The transfer method is a way of producing sparkling wine which makes use of bottle fermentation for its secondary fermentation (like méthode traditionelle) but rather than disgorging and then topping up individual bottles, the wine is disgorged (along with sediment) into a pressurised tank. The dosage is then added (if required) and then the wine is filtered (under pressure) before being bottled. The wines produced in this method are generally regarded as being less complex than those produced by the traditional method, but are more complex than wines produced by the Charmat method, as the wine has undergone its secondary fermentation in contact with lees in a small container. The transfer method’s great advantage is that it is less labour intensive (and usually less time intensive) than traditional method production.
