Vinification: Red and Rosé Wine

Question 1

White wines are usually pressed ___ fermentation while red wines are pressed ___ fermentation;

Red wines spend an extended period of time in contact with their skins ___ fermentation, extracting tannin and color from the lengthy skin contact whereas white wines are direct pressed;

Reds always go through ___ and for whites it’s really up to the winemaker to decide whether the white goes through.

Answer 1

before

after

before and during

malolactic fermentation

Question 2

What does cold soaking do?

Answer 2

Slow, long extraction of flavors and color (but not tannin) from red grapes at cool temperatures.

Tannins aren’t meaningfully extracted during cold soaks because tannins are more soluble in alcohol, which is present only after fermentation begins.

Question 3

What are the 5 overarching steps in traditional red winemaking?

Answer 3

Pre-fermentation processing

Alcoholic fermentation

Draining and pressing

Malolactic fermentation

Maturation

Question 4

What winemaking elements must be closely managed during red winemaking?

Answer 4

・Density and temperature

・Oxygen level

・The cap that will be created during fermentation

・The duration of skin contact

Question 5

What is the typical temperature range for red wine fermentation?

What happens to the yeasts if fermentation temps get too high?

Answer 5

Between 20°C - 32°C (68°F - 90°F).

If fermentation temps go over 90ºF there’s a risk the yeasts will die.

Question 6

Why are red wines fermented at higher temperatures than white wines?

Answer 6

The higher temperatures allow for the extraction of color, flavor, and tannin which are the hallmarks of red wines.

Question 7

Most red wines produced with ___ levels of ___ than most white wines.

The extended skin contact a red wine goes through will produce more ___ and ___ the need for ___.

Answer 7

lower

Sulfur dioxide (SO2)

anti-oxidants

lowers

sulfer

Question 8

What is the “cap” in red winemaking?

Answer 8

The cap is the accumulated raft of skins, seeds, and other grape solids that float to the top of a fermenting red wine.

Question 9

If the cap is not managed, the resulting wine would be considerably___, ___ in___, and would pack a ___.

___ would also develop as the yeasts need ___ to survive.

Answer 9

less tannic

lighter

colour

less flavour punch

Off-odors

oxygen

Question 10

What are some widely practiced examples of cap management methods?

Answer 10

・Punching down

・Pumping over

・Rack and return

・Rotary fermenters

Question 11

As fermentation is an ___, pumping over, punching down, and rack-and-return reduce the ___ amassed during fermentation.

These methods also allow ___ into the must and ___ the cap.

Answer 11

exothermic reaction

heat

oxygen

break up

Question 12

Why must the punching down technique be practiced more carefully than other cap management methods?

Answer 12

At the end of the fermentation process, when alcohol is higher, tannins are more easily extracted from the cap and if not practiced correctly, punching down can result in an exceedingly bitter and rough final wine.

Question 13

What is one of the key advantages of using a rotary fermenter?

Rotary fermenters continuously mix the ___ together making extraction ___ but, if the winemaker isn’t careful, extraction can be ___.

Rotary fermenters are commonly used in ___.

Answer 13

cap and juice

fast

too deep and intense

Australia

Question 14

What wine region is most well known for its use of both carbonic and semi-carbonic maceration?

Answer 14

Beaujolais

Question 15

When a red wine stays on its skins after primary fermentation is finished it’s called ___.

Answer 15

extended maceration

Question 16

What’s the benefit of extended maceration?

Answer 16

This allows the red wine additional time to draw out further color, tannins, and other compounds from the grape solids.

Whether or not to do extended maceration is entirely up to the winemaker.

Question 17

When are grapes for red wines pressed?

Answer 17

After fermentation has completed.

Question 18

Malolactic fermentation is:

sometimes

always

never

used in the production of red wines.

Answer 18

Always

For red wine production malolactic fermentation is standard practice instead of a stylistic choice.

Question 19

Do rosé wines undergo malolactic fermentation?

Answer 19

Malolactic fermentation is avoided for most rosé production as the crisp, fresh acidity of these wines is a defining feature of the rosé style.

Question 20

What are the 3 methods for rosé wine production that are commonly practiced?

Answer 20

・Direct pressing

・Short maceration

・Blending

Question 21

In the European Union, the blending method for rosé wines is prohibited everywhere except for this region.

Answer 21

Champagne

This applies only to still wines, which is why rosé Champagne can be produced using the blending method.

Question 22

If making a saignée rosé, how soon will the juice be bled off their skins?

Answer 22

Usually between 6-48 hours

Question 23

Which wine regions are known for making rosé in the saignée method?

Answer 23

Anjou (Loire)

Bordeaux Clairet

Tavel (Rhône)

Question 24

At what temperature is most direct press method rosé fermented?

Answer 24

15°C - 20°C (59°F - 68°F)

Question 25

What wine regions are known for making rosé wines using the direct press method?

Answer 25

Côtes de Provence

Languedoc