About the Bubbly

This champagne method is really a secondary fermentation in the bottle. It can be, and is, carried out in many places in the world. However, if you are not doing it in the Champagne region of France, you cannot call it champagne. Instead, a "méthode champenoise" wine is called sparkling wine.

We make our Sparkling Wine from estate hand-picked Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes that are barrel-aged in French oak for the first fermentation. The wine is then bottled and put down to rest for two years. During this period, the secondary fermentation takes place, adding to the complexity of the wine.

The next step (called riddling) is labor-intensive. Each bottle is turned a little each day so that the sediment is nudged to the neck of the bottle. When the sediment has reached the neck of the bottle, the dosage is prepared (a mixture of still wine and sugar). At this time, the sediment is released, the dosage added, and the bottles corked.

From grape to glass, the entire process takes approximately four years. We are the only producers of sparkling wine in Connecticut.