What does riddling involve in champagne production?

What does riddling involve in champagne production?

• A. Rotating bottles to collect sediment near the cork over time
• B. Removing sediment by disgorgement
• C. Blending wines
• D. Adding sugar to dosage

Answer: (A)

Riddling is the process of gradually turning and tilting bottles in racks so the dead yeast sediment (lees) is drawn toward the bottle neck. This deliberate movement concentrates the lees in a small area near the cork, making it easy to remove them later during disgorgement while keeping the wine clear. In practice, riddling can be done by hand (remuage) or with a mechanical system like a gyropalette. The other steps mentioned are separate parts of the process: disgorgement removes the collected sediment at the neck; blending refers to combining wines to form the cuvée; and dosage adds sweetness after disgorgement.

Riddling is the process of gradually turning and tilting bottles in racks so the dead yeast sediment (lees) is drawn toward the bottle neck. This deliberate movement concentrates the lees in a small area near the cork, making it easy to remove them later during disgorgement while keeping the wine clear. In practice, riddling can be done by hand (remuage) or with a mechanical system like a gyropalette.

The other steps mentioned are separate parts of the process: disgorgement removes the collected sediment at the neck; blending refers to combining wines to form the cuvée; and dosage adds sweetness after disgorgement.