Party Trick - Remove Yeast From Champagne Yourself

Thanks to all the amateur food enthusiasts trying their hand at everything from cheesemaking to publishing, it may seem like the DIY field is overcrowded. But Ales Kristancic, owner and winemaker at Friuli's legendary Movia estate, has given the DIY acronym new meaning: "Disgorge It Yourself."

Kristancic's Puro Sparkling Rosé is made entirely from Pinot Noir grapes grown organically on the Italian-Slovenian border. He firmly believes that disgorging–the process of removing the yeast that's added to any Champagne-style bottling to create bubbles–robs the wine of flavor. So he keeps this sediment intact in the Puro, leaving the disgorging responsibility to the drinker.

This involves just a little bit of savoir faire. The wine arrives in a black box, which keeps the bottle positioned upside down, thus allowing all of the yeast to collect in the neck. Your job: Open the bottle (still upside down) in a container of cold water; gravity will force the sediment out (with a mighty pop!), signaling that your wine is ready to drink (click here to watch a demonstration).

If you perform the procedure correctly, the glasses you pour will be brimming with a perfectly clear, salmon-colored sparkler, ripe with aromas of fresh raspberries and mushroom-like earth.

Talk about a party trick. Next up: Sabering contests.