The considerable time and effort required to produce quality sparkling wine accounts for its high cost. The starting wine must be dry, or if it contains sugar, the quantity of the sugar must be accurately known. Cuvee should have a clean, neutral bouquet, and any varietal flavors should be subtle. Cuvee has a high acid content, and the titratable acid often falls between 0.7 and 0.9 percent. Grapes harvested specifically for making sparkling wines are picked before they are completely ripe, and the sugar content is only 17 to 20 Brix.
Early picking helps insure subtle varietal flavors and a high acid level.
Early harvested grapes also produce a starting cuvee with a low alcohol content, and the low alcohol makes the second fermentation easier to start. Chardonnay is a white grape, but Pinot Noir is a red grape. Most red grapes have colorless juice. The color is in the grape skins. Since the red color is in the skins, red grapes must be handled gently and pressed quickly to avoid introducing a blush color into the cuvee.