Une brève histoire du vin et comment il est élaboré

Finally, we get the wine ready to go into bottles. We can clarify it or filter it so it stays clear and stable. Bottling is like closing a door: we seal the wine, let it travel and rest, and open it later at the table with people.

Sparkling wine adds something extra: it traps gas to make bubbles. First, we make a base wine—like a wine without bubbles (a still wine). It is often fresh and quite acidic, because sparkling wine needs liveliness and energy.

Next, the winemaker does a second fermentation. He adds a little yeast and a little sugar. The yeast eats the sugar and produces more alcohol and carbon dioxide, but this time the space is closed. The gas cannot escape, so it dissolves in the wine. That is the secret: the bubbles are trapped gas from fermentation. In France, it is famous in Champagne (people often call this the traditional method).

When you pour sparkling wine, the bubbles rise and carry the aromas up. That is why it can smell so strong. The bubbles also change the texture: in the mouth, it is lighter, fresher, and more alive.

Modern wine is not only a question of taste. It is also linked to big issues: the earth, the climate, water, and energy. Many winegrowers try to work with nature in a smarter way. They use fewer chemicals, plant plants between the rows (cover crops), and support biodiversity—more insects, more birds, and healthier soils.

France is a great example: the place shapes the wine. The country stretches from cool vineyards in the north to sunny vineyards in the south. In some regions, you find chalky soils, clay, limestone, granite, and even volcanic influences. You also find Atlantic winds in the west, Mediterranean heat in the south, and cool mountain air in the east.

France has many wine styles—white, red, rosé, and sparkling. It also has many grape varieties, from famous international names to local ones. So France is not just “one single style of wine”. It is one country with many local identities. People often describe this with a key French idea: terroir (place + climate + soil + human tradition).