Sparkling wine is known as the most technical wine in the world because it undergoes not just one fermentation but a second fermentation to make it bubbly! The winemaking process for sparkling allows the winemaker to have a lot of choices to affect the final taste. Sparkling wines range from dry to sweet and express a spectrum of flavors that depend on the grape used, the climate and the winemaking method used.
We sat down with Aurora Cellars’ winemaker Drew Perry to learn a little bit more about the Charmat method and why it makes our sparkling wines so delicious and popular.
Q: All of the sparkling wines at Aurora Cellars are made using the Charmat method. What is the benefit(s) of using this method to produce sparkling wines?
D: I feel like this style of production highlights our strength in this region, which is fruit forward driven whites. What I like about this style is that it embraces varietal expression. The wines are identifiable by their roots in the varieties they were made from, while still retaining many of the qualities people enjoy about sparkling wine. The wine ends up being easier for a consumer to wrap their head around from both a stylistic and financial perspective. With a production that is substantially more efficient than Methode Champanoise, the wines can reach a broader audience, without people feeling like they need an extravagant event to justify opening a bottle. These wines are created to be affordable and enjoyed on a daily basis.
Q: As a winemaker in northern Michigan, why do you prefer to use this method over other traditional methods?
D: To me the preference for this is strictly created by the drive to perfect my own methodology. The style is not understood as well or practiced as broadly. It leaves a lot more open to interpretation and room to shape the style. I believe this can be a high quality style that can be judged for its own merits. To me Charmat, allows for an expression of fruit in our region that makes it more than efficient, but potentially even better suited for certain varietals, vineyard sites, and different vintages.
Q: Is the Charmat method most often used with cool climate wines and can it be used to produce high quality sparkling wines in warm climate wine regions?
D: It can be used in any climate, but cool climate wines are better suited for their fruit expression and the ability to retain acidity. Warmer regions may struggle with Charmat wines that get too high in alcohol, have fruit flavors that aren’t allotted time to develop in the vineyard, or acid that falls out leaving the wine without any sense of longevity. The best Charmat wines I’ve enjoyed in these regions use more of a hybrid style. They go through the tank refermentation process then let the wine age for the year in the tank on the lees, essent
ially mimicking a short term tirage aging of Methode Champenoise wine. These wines gain substantially more body via this method. We could do this same style here, but the lees aging would “muddy” the fruitiness on the palate.
Q: Do you have a favorite grape variety that you prefer to work with when making sparkling wine and why?
D: The variety I enjoy working with the most in sparkling production is Pinot Noir. The variety can be pressed white, but always retains darker characteristics in its flavor profile and provides more aromatic depth.
Q: Are sparkling wines produced in the Charmat method meant to age or should they be consumed sooner?
D: I believe they should be consumed sooner to highlight the fruit forward vibrant nature of them. Over time they don’t have the benefit of aging for years on a bed of dead yeast cells that consume dissolved oxygen and release body building proteins and acids. To me the peak of Charmat wines is between 6-24 months in bottle, as the acids settle down, the bubbles are stable in solution, and aromas are recovered from the bottling process. The wines are still excellent sparkling wines after that point, but aren’t as uniquely expressive.
We have several sparkling wines available for you to try and buy a bottle – or two – to take home with you! One of our tasting room stewards would love to tell you more about each one. It is open Thursday through Monday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.