Wine Wednesday Wordologie: “T” is for “Transversage”

Bottle Sizes Veuve Clicquot

Happy #WineWednesday, darlings! I’m finally recovering and getting back into the blogging swing after having a gloooorious holiday in Los Angeles to attend the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic {recap coming soon} and galavanting around the city of angels. Now that I’m back in Bubbleista work mode, let’s jump into today’s Wordologie lesson!

If you’ve been following along with Wine Wednesday Wordologie for a while you know that I’ve {hopefully!} taught you a thing or two about the champagne making process as well as how the wine–and fizz itself–gets into the bottle. Have you ever wondered though how champers gets into those small bottles–you know, the 375-ml half-bottle and 187-ml single serving {well, single serving for me at least} bottles? Or how the bubbly gets into those super huge bottles?

Well wonder no more. Enter “Transversage!”

Wine Wed Word Transversage defTransversage is the process by which both smaller-than-standard and larger-than-standard {standard = 750ml} sized bottles of sparkling wine are filled. The wine is made using the traditional method, but after the bottles have been riddled and disgorged they are emptied into a large, pressurized tank. Next, dosage is added to the wine which is then transferred to small and large format.

The transversage method is not to be confused with the “Charmat” method of sparkling wine production however! In the charmat method fermentation occurs in the tank, but with transversage the bubbly is made int he traditional method where fermentation occurs in the bottle. You made remember from previous Wordologie posts that the charmat method produces large bubbles that quickly dissipate, which many people find très undesirable.

{image from weddingbells.ca}

{image from weddingbells.ca}

{image courtesy of ashtarbrindes.com.br}

{image courtesy of ashtarbrindes.com.br}

Champs with straw favor

{image courtesy of LabelWithLove from etsy.com}

You know that a Bubbleista loves champagne in any bottle size she can get ‘em in, but I do confess that I absolutely l-o-v-e small format bottles. Why? Well, because size matters, my dears: the 187 ml size makes it a guilt-free afternoon pick me up in terms of quantity; it’s ideally portable for picnics; and it is the perfect, festive serving size for events like showers, brunch, and weddings.

See? I told ya’ size matters.

Cheers to the brilliance that is transversage!