What is disgorgement 'à la volée'?

• A. The traditional disgorgement by hand, instead of machine.
• B. The forced carbonation of Champagne using CO2.
• C. The use of a machine to disgorge the sediment.
• D. The aging of the wine under pressure.

Answer: (A)

Disgorgement à la volée refers to the traditional, manual way of removing the sediment from the bottle. After the second fermentation in the bottle, the lees settle in the neck, and the wine must be cleared before final packaging. Disgorgement à la volée means this step is done by hand—performed quickly and directly—without relying on a freezing neck or a mechanical system. It’s the old, artisanal approach where the sediment is expelled by the action of opening the bottle and releasing the wine under pressure, rather than by freezing the neck or using a machine.

This fits best because the term “à la volée” implies a hands-on, on-the-fly method, distinct from mechanical disgorgement or techniques that use a frozen plug. The other options describe processes that aren’t disgorgement by hand: carbonation with CO2 isn’t how lees are removed; using a machine is the opposite of “à la volée”; and aging under pressure is not about removing sediment.