Brehm Fruit - Chardonnay Champenoise - White Salmon Vineyard, Columbia Gorge, WA 2011
BF199B

The following is a quote from Peter Brehm about the grapes he has been selling for making sparkling wines at home:

"I have been professionally harvesting grapes for over 30 years, champenoise-style wine making grapes for 20 years. The ability of winemakers at home to produce sparkling wines of exceptional quality has kept my champenoise campaign alive. My first grape for sparkling wine came from a vineyard near Santa Maria, California, in 1981. High acid and low pH marked these grapes. They produced incredibly fine champenoise style wine that lasted on the lees for over 16 years. Clean grapes, good acid, a pH that allows malolactic fermentations, and varietal character are characteristics I look for in champenoise grapes.

Generally it is best to blend vintages to balance acid and sugar. You want to limit your alcohol production to about 10% - 11.4% alcohol. This level of alcohol requires brix below 20.5, and ideally below 19.5. Juices may be combined prior to fermentation or wine may be combined after fermentation to arrive at your desired cuvee. If you are using juice / wine with a pH of less than 3.15, and have another juice(s) with over 3.15 pH, and have fermented the juices separately, start the malolactic fermentation with the higher pH juice first. Once the malolactic fermentation is active, over a matter of a few weeks, gradually blend in the lower pH wine. It is difficult to initiate malolactic fermentation in wines under a pH of 3.2, and very difficult under a pH of 3.1. MoreWine! does carry a Christian Hansen culture of malolactic bacteria that can ferment at low pH.
Happy bubbling!"
- Peter Brehm

Yeast Recommendations

Below please find some notes associated with our recommended yeast strains for use with this fruit. It is important to note that any yeast will in fact perform the fermentation, however these strains have consistently performed well and produced flavors that our customers have been very happy with. To that end, the "correct" yeast strain is simply the one that sounds to you as though it will make the flavors that you are looking for in your wine.

You can add the yeast strain of your choice from the "You Might Also Need" section below. We also strongly recommend the use of the additive pack that you will see listed in this section as it will help enhance the quality of the wine you produce. Order one packet of yeast and one additive pack per pail of must or juice.

DV10 - DV10 is a Champagne region isolate and so is perfect for your Method Champenoise wines. Originally known as "Epernay" yeast, it is the original Champagne isolate. DV10 is known for its strong fermentation characteristics and for producing wines with clean varietal character and enhanced mouthfeel.

D47 - Complex white with citrus, dried apricot, pineapple and floral notes. Lees contact gives ripe spicy aromas with tropical and citrus tones developing, along with nuts. Adds volume/mouthfeel. Barrel fermentation and lees aging recommended. Good single-strain or as a blending component.

EC-1118 - EC-1118 shows good flocculation and neutral flavor and aroma contributions, letting the fruit come through on its own. Good tolerance to alcohol and acidity, and will ferment cleanly from 45-95F. High SO2 producer, so not well suited to wines that will see MLF.



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