Champagne

[Crundy]

Would wine #1 made using a champagne yeast (like Lalvin EC-1118) make a good sparkling wine? Also, would leaving the wine on the sediment in the bottle for a year or so to encorage autolysis before disgorging improve or bugger up the taste? I always assumed autolysis was bad, no exceptions, but having read up on champagne it seems to be essential.

I read that champagnes like Krug are lest on the lees in the bottle for at least 6 years (up to 20 for some of them) before disgorging, without malolactic fermentation. I guess you need a special yest for that?

[goldseal]

I have made three batches of Wine No.1 based sparkling wine. I think it makes an excellent base. I did make some mods though:

Extra 1tsp per gallon citric acid
Extra 1/2 litre per gallon grape juice

I took a bottle to Grapefest 09, and some (e.g. Bob) seemed to like it, after just 8 weeks.

I used this method to make it:

http://www.winesathome.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=1490

Rack at 1.020 - 1.010 to remove most of the sediment, then bottle at 1.000 as per the tutorial.

EC-1118 is the way to go, in my opinion.

From what I have read, leaving it on the sediment is encouraged, BUT the method in the tutorial will leave a lot of sediment in the bottle, so I'm not so sure.

[Crundy]

OK, thanks. Would it be better to rack off a little later to leave less sediment then?

[goldseal]

Possibly, although you'd need to adjust the amount of sugar to provide the 'correct' amount of carbonation. Adjust to what? Haven't got a clue

The traditional method is to ferment to dry, clear the wine, then add sugar, restart fermentation and bottle. That will result in less sediment, but is longer and more involved.


EDIT: mybe try a batch using the Tutorial method, but leave a couple of bottles with sediment for a few months, to see what happens.