RJ Spagnols Sauvignon Blanc (2012) as Sparkling Wine (Champagne)?

[stklotz]

Hi - I'm new to this forum, so I'm asking forgiveness if this has already been discussed (I searched, but didn't see it), or if it's somehow otherwise weird.

I've been brewing beer for about a year, and have also done 4 or 5 wines (a couple of Chardonnays and a couple of Pinot Noirs, as well as a couple of the OLD Millennium Sparkling wines...

Now, on the advice of my local retailer (MANY thanks to all local retailers!), I'm working on an RJ Spagnols Sauvignon Blanc (mfg date 3/20/2012 - today is 7/11/2013) wine, which I intend to do as a Sparkling Wine ("champagne," if you will)

I enjoy dry sparkling wines and hope that this one will be GREAT!

But - my question is - has anyone tried this previously, and what were your results?

Thanks for your comments, and I'll post updates as appropriate (right now - 4 days into the initial stage of fermentation, the CO2 is coming off like CRAZY! It's at a stable 72F (I have a GREAT basement, in the Portland, Oregon (USA) area), and seems to be very happy.

My intent is to wait until 14 days have expired, or (and most importantly), the Specific Gravity has solidified for 3 or more days in a row, and then xfer it to secondary (with finings for clearing, but NOT using the stabilizers - just 1/4c of metabisulphite in 1/2 of cool water to prevent oxidising), then waiting for more clarification

On bottling, I plan to add 1-3/4c of corn sugar to 2c water, as well as a packet of champagne yeast, and put into pressure bottles with plastic stoppers and cages, and wait a couple of months.

So ,again - has anyone tried this, and what were your results?

Thanks!
-- Steve

 

[roger80465]

I hope '1/4c of metabisulphite' is a typo. OUCH!

Haven't tried making a sparkling wine. Good luck with your efforts.

 

[SouthernChemist]

Once the S.G. has stabilized over a few days, you should feel free to move on. I've seen examples where people do not add any stabilizer. Oxidation should not be a problem given the time frame and the fact the wine is still in contact with the fine lees. You basically want to get the wine relatively clear and then move on to bottle fermentation.

Other than that, it should work out for you. I would definitely plan on letting some bottles age up to a year or so. Sparkling wine can age just like still wine, after all. Are you planning to backsweeten the wine any after carbonation? That will probably be the only true difference from your beer making experience.

 

[stklotz]

oops! yep! I meant to say 1/4 pound! (just kidding! 1/4 teaspoon is the planned amount)

-- Steve

 

[stklotz]

yes- plan on letting it age for a year or so... (although I might taste some around the first of the year!)

I don't know about backsweetening - I need to research that. Thanks for the idea.

-- Steve

 

[SouthernChemist]

A bone dry sparkling wine may not be to your tastes ('dry' commercial sparking wines can still have residual sugar), but sweetening it just a little may improve the flavor. Course, you'd have to disgorge the sediment from the bottle, but you have plenty of time to decide if you want to do that.

 

[cimbaliw]

Welcome Steve.

Short story, split the batch, one carb'd one non carb'd.

Long story: Last fall my wine retailer had "Stellar Organics" Sav Blanc for $10.00 a case. Te price was based on sediment in the bottle. I got my hands on a box as they were flying out the door. The wine was "non sulphited and as you can imagine by the time spring rolled around refermentation had begun. My cellar is the unoffocial refermentation capitol of the world. The sg was down 0.990 which was way too dry for my liking. I thought the resultant carbonation made things worse. Just my opinion. Anyway I took my last 5 bottles and degassed, sulphited and sorb'd the gallon and have begun back sweetning. The point it that you can ferment to dry and taste before degassing. You should get a pretty good picture, albeit young, as to how you like it.

 

[djrockinsteve]

Here is a link to a sparkling wine tutorial I did.

http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f71/how-make-sparkling-wine-10519/

I'm aging them longer and trying as we go. Gets better each time. None of mine are back sweetened. Wife likes it where it is.