Remuage (aka Riddling)


Remuage [pronunciation: re-mu-aj]

A complex process involving the simultaneous turning and tilting of wine bottles in an upright a-frame rack (the pupitre). This process allows sediment to collect at the neck of the bottle in preparation for disgorgement. Antoine de Müller, cellarmaster for Veuve Clicquot in the early 19th century, is credited with inventing the riddling rack in 1816. Today, riddling by hand is still practiced, but it is increasingly becoming replaced by the gyropalette, a mechanical device that accomplishes the task in a much shorter amount of time, with zero risk of carpal tunnel to the cellar-master!

See also: Disgorgement, Liqueur de Tirage, Time on Lees
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