What is the initial step in champagne production before secondary fermentation?

Creating the cuvée is the initial step in champagne production before secondary fermentation. The cuvée is a blend of base wines that are selected to achieve the desired style and quality of the final champagne. This blending process allows the winemaker to combine different grape varieties, vineyards, and vintages, which contributes to the complexity and character of the champagne.

After the cuvée is established, secondary fermentation occurs when the blended wine is bottled with added sugar and yeast to create the effervescence characteristic of champagne. Other options, such as bottling the wine, filtering, and aging, occur after the cuvée has been created. Bottling takes place after the primary fermentation and cuvée blending, filtering enhances clarity and stability before aging, and aging in the bottle is a step that occurs after secondary fermentation has begun. Each of these processes serves a specific purpose in the overall production of champagne.