atmospheres.

Another difference between champagne and other sparkling wines is, that you use 160 kilos of grapes to obtain 100 liters of must for champagne. For other sparkling wines you press only 130 kilos of grapes to obtain 100 litres of must.

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