I have been planning to make some sparkling wine for a while. I have a dozen bottles suitable now and am fermenting a strawberry wine which I plan to turn into a sparkling wine. I have two questions.
1) Is there an equivalent to the condessa sparkler tops still available. I believe these provided a cheap and easy way for the home winemaker to make clear sparkling wines - having a purge valve for sealed disgorging of the wine. Though I hear they are no longer produced. Why I do not know as they sound like an ideal solution...2) How do you sweeten a wine you want to sparkle? The only way I could think of was non-fermentable sweeteners though I am keen to avoid these and don't think they'd add the same mouth-feel as a sweet wine has (I could be wrong).
Any help gratefully received as ever...
Jim