Tasting

How do you remove gas from wine?


To evacuate carbon dioxide from a still wine (a naturally bubble-free wine), caraf it and shake vigorously for a few seconds. Alternatively, shake the bottle vigorously after removing the cork, placing your finger on the neck to prevent the wine escaping.

Bubbles in wine: when should you open another bottle?

If you see micro-bubbles on the surface and the cork hasn't popped, tasting should go smoothly. To get rid of the gas, choose your method, between carafing and bottle shaking.

If the wine is sparkling and you've had the impression of opening a bottle of champagne, you can smell the gas... The high level of carbon dioxide can be explained by refermentation in the bottle. The quality of the wine may then be lacking. However, you can give it your best shot by putting the wine in a carafe and shaking it vigorously. Then taste the wine. Sometimes there are surprises in store!

Pearling wine or still bubbles

A "perlant" or "perlé" wine is generally a white wine somewhere between a still wine and a sparkling wine. Bubbles are formed, but the cork does not pop when the bottle is opened, as with sparkling wines. Note that some red wines can also be perlants.

Why is there gas in your wine?

Unlike sparkling wines like champagne, still wine naturally has no bubbles and contains no carbon dioxide (CO₂). The alcoholic fermentation – the transformation of the sugar in the grapes into alcohol - and later malolactic fermentation, which naturally releases carbon dioxide. Most of this is released into the air, but some remains in the wine. The gas is then deliberately released during the vinification of still wines.

In certain cases, and depending on the type of wine, the winemaker may choose to retain only a small quantity of carbon dioxide (degassing); this avoids the addition of sulfites thanks to its protective and antioxidant action. Alternatively, the winemaker can also add carbon dioxide; this method is called carbonication.

The influence of carbon dioxide on still wine

Carbon dioxide content plays a role in a wine's color, bouquet and texture. It's up to the winemaker to decide whether to add or reduce the carbon dioxide content of his precious nectar. During their tasting, wines containing a high level of carbon dioxide can cause a light, fleeting tickle in the mouth due to the presence of bubbles. They also have a more pronounced acidity and freshness..

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Aveine's advice

The presence of gas is more common in natural wines and wines with no added sulfites. Sulfites are naturally present in grapes, and the winemaker can choose to increase their content during vinification.

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