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L’Acadie Vineyards 310 Slayter Road, Gaspereau, RR#1 Wolfville Nova Scotia, Canada B4P 2R1 902.542.8463 (VINE) info@lacadievineyards.ca |
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What Is Traditional Method? Traditional Method, Methode Classique, Methode Champagnoise all mean the same, They refer to sparkling wines produced by a natural fermentation in the bottle. These wines have fine persistent bubbles. Aging on the yeast lees in the bottle produces complexity and creaminess and the celebrated yeast flavours. Each bottle is then hand riddled and hand disgorged to remove sediment - the same as is done in Champagne France. All of L’Acadie Vineyards sparkling wines have always been Traditional Method.
What is the difference between Traditional Method Sparkling wines and Artificially Carbonated wines? Pop, commercial beers, and most mass-produced bulk effervescent wines are artificially carbonated. Manufacturers chill their products and inject carbon-dioxide into them prior to bottling. Wines made this way have large coarse bubbles that dissipate quickly in the glass and do not have any yeast aromas. IF IT DOES NOT SAY TRADITIONAL METHOD OR THE OTHER TERMS REFERRING TO NATURAL FERMENTATION ON THE LABEL - IT IS ARTIFICALLY CARBONATED. L’Acadie Vineyards has worked hard to change Nova Scotia Wine Standards so that these wines must have “Artificially Carbonated” declared on the front label so that consumers can choose wisely. This is what is required in other wine making regions of the world where the term “Sparkling” is protected for wine with bubbles produced from natural fermentation.
What is Charmat and Transfer Method? Charmat Method refers to sparkling wines, such as Italian Prosecco, that are naturally fermented in a closed tank and then bottled when chilled to retain bubbles. Transfer method refers to wines that are naturally fermented in the bottle, then emptied, the yeast separated by filtration, and rebottled. Both these methods have a lower production cost, less complexity and coarser bubbles than the Traditional Method. As of yet, no one is using these methods in Nova Scotia.
Why is Traditional Method Sparkling an exciting new wine style for Nova Scotia? Whenever you have climates that ripen grapes at moderate sugar levels, you have ideal conditions for Traditional Method Sparking Wines. Nova Scotia has a cool climate that ripens grapes at ideal sugar and acid balances, especially L’Acadie, that rival the best established cool climate winemaking areas in the world. L’Acadie Vineyards has released the first traditional method sparkling wines for Nova Scotia - Traditional Method Brut and Traditional Method Rose, as well as a Traditional Method Certified Organic Cider and others currently being aged in bottle (en tirage), including a Certified Organic Brut. It is possible that Nova Scotia could become known in the world of wine for its Traditional Method Sparkling Wines.
Why are prices of French Traditional Method Sparkling Wines (Champagne) more expensive than Nova Scotia Traditional Method Sparkling wines? Champagne has built a reputation of quality for its sparkling wines and people are willing to pay more for that reputation. Traditional Method Sparkling wines made in Nova Scotia are made the same way as ones from Champagne. We are building our reputation and our wines are winning awards and are comparable to many sparkling wines from around the world. The prices of sparkling wines from L’Acadie Vineyards reflect the extra costs of hand picking and gentle whole cluster pressing to low yields, a special strong bottle sourced from France, aging for 12 months - three years plus in our geothermal temperature controlled cellar and the hand riddling and disgorging process of removing the sediment from the bottle. |
