What is remuage?

What is remuage?

• A. Aging method
• B. The turning and tilting of champagne bottles from horizontal to vertical to collect the lees in the neck
• C. A fermentation method
• D. A blending method

Answer: (B)

Remuage is the process of riddling: turning and tilting Champagne bottles so the lees (dead yeast) gradually move from the bottom toward the neck. After the second fermentation in the bottle, lees form and settle; by slowly rotating the bottle from horizontal toward vertical, you guide those sediments to the neck in a compact layer. This concentrates the lees in a small area, making them easy to remove during disgorgement and leaving a clear, bright wine. Historically done by hand, it’s now often automated with a gyropalette, but the principle remains the same. It’s distinct from aging, fermentation, or blending methods, which describe other stages or techniques in winemaking.

Remuage is the process of riddling: turning and tilting Champagne bottles so the lees (dead yeast) gradually move from the bottom toward the neck. After the second fermentation in the bottle, lees form and settle; by slowly rotating the bottle from horizontal toward vertical, you guide those sediments to the neck in a compact layer. This concentrates the lees in a small area, making them easy to remove during disgorgement and leaving a clear, bright wine. Historically done by hand, it’s now often automated with a gyropalette, but the principle remains the same. It’s distinct from aging, fermentation, or blending methods, which describe other stages or techniques in winemaking.