Fact or fiction?

[wineguruchgo]

Pardon me if you already know about the way that Champagne is made.

In case you don't - they add yeast and a little sugar to still wine and let it ferment in the bottle - hence bubbles. The problem is that because the yeast breaks down it makes the wine cloudy.

It was Madam Veuve Clicquot who developed what your friend is doing - called riddling. Turning the bottle, and shaking it slightly, forces the yeast to the neck of the bottle so when the top is taken off all of the collected yeast is forced out from the pressure.

I think your friend was given wrong information. I concur with the others...seems like a bit of the game "telephone" going on here and he transferred his bubbly information into still wine information. With Champagne it's blessing with still wine, especially red, it's a curse. That's why we decant.

Again. Sorry if this is info you are already familiar with!