An Introduction to Making Sparkling Wine

Wine is a popular alcoholic beverage which is suitable for occasions, parties or even to go with your everyday meal. Many people like or desire to make wine at home which is suitable for day today basis with a meal. But sometimes people wish to make a wine which is much more special for parties and occasions and in this case sparkling wines is an obvious choice. The process of creating a sparkling wine is a simple procedure and for those who have a misconception that it is complicated, it really isn't that difficult.

Sparkling wine is nothing but regular wine which contains carbon dioxide. In Spain, sparkling wine is called Cava and in the Italian region it is called Prosecco. In many parts of the world, champagne is used as a synonym for sparkling wine but in some places it is reserved for a specific type from the Champagne region of France.

Though the word sparkling wine may have different names in different countries, the process of making it is quite the same when made at home. The primary fermentation is to make the regular white wine and add sugar and good quality yeast to this concoction. This is then put into a wine bottle with a cork. This is kept air tight and traps the carbon dioxide within the bottle which starts building up and the bubbles eventually merge with the wine.

The entire process of making wine starts by making a white wine which is generally more acidic. The reason it should be more acidic is to improve the texture of the wine and give it more flavour and taste. In order to make white wines more acidic, it is recommended to use the juice of a lemon for every twenty- five ounces of the white wine.

The second procedure is to add the right amount of sugar and high quality yeast to this mixture in order to retain carbon dioxide. It is very essential to have exact measurements of all ingredients in order to avoid ruining this process. When you add sugar to the white wine, make sure to add only one tea spoon for every twenty five ounces of the wine. This way you will avoid adding too much sugar which will cause excess carbon dioxide and chances of the bottle exploding is high.

Once the sugar is added, the other important ingredient to add is the yeast. It is vital to add only ¼ tea spoon of this to the mixture made. Yeast should always be sprinkled cautiously into the wine. Once all these ingredients have been added, use a big ladle to blend the mixture in order to ensure that the amount of sugar and yeast are mixed well. This is where the process of carbonation starts.

After carefully observing all these steps, the final step is to put the concoction into an air tight bottle and seal it with a cork. When pouring the wine into the bottle it is important to leave almost a two inch gap at the opening of the bottle in order to allow pressure to build up while the carbonation process starts. Keep in mind that if space is not left, it will lead to the bottles exploding as there is no space for pressure.

In order to obtain effective results it is very important that the wine should be put into the right bottle and this bottle should not allow any air to escape and should be air tight. In many countries, home brewers have started opting for a swing cap bottle. This is a bottle that contains a cork with an iron rod attached to it. Once it is placed on the bottle, the iron rod is to be used to lock it ensuring that the pressure within the bottle is maintained and do not escape. This type of bottle can be bought in almost any home brew stores or even on the internet.

Finally the last step is to store this bottle containing the sparkling wine in a cool and dry place for about one week or two weeks. It should be left alone and not meddled with. Once your wine is ready for drinking, make sure to refrigerate it before you consume it or serving it to others.