Term for the filling dosage (liqueur de tirage), which triggers the second fermentation (bottle fermentation) in a sparkling wine; see under Dosage.
French term for the addition of certain substances in the production of sparkling wine, whereby there are two different types with regard to the purpose, namely filling dos age and shipping dos age. The terms "liqueur" for dosage, however, have nothing to do with a liqueur, but are derived from "liquor" for "liquid". This is why the terms "tirage liqueur" and "shipping liqueur", which are sometimes used, are actually wrong or at least misleading.
A second fermentation is triggered by adding sugar to the base wine. In the case of bottle-fermented sparkling wines, the wine is bottled immediately afterwards. However, the second fermentation can also take place in the tank (but not in a champagne). The resulting carbonic acid cannot escape and combines with the wine. The longer the subsequent yeast storage, the finer the bubbles (mousseux) develop.
The pharmacist Jean-Baptiste François (1792-1838) from Châlons-en-Champagne developed a formula for determining the sugar content. This made an exact dosage of the tirage possible. The tirage liqueur may only consist...
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