Jose > wrote:

["fermented in the bottle" vs "fermented in *this* bottle"]

>> ... It describes the process of "transvasage". In Champagne,
>> by law only bottles between 375ml (halves) and 3,000ml
>> (jéroboams) have to be fermented in the same bottle ...

> Does it make a difference in the final product whether it is
> fermented in the same bottle or not? Or is the point that it
> has to be fermented in a small container rather than (as in
> charmant) a huge one?

German wine scientists will tell you that the size of the
container won't make any difference, while French will proclaim
exactly the opposite ... ;-)

Champagne producers, however will tell you (not officially, of
course, but /sotto voce/) that transvasage lessens the quality
of the final product, albeit rather slightly. It's quite clear
that refilling from another bottle results in some CO2 escaping.

As an aside: the rule that Champagne has to be fermented in
halves and 3 litre jéroboam bottle is rather new (just a few
years back*), before they could be transvasés, too. Before this
time only standard and magnum bottles had to be fermente in the
same bottle.

*) The law modification dates from March 18, 1998, and came into
effect with January 1st, 2002. See article 9 he

<http://www.inao.gouv.fr/public/produ...p?comiteNat=1&
id_txt=409>

or

<http://snipurl.com/1w0q4>

M.