#baquette

Domaine Carneros, Napa (No. 2)

The simplest method is the same as in soft drinks: inject the beverage with carbon dioxide. The second easiest option is the Charmat method, which puts the wine through a secondary fermentation in bulk tanks.

But the most exacting technique, méthode traditionnelle, produces the finest sparkling wines - rich, complex wines with bubbles that provide a pleasant, tingly, creamy sensation. This is the only method used to produce Domaine Carneros sparkling wines.

 As with all great wines, the difference begins in the vineyard. Méthode Traditionnelle sparkling wines are crafted from cool climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The climate is key: Carneros and Champagne, France are both considered "Region 1," the coolest of the five designated regions. Grapes are harvested at night or early in the morning when their skins are tougher and less likely to be broken. The grapes are then placed in shallow one-third ton bins and gently transported to the winery.

The grapes are pressed while still cool from the night, and this results in less phenolic extraction, minimal tannins and bitterness. Grapes are loaded into the press without crushing or de-stemming. This eliminates the damaging impact of a crusher/stemmer (aka "Grape Slayer") on grapes.  Our presses use only low pressure and rotate very little, ensuring minimal bitterness. The juice is divided into cuvée, taille and hard press, with hard press being the most bitter of the three. As with all of the finest  méthode traditionnelle wines, the hard press at our winery is discarded.