Perlage
Perlage comes from the French and refers to the formation of pearls in wine. The small bubbles form when a bottle is opened and the dissolved carbon dioxide returns to its gaseous state. We are familiar with the escape of carbon dioxide from all kinds of drinks containing CO2, but it is particularly important for the taste of sparkling wines such as champagne, sparkling wine, crémant, cava or prosecco.
Perlage
But not only the quantity of bubbles is important for a sparkling wine, the fineness of the individual bubbles is also essential to ensure, for example, the fine, varied and complex taste of a Méthode Cap Classique. If the bubbles are as fine as possible and move to the surface like strings, this is usually a sign of high quality and ensures a balanced sweetness-acid ratio and an elegantly balanced taste. The best perlage is offered by wines that have been fermented in the bottle according to the "méthode champenoise", i.e. the traditional champagne method