Certified Sommelier Practice Exam

What does the process of Disgorging or Degorgement refer to?

1. Removing excess sugar from the wine

2. Popping out the yeast remnant

3. Mixing different vintages

4. Carbonating the wine

The correct answer is: Popping out the yeast remnant

The process of disgorging, or degorgement, specifically refers to the removal of sediment, which is primarily composed of yeast cells, from sparkling wines, particularly those made using the traditional method, like Champagne. After the second fermentation in the bottle, yeast and sediment accumulate, and disgorging is the step that involves expelling these residues to ensure clarity and quality in the final product. To carry this out, bottles are often frozen at the neck to create a plug of ice that captures the sediment. When the bottle is opened, the pressure inside the bottle forces the frozen plug out, leaving the wine clear and free of particulate matter. This step is crucial to achieving the clean taste and vibrant appearance that sparkling wines are known for. The other options do not accurately describe the disgorgement process. For example, while removing excess sugar and mixing different vintages might play roles in various winemaking processes, they are not related to how sediment is removed from bottles of sparkling wine. Carbonating the wine is also a different aspect of winemaking that occurs during fermentation and not during disgorgement.