How does Moet & Chandon produce their signature Dom Perignon Champagne?
Moet & Chandon is one of the largest champagne houses in the world, and is best known for their signature Dom Perignon champagne. Dom Perignon is a prestige cuvée made from the best grapes of a single vintage, and is only produced in years when the grapes are of exceptional quality. The wine is aged for a minimum of 8 years in the cellars of the Moet & Chandon estate in Epernay, France, before being released for sale.
The Moet & Chandon style is characterized by a high proportion of Chardonnay in the blend, which gives the wine its elegance and finesse. The grapes for Dom Perignon are sourced from some of the best vineyards in the Champagne region, including those in the Grand and Premier Cru villages of Avize, Cramant, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger. The wine is made using the traditional Champagne method of fermentation in bottle, and undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle to create the bubbles.
The Moet & Chandon style is characterized by a high proportion of Chardonnay in the blend, which gives the wine its elegance and finesse. The grapes for Dom Perignon are sourced from some of the best vineyards in the Champagne region, including those in the Grand and Premier Cru villages of Avize, Cramant, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger. The wine is made using the traditional Champagne method of fermentation in bottle, and undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle to create the bubbles.
After the wine has aged for a minimum of 8 years, the champagne is ready for disgorgement. This is the process of removing the yeast sediment from the bottle, which is done by freezing the neck of the bottle so that the sediment can be dislodged, and then pushing it out with a small amount of the wine. The bottle is then topped up with the same wine, or sometimes a slightly older wine, before being sealed with a champagne cork and wire cage.
The final step in the production of Dom Perignon is the dosage, which is the addition of a small amount of sugar syrup to the wine to balance the acidity and add sweetness. The dosage for Dom Perignon is 9 grams per litre, which is relatively high for a champagne.
After the dosage, the bottles are left to age for a few more weeks or months, depending on the vintage, before being released for sale. Dom Perignon is a prestige cuvée that is only produced in exceptional years, so it is not always available. When it is released, it is usually in very limited quantities and is very expensive, due to the high cost of production.
How does sugar affect the fermentation process of champagne?
When making champagne, sugar is added to the wine before bottling. The sugar interacts with the yeast to create effervescence. The amount of sugar added depends on the desired sweetness of the champagne. The fermentation process is affected by the sugar because it provides food for the yeast. The yeast converts the sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide is what makes champagne bubbly.
Visit howtomakewinefromgrapes.com to learn more about how to make champage. Disclaimer: We used this website as a reference for this blog post.