Four Daughters Vineyard & Winery is now advising that all bottles of their current Sparkling Moscato be refrigerated and stored upright. A natural, secondary fermentation is occurring in some of the bottles which may cause increased pressure on the cork.

A secondary fermentation occurs when yeast has been reintroduced into the wine after the initial fermentation. Yeast is naturally occurring everywhere in our environment and while we do everything in our power to remove it from a finished wine, this does occur occasionally. Oftentimes in sparkling wine production, a secondary fermentation is desired and takes place within the wine bottle that the wine will be sold in. This is most commonly known as the méthode champenoise or “Champagne method” (after the region most noted for sparkling wine production). This secondary fermentation, also known as bottle fermentation, is often the process that makes the wine “bubbly” due to the containment of carbon dioxide which is normally released as a by-product in regular fermentation. In this instance, it was not intended, but it will not affect the wine’s taste or quality or in any way.

This wine was made extremely delicately as to preserve the flavors of the grape, but by taking this approach for maximum taste and flavor, we’re asking that our guests handle this wine with the same delicateness. If your bottle is currently cloudy, the wine is safe and the taste is the same, but fermentation is occurring. Refrigerating the wine will substantially slow down the process and stop the pressure being put on the cork.

If you have already encountered an issue with your Sparkling Moscato, please contact us at info@fourdaughtersvineyard.com so we can exchange the wine and offer our sincere apologies! Alternatively, if you are worried about storing it or would just like to exchange your bottle, please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@fourdaughtersvineyard.com or visit us at the winery. Thank you for your understanding!