A reliable and sustainable disgorging line for the Baron-Fuente champagne house

The Baron‑Fuente champagne house has made a major stride forward with the addition of a disgorging line that combines precision and performance.

The day of 24 February 2025 marked a key milestone in the collaboration between VINCI Energies business unit Sedam Valentin and the Baron-Fuente champagne house. On that date, this specialist in industrial solutions was assigned to the creation of a high-performance disgorging line, in an ambitious project combining speed, reliability and technological innovation.

“In 2005, Sedam Valentin installed a 4,000 bottles-an-hour labelling line for this customer,” explains Laurent Darré, Business Unit Manager at Sedam Valentin. This prior experience afforded them a thorough understanding of Maison Baron-Fuentes’ specific requirements. The brief was clear enough: to design a disgorging line capable of processing between 2,000 and 3,000 bottles an hour.

A comprehensive solution

Disgorging is a key step in champagne production, and one that demands extreme precision. It consists in eliminating the deposits from the second in-bottle fermentation while fully preserving the quality of the wine.

“The traditional method for producing sparkling wine requires precise operations at every stage,” says Laurent Darré. From freezing the bottle neck to final inspection, each phase demands diligence and technical skill.

“Success in this kind of contract is entirely the fruit of our teams’ technical expertise, organisation and planning”

To meet these requirements, Sedam Valentin implemented a comprehensive solution using advanced equipment and backed by a network of specialist partners. Notable innovations included the installation of a refrigeration unit for the freezer compartment using R454C fluid developed with UBBAK (another VINCI Energies business unit) in line with environmental legislation. This collaborative approach combined in-house expertise and cutting-edge technologies.

This project, worth around a million euros, illustrates the scale of investment committed to modernising the manufacturing base.

From installation to maintenance

Beside the technical performance aspect, organisation of the worksite also presented a major challenge. “Success in this kind of contract is entirely the fruit of organisation and planning,” says the business unit manager. Synchronisation of the various operators was key to meeting deadlines and ensuring successful commissioning.

Implementation of this disgorging line required skilled input from various fields: mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, automation, pneumatics, pipework and thermal engineering. This cross-functional effort is testimony to Sedam Valentin’s wide-ranging expertise in designing complex industrial lines.

The installation was handed over in November 2025, and regular follow-ups are ongoing. “We regularly perform maintenance operations on site,” says Laurent Darré, highlighting another of his business unit’s strengths: ”As a constructor, we have the advantage of being able to track parts over the entire life of the Sedam Valentin equipment.”

A presence in France and internationally

Though full installations of this kind remain rare, Sedam Valentin is also working on modernisation projects for other champagne houses and producers of sparkling wines including crémant, prosecco and cava.

“We are here for all sparkling-wine makers – including champagne houses – wishing to modernise equipment on their existing lines,” says Laurent Darré, whose business unit also operates outside France (Luxembourg, Spain, Italy, South Africa, Austria, etc.).

10/15/2026