Méthode Champenoise

Méthode Champenoise meaning in sparkling wine

Méthode champenoise is the Champagne-specific wording for the bottle-fermentation process used by the protected Champagne designation. A still base wine receives tirage, undergoes second fermentation in the bottle that will be sold, rests on lees according to the appellation’s rules, and is riddled and disgorged before final closure. Dosage may be added after disgorgement.

The process is broadly called the traditional method elsewhere, but that does not make wine from another origin Champagne. The protected name combines geography and a product specification; the method describes only the production route. Time on lees can influence composition and aroma, but the method name alone does not guarantee brioche notes, bubble size, sweetness, or quality.

See the sparkling wine methods guide for the process comparison and the separate boundaries between method, dosage, pressure, and protected place names.