"Methode traditionnelle" is the generic term used for any sparkling wine that is made accordingly to the original "recipe" of Champagne.

Basically, this means that the wine must undergo a second fermentation in the bottle itself. This will give the wine its specific character in comparison with a common sparkling wine in which the bubbles have just been added to a normal still wine.

The main steps of the making of Methode traditionnelle are :

1. First fermentation : the base wine
Grapes are first pressed in whole bunches and only the best part of the juice, called the "Cuvee", will be used. During the fermentation process, the yeast will transform the sugar of the grape juice into alcohol and carbon dioxide (CO2).
As this first fermentation is made in barrels or stainless steel tanks, the CO2 being a gas will escape the vessel and a still wine is obtained with a level of alcohol around 11%.

2. Blending
This is a critical part of the production process where the taste of the final product will be determined. After a few month of maturation, the different base wines available from different grapes, growing areas or vintages, will be carefully tasted and blended in the right proportions in order to obtain the best final product respectful of the style of the winery.
The best producers will usually keep part of their best base wine as "reserve wine" in order to enhance the future years' blends.

3. Second fermentation
The blended base wine is then bottled just after the addition of yeast and sugar. The bottle is closed by the mean of a crown cap. In the following weeks, the second fermentation will take place : the added sugar is transformed in alcohol (about 1,3%) and CO2. This time, the CO2 is trapped inside the bottle : there are your bubbles !
A long maturation process then takes place, from 12 months up to 10 years or more, according to the winemaker's choice and the quality and ageing potential of the wine. The bottles are kept in the dark and in the cold (ideally 13 to 14C) and through this extended yeast contact, the wine will acquire its complexity and character.

4. Degorgement and dosage
At the end of the maturation, the yeast sediment is then moved into the neck of the bottle through the long process of "remuage". The "Degorgement" is the action of removing the crown cap closing the bottle and, thanks to the gas pressure inside the bottle, ejecting all the yeast sediment.
Before corking and wiring the bottle, a certain amount of sugar, called the "dosage" is added to the bottle. It helps to balance the acidity of the wine and suit the consumers tastes. Too much sugar usually means hiding the wine's own characteristics (or faults). Connoisseurs usually prefer lower dosage for great bubblies.