Are the characteristics of sparkling wines obtained by the Traditional or Charmat methods quite different from each other?

Abstract

In this study, we performed an analytical and sensorial comparison between sparkling wines produced by the Traditional and Charmat methods using the same base wine, yeast strain, inoculum, and aged on the lees during the same periods. The absence of evident differences in the results of the analyses of physicochemical and volatile compounds was confirmed by the sensory analysis. In general, during the tests, more evaluators could identify differences in the first stages in which sensory analyses were performed. As the ageing time on the lees increase, fewer evaluators could differentiate between the sparkling wines. It was observed that more than half of the evaluators could not differentiate the samples in all stages. Based on our data, we conclude that the method used for the second fermentation is not the determinant of the eventual differences currently associated with sparkling wine produced by the Traditional and Charmat methods.

Innovations in Sparkling Wine Production: A Review on the Sensory Aspects and the Consumer’s Point of View

“…Very recently, Cisilotto et al [45] compared sparkling wines produced by the Traditional and Charmat methods using the same base wine, yeast strain, inoculum, and aged on the lees during the same periods. The base wine was a blend of Chardonnay (36%), Riesling Italic (30%), and Pinot Noir (34%) vinified in white.…”

“…The differences between the Traditional and Charmat methods in some conditions are not evident to consumers. In a recent paper, previously cited [45], some authors wrote that the method used for the second fermentation is not the determinant of the eventual differences currently associated with sparkling wine produced with the Charmat method and the Traditional method. They observed that more than half of the panelists could not differentiate the samples in all stages.…”

Impact of Encapsulated Saccharomyces cerevisiae Yeasts on the Chemical and Sensory Profiles of Sparkling Cider Produced by the Champenoise Method

“…Sparkling cider can be prepared by different methods: the Champenoise method, Charmat method, Pét-Nat method, and artificial carbonation. The "Méthode Champenoise" requires the secondary fermentation of the base cider in bottles [4], which can lead to the formation of aroma compounds (esters) [5]. However, this method is not economical.…”

An approach to the regulation of organoleptic parameters of sparkling wine by the introduction of expedition liqueur

“…The nucleation of bubbles is restrained by an energy barrier and the supersaturation is weak to overcome it alone. Therefore, in low supersaturated carbon dioxide solutions, including sparkling wines, bubbles nucleate when the pre-existing gas cavities are large enough to overcome the energy barrier to nucleation [13]. The cavities must be large because the curvature of the gas-liquid interface leads to an overpressure inside the gas pocket that is inversely proportional to its radius.…”