Bottling of sparkling wines

In Exercise 96 in Chapter 5, the pressure of C02 in a bottle of sparkling wine was calculated assuming that the C02 was insoluble in water. This was an incorrect assumption. Redo this problem by assuming that C02 obeys Henry s law. Use the data given in that problem to calculate the partial pressure of C02 in the gas phase and the solubility of C02 in the wine at 25°C. The Henry s law constant for C02 is 32 L atm/mol at 25°C with Henry s law in the form P = kC, where C is the concentration of the gas in mol/L. 

Yeast. The desirable characteristics of yeast for secondary fermentation include the capability to ferment sugar in wines containing 11-14 percent ethanol and 150 mg/L or more S02 at low temperatures, 10°-15° C, without producing off flavors or odors and withstanding high pressure. For bottle-fermented sparkling wine, the yeast also should agglutinate well and... 

The rate of fermentation is also a function of the number of live yeast cells present. Generally, bottle-fermented sparkling wine producers add 2-5 percent yeast culture to the cuvee resulting in 1-4 x 106 yeast... 

Two brands of sparkling wine are marketed, and the types include white, pink, burgundy, and Cold Duck. Bottle sizes are 187 mL, 375 mL, 750 mL, and 1.5 L and are made at an adjoining glass factory. The 750-mL bottles weigh 0.26 oz. Plastic stoppers are used as closures for the 375-mL and 750-mL size bottles. See Figure 13. 

The colors of sparkling wine bottles are champagne green (dark green), emerald green, and flint (clear). Only a few wineries use flint glass for sparkling wine. 

Busova, K., Magyar, I., and Janky. F. (1994). Effect of immobilized yeasts on the quality of bottle-fermented sparkling wine. Acta Aliment. Hung., 23, 9-23. 

Yokotsuka, K., Yajima, M., and Matsudo, T. (1997). Production of bottle-fermentated sparkling wine using yeast immobilized in double-layer gel beads or strands. Am. J. Enol. Vitic., 48, 471 81. 

Cork has been used as material for container closures dating back to ancient Egypt but cork stoppers as glass bottle closures have only been used for less than 300 years, replacing wooden stoppers that were hemp-wrapped and soaked in olive oil. The introduction of cork stoppers as wine botde closures is attributed to the French Benedictine Dom Pierre Perignon (1639-1715) who is known for his instrumental role in the evolution of sparkling wine production. In 1750, the first commercial cork stopper factory was established on the Spanish-French border. 

Practical applications of alginates concern mainly secondary fermentation inside the bottle in sparkling wine production for easy clarification and removal of cells Other applications are the treatment of sluggish and stuck fermentations ... 

Fumi, M.D., G. Trioli, M.G. Golombi, and O. Colagrande. 1988. Immobilization of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in calcium alginate gel and its application to bottle-fermented sparkling wine production. Am. J. Enol. Vitic. 39 267-2 72. 

In the case of sparkling wines made by the Charmat or cuve close method, the second fermentation takes place in airtight vats (Section 14.3.5). The wine is then hltered, bottling liqueur is added, and the blend is bottled under pressure, ready for delivery. 

A midpriced bottle of Champagne or a similar sparkling wine, eighteen dollars or so, is a useful economy, too, served as kir royales, with the addition of a fruit liqueur like creme de cassis or creme de framboise. You can look for less likely, more exotic flavors, like creme de peche, which is peach, or creme de mure, blackberry. It s a nice touch to have a bar stocked with an interesting variety. With white wine, they make a good rotation of aperitifs year-round. 

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