Riddling

The Riddling

When maturation of the Champagne is considered satisfying and before delivering the bottles, the sediment inside has to be removed. The «riddling» of the bottles is an ancestral technique typically from Champagne. It consists of making the sediment descend along the neck of the bottle, down to the cork, in order to expel it totally. Riddling can be done manually or automatically.

Traditional Method

This technique consists of placing each bottle horizontally on a wood desk, and turning the bottle 1/8th or 1/4th every day from left to right. This movement makes the heavy sediments attract the lighter residues up to the finest particles to the bottom, making the Champagne completely limpid. On top of that, the bottle is also progressively positioned vertically, making the sediments drown down the neck, then in the plastic «bidule». This manoeuver lasts about 1 month.