Draft Beer

Med Bag of Chips

Ham, cheddar cheese, fresh tomatoes, and arugula.

Ham and Cheese Sandwich

Sliced turkey, lettuce, tomato, and mustard in a whole wheat wrap.

Fit Turkey Wrap

Sort the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay whole clusters, removing any underripe, moldy or rotten berries. For an NV Éphémère style, retain some whole clusters to preserve aromatic lift; optionally destem 20–30% of the Pinot Noir if you want slightly more extraction. Keep grapes cool and work quickly to avoid oxidation.

Sorting and Destemming

Gently crush both grape varieties together in the 80:20 weight ratio (8 kg Pinot Noir to 2 kg Chardonnay). For a sparkling base, press lightly to obtain a free-run juice and minimal phenolic extraction from skins. Collect approximately 10–11 L of must; avoid heavy pressing to keep phenolics low and preserve fresh fruit aromatics.

Crushing and Pressing

Measure the °Brix (sugar) and titratable acidity of the must. If acidity is low, add the measured tartaric acid (up to the quantity listed) in small increments to reach a balanced TA appropriate for sparkling wine (generally 6–8 g/L). Add the pectolytic enzyme to clarify and the yeast nutrient to support fermentation. Check free SO2 and add potassium metabisulfite to reach 30 mg/L FSO2 as an initial antimicrobial step; stir gently and allow 6–12 hours for sulfite to equilibrate.

Must Adjustment and Preparation

Rehydrate the active dry wine yeast according to manufacturer instructions and pitch into the cooled, clarified must once temperature is stable at 15–18°C. Stir gently to distribute yeast. Ferment primary in a sealed vessel fitted with an airlock or S-shaped trap to completion (target residual sugar <2 g/L). Maintain temperature 14–18°C to preserve delicate aromatics.

Inoculation

Allow primary fermentation to run 10–21 days depending on temperature. Monitor density and temperature daily. When fermentation slows and sugar is depleted, rack the wine off gross lees into a clean demijohn or stainless vessel. Optionally perform a light cold stabilization (0–4°C for 1–2 weeks) to encourage tartrate precipitation and clarify the base wine.

Primary Fermentation Management

Confirm blend is 80% Pinot Noir and 20% Chardonnay by volume; make micro-adjustments before bottling if necessary. Check total and free SO2 and adjust to a free SO2 target of about 20–25 mg/L prior to tirage. If required, add small additional tartaric acid to maintain perceived acidity after secondary fermentation.

Blending and Stabilization

Prepare tirage sugar solution by dissolving 24 g saccharose per 750 ml bottle worth of base wine (this equates to ~24 g/L or ~24 g per bottle—adjust per actual bottle count). Add an appropriate quantity of rehydrated yeast (very low dose) and a small nutrient addition to ensure a clean, controlled secondary fermentation. Use about 1 tsp yeast per 12 L batch as an approximate guide—scale accurately per yeast specs.

Tirage Preparation (Secondary Fermentation in Bottle)

Transfer the blended base wine gently into bottles, leaving about 2–3 cm headspace. Add tirage mix to each bottle, seal with crown caps or temporary closures, and store bottles horizontally at 12–15°C for secondary fermentation to proceed. Expect secondary fermentation to take 2–8 weeks; pressure will build to typical Champagne levels (5–6 atm).

Bottling for Secondary Fermentation

After secondary fermentation completes, age the sparkling bottles on lees for a desired period. For an NV Éphémère Grand Cru style, age from 12 months to 36 months depending on desired autolytic complexity. Keep bottles stored cool and horizontal.

Aging on Lees (Optional)

After aging is complete, rackottle if needed and begin riddling to collect lees in the neck. Perform manual or mechanical riddling gradually over several weeks until lees settle in the neck. Disgorge by freezing the neck and removing the crown cap; expel the lees plug. Top up with dosage if desired (a small sugar and wine mix) to reach desired sweetness—often Brut (≈6–12 g/L) for NV Champagne-style wines. Replace crown cap with final cork and muselet (or appropriate sparkling closure).

Riddling and Disgorging

Allow bottled sparkling to rest upright for 1–2 weeks after disgorgement to integrate dosage. Chill, label and release. Serve chilled (8–10°C).

Final Rest and Release

Sanitize all equipment thoroughly before use to avoid contamination. Use food-grade hoses and fittings and ensure bottles are clean and free of residue. Monitor pressure and safety when working with sparkling bottles—do not exceed safe fill levels and always use appropriate closures rated for sparkling wine.

Pinot Noir grapes (whole clusters)

Chardonnay grapes (whole clusters)

Active dry wine yeast (neutral Champagne strain)

Yeast nutrient

Tartaric acid (optional, must to adjust acidity)

Saccharose (cane sugar, for tirage if needed)

Pectolytic enzyme

SO2 (potassium metabisulfite) for sterilization

Clean stainless or food-grade fermentation vessel (approx. 12 L capacity)

Glass demijohn or aging bottle (12 L total)

Champagne bottles (750 ml) and crown caps or corks for tirage

NV Éphémère 017 Grand Cru

Chateau Renisch St Nebbiolo

PSILEX Reds

Savary Elektrisch Riesling Kabinett

Estelado Rose

Wills Mixtape

Composed of a blend of 38 wines from 9 different years ranging from 2005-2015. Aged for 7 years in the cellar before its release.

NV Krug Rosé 27ème Edition

Make NV Éphémère 017 Grand Cru Recipe in just 876h . 80% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay

Nv Éphémère 017 Grand Cru Recipe

Descriptors

Tasting Notes

Food Pairings

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