2021 Vinification Flashcards
(129 cards)
1
Q
What is vinification
(what is beginning and end)
A
The transformation of grapes into wine
Begins with delivery of grape to the winery and ends when the fermented wine is raked off its lees
2
Q
How long does the vinification process take?
How long do most reds ferment?
Ho long can it take to ferment Sauternes?
A
Vinification can take between 1 week and 3 months
Fermentation of reds averages 10 to 15 days
Sauternes can ferment for 3 months
3
Q
What does the rate of fermentation depend upon?
A
temperature
4
Q
What is the byproduct of alcoholic fermentation
A
Heat
Carbon dioxide
Water
Alcohol
5
Q
Why are most fermentation vessels open?
A
To let CO2 escape
Otherwise it becomes sparkling wine
6
Q
Winemaker’s choices
A
1-Destemming
2- Crush or press
3- Must adjust = acidification, chapitalization, Sulphidication
4- Yeast selection (indigenous or selective)
5- Fermentation practices. (Temp, timing etc.)
6- Malolactic secondary fermentation
7- Clarifying, Filter and fining
8- Stabilization (addition of sugar to prevent fermentation of residual sugar)
9- Aging practices
7
Q
What grape produces a wine that doesn’t age and why?
What is the wine style and from where?
What is the winemaking style called?
A
Gamay
Cru Beaujolais like Morgon
There’s hardly any tannin, so the grape is whole cluster press (no destemming)
Preferably soft pressing with stems (crushing would ruin)
Carbonic maceration with Whole cluster press
8
Q
CHOICE MADE BEFORE PRESSING (OR CRUSHING)
1-Destemming and how and when is it done?
2-Cluster-Press and how and when is it done?
3- Exception to the destemming rule
A
1-Destemming
•Removal of stems (woody, harsh, rough) from grape.
•Either mechanically through coil destemmer machine or less often by hand
USUALLY all grapes are destemmed UNLESS grapes lack tannin and character
2-Whole cluster press
•Product more aggressive & bitter (more tannin)
•Could age better if grape lacks tannin
3-While cluster press is done with varietals low in tannin
Ex: Gamay known for lacking tannin so Beaujolais Nouveaux like Morgan use whole cluster press
Ex: Pinot Noir the ones that need more structure
Ex: Burgundy (Pinot noir)
In dessert wines when the grape is raisinated they are de-stemmed by hand
9
Q
Pressing vs Crushing, and when most frequently used
A
PRESSING is soft and disposes of skins and seeds - WHITE
Most whites pressed since not extracting tannins
Pressing is elegant, delicate - used with fine wines and the best grown grapes
CRUSHING is harder and retains skins and seeds for maceration- RED
Most reds crushed to extract tannins
Crushing gets more extraction, but in danger of crushing woody seeds making it inelegant
Crushing is also often used to compensate for bad fruit in vineyard
White grapes are ordinarily pressed without stems with gentle expanding bladder inside a vessel.
•Exception = bad white grape fruit crushed to give more substance
Red grapes are generally crushed (so skins burst) so it can ferment with with seeds, pulp, skins for maximum extraction of expression
The fermented wine that runs off is called free run. The remaining sediment is called pomace
After fermentation, the sediment (pomace) is pressed, and the resulting wine is secondary quality
10
Q
What is free run?
What is press wine?
A
Free-run = After fermentation on the skins, free-run is juice that runs off without pressure being applied.
This is considered to be the highest quality juice and most valuable
Press-wine = Wine pressed out of the pomace after fermentation. It is rarely, if never, added to the free-run and is secondary in quality due to its harsh tannis
11
Q
Must vs Pommace
A
Must = Freshly pressed juice containing seeds, skins and stems. The sediment from pulp, skin and seeds remaining after fermentation
Pommace = The solid portion of the must
12
Q
What is Press Wine and describe it
A
Wine that comes from pressing the pomace (sediment of skins, seeds and pulp) of a wine batch. This happens after the free-run is let out.
It is considered a secondary wine since it is harsh tannins. Sometimes it is added back into the free-run wine - common practice in Bordeaux
13
Q
What are some additional uses of pomace
A
1- pressed to extract secondary wine
2-dried into briquettes and sold as fuel
3- tartare extracted from it for use in pharmaceutical industry and food industry (baking powder and cream of tartar)
4-compost in vineyard as fertilizer
5-sold to distilleries to make GRAPPA (Italy) MARC (France)
14
Q
What is it called when the stems are pressed along with the grapes
A
Whole cluster press
15
Q
MUST ADJUST and what are 3 types?
A
Human aided manipulation of the must just prior to fermentation
1- Acidification
2- Chapitalization
3- Sulphidication
16
Q
What is alcoholic fermentation and byproducts?
A
Yeasts convert to sugar to produce and produce 1-water 2-heat 3- ethyl alcohol 4- Carbon dioxide
17
Q
Why is alcoholic fermentation temperature important?
A
Determines the outcome of a wine and the behavior
18
Q
Old world vs new world must adjust
A
Old world = generally ‘don’t touch it’ highly regulated
(France allows for some chapitalization)
New world = juice is highly manipulated
19
Q
What is wrong with lots of manipulation of the wine?
A
Strips the wine of its’ natural character and magic - tastes manipulates and less elegant
20
Q
What is acidification?
What do they add?
How can you tell if a wine has been acidified?
Old world? California?
When does acidity level change in wine on its own?
A
Process decided by winemaker (must adjust) when the grape lacks acidity. Usually from overly hot temperatures.
Tartaric acid added (rarely citric acid)
Recognized by notes of aspirin - its’ spritzy
Not allowed in Europe
Used in very hot regions outside of europe
In CA the consumers like fat fruit bomb flavor, so they ripen the grape beyond their acidity level and need to add acid in powder form to compensate
Acidity level of a wine changes on its own; after fermentation process and after malolactic fermentation, and during aging, it lowers
21
Q
1-CHAPITALIZATION what is it 2-Where known to happen? 3- Where forbidden? 4- What is different about Italy? 5-Why is chapitalization believed to be bad? 6-What is norm in France? 7-What region is heavy handed?
A
1- A choice made by winemakers (must adjust) by adding refined sugar (fructose) to the must before fermentation in order to produce more alcohol when the fruit is lacking in sugar
2- Usually happens in colder climate countries where grapes cannot achieve ripeness and most grape growing region of world
3- Forbidden in warm regions like CA, S.Africa, Chile
4-It is forbidden in Italy BUT they do allow adding sweet ‘same grape’ must instead of sugar. (Not different grape.)
5- The temptation for growers is to overproduce harvest & chapitalize to compensate for bad, weak wine
6- Allowed in France in smaller quantities (cold Bordeaux vintages for example)
7-Burgundy and Switzerland known to add sugar when not needed
22
Q
Why is the trend of chapitalization changing?
A
1- It is bad for you (they use refined sugar in the form of fructose)
2-Global warming is warming up the growing regions
3- It spoils the wine - makes it feel and taste artificial
23
Q
What is sulfidication?
Who uses it and what does it do for the wine?
What is the danger of sulfites?
A
Sulfidication is a choice the winemaker makes (must adjust) in which sulphur dioxide is added to the must
99% winemakers use it - wines that don’t use it spoil quickly
1-Astringent = kills bacteria and mold
2- Antioxidant = prevents it from aging and discoloring
3- Controls fermentation = it prevents wild yeasts from starting to ferment by inhibiting organisms from acting
Only problem is for people with asthma - they’re allergic
Sulfites do not give you headaches - drinking too much does
24
Q
What are some common facts about sulfites;
4 Main uses:
When is it used in the winemaking process?
Population affected
Amounts in wine
Comparison in dried fruit
A
What: Antioxidant (preservative) Antiseptic - kills bacteria and mold Selective over yeasts Clarification
Sulfites are a natural result of winemaking whether added or not, but not enough to keep it fresh, so we add more
When used: before, during and after fermentation
1-Sulfites are used (sprayed)in the vineyard to avoid pests and disease - good growers don’t overdo or get wine faults.
2-Sulfites added during must adjust in 99% of wines.
3-Sulfites are added during stabilization once wine completed
1% of general population is affected by sulfites (asthmatics) but all wineries are required to label if they contain more than 10ppm (parts per million)
US Wine has no more than 350ppm
Organic wine has no more than 100ppm
Dried fruit contains 3,500ppm. - there is more sulfites in chocolate, tea, French fries than in wine
25
What does yeast do, and what is the byproduct
What is the main type of yeast in winemaking and beer-making called?
What is an example of a common wild yeast?
In the absence of oxygen, yeast converts sugar in grapes into 60% ethanol (alcohol) and the byproducts are CO2, water and heat
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae
Brettanomyces - small amounts in a controlled way can add complexity, otherwise it is a wine fault. Makes wine taste foxy
26
Discuss indigenous yeast
Indigenous = native
Enhances the characteristic of terroir
Colonies develop in Old wineries (100 years) with tradition and their vineyards - these vineyards don’t need to add sulfites since they aren’t trying to inhibit these native yeasts
Newer wineries won’t have the sophisticated native yeasts, but likely notes of maneuver or nailpolish
27
Discuss Selected yeasts
A specific yeast strained selected and cloned in a lab
Theses yeasts are resistant to effects of sulfites, so while sulfites inhibit the wild yeasts, the selected ones are able to do their job.
Chosen for various flavor profiles - banana for whites is popular, blueberry for reds
28
Where is the yeast present?
On the bloom of the grape berry
The waxy outer layer on the skin of the berry
29
How does yeast affect organic wines?
Often organic wine producers use native yeasts and end up with angular, rough, barnyard, inelegant wines that don’t keep well for lack of sulfites.
30
The less manipulation of the wine, the more _______
Expression of terroir and complexity
31
How can heat caused by fermenting must be a problem?
How to solve for this, and why necessary?
The wine can get ‘cooked’ and ‘stew’ the aromas from the heat in the must
Heat can promote bacteria and mold
Temperature control - either individually controlled tanks or a climate controlled winery
Ideal temp = 55-60
Temp control is necessary to keep the wine clean and create a more elegant fine wines
32
What is the downside to cooling down must during fermentation (temperature control)
Fermentation takes longer - yeast works slower when cold
| 4 days could instead take 2 weeks
33
What profiles does cold fermentation result in?
What profiles does warm fermentation result in?
Cold = perfumey whites
Warm = big, jammy, thick, extracted
34
What can happen if fermentation temperature is not properly controlled?
What percentage of wineries use it?
Wine faults and flaws
| 90% wineries use temp control
35
What is cryomaceration? (CM)
A method of extraction of flavor and tannins in grapes that don’t have a lot of them - increased stability and flavor development
Crushed grapes are held at subzero temperatures in order to weaken the cellular structure in grape skins (from ice crystal) for about 4 hours - then defrosted
Grapes are destemmed then frozen - ice crystals weaken the cellular structures containing polyphenols. Once defrosted, 50% more of the compounds can be extracted than conventional methods.
•This is the lower quality, artificial method for making Eiswein - but not same quality as Eiswein made naturally. Usually lesser quality grapes (likely for yield management). You’re only extracting ‘more’ underdeveloped flavors.
36
Describe maceration of white wines
Grape usually pressed upon delivery to the winery
Maceration in whites is either avoided or allowed on small quantities
Usually, The solids are thrown away, only the pulp is fermented, so there’s no maceration.
(Unless you want more flavor and complexity, then it is cryomacerated)
It has to be cold since whites don’t have polyphenols - otherwise it would brown
37
Describe maceration of red grapes
Red grapes are generally crushed not pressed so skins burst to extract color and tannins
Barolo has a 2 week maceration due to massive tannins - can age 50 years
38
What will the maceration length determine in a wine?
The body of the wine and the mouth feel
39
What is maceration?
The winemaking process of soaking the phenols out of the grape solids.
Phenolic material of grape (tannin, color, flavor) are leeched from the skins, seeds and stems and made into must
This is when red wine receives it’s colors
It happens generally in parallel to fermentation
40
What wines are exceptions to allowing some contact with the skins during fermentation?
Varietals with less natural flavor like Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon are allowed short amount of maceration prior to pressing
41
What are the styles of rose and where are they mostly found?
1- Seigne = Tavel on the Rhône in France, Southern Italy, parts of Tuscany
2- Rose de Presse = Bandol France
42
Discuss Seigne
RED WINE METHOD
Seigne means blood in French - it is like ‘bleeding out’
Stronger rose style of the two = darker, bold
1-Maceration of 4 to 12 hours on red grape skin
2-CO2 pushes solids to top to create a ‘cap’ - that’s where all the color and phenols are
3-valve is opened at bottom of tank and wine is extracted (ALL FREE-RUN, NO PRESSING)
The remaining must of the cap stays in the tank to continue to ferment into a red
43
Discuss rose de presse
Skin contact
Also known as whole tank press, and is the gentler rose of the two
The grape is kept at a cold temperature during a very slow press (approx 4 hours). Long enough to release a bit of color from the skins, but not long enough to get too brown. Rose de presse has a salmon color from slight oxidation
The skin is thrown out and the juice is fermented
Bandol
44
What is a cap?
The lees, sediment and solids in the must that rise to the surface of the tank during fermentation from release of CO2 that pushes it upwards forming a cap.
45
Is there such thing as a green Zinfandel grape?
Sutter Home accidentally made a rose - instead of throwing it out they marketed it as White Zinfandel. It then had a stuck fermentation, so thus was the creation of a very cheap, sweet, rose from a red Zinfandel grape - forever confusing people into thinking there was a green Zinfandel grape variety.
46
What is a stuck fermentation?
All the yeast dies (becomes dormant) before the sugar is gone, leaving residual sugar
47
What are the components that make up wine and roughly their percentage?
There are over 600 components
```
1- water 85%
2-alcohol 13% ethyl alcohol (methyl which causes blindness from bad yeast)
3-polyphenols = antioxidants
4-acid from grapes = fixed
5- acid from fermentation = volatile
6- minerals
7-glycerol
8-sulfites
9-residual sugar
10-200 terpens and esters
```
48
How much alcohol is in wine?
9-17%
Minimum 9%
After 17% the yeast dies
49
What is some bad yeast in danger of producing and how to control?
Can produce methyl alcohol instead of (ethyl alcohol)
It can make you blind
The bad yeast can be controlled from growing by using sulfites or selective yeasts
50
What are the 3 age stages of smell, and describe
```
PRIMARY AROMAS (varietal characters)= comes from the grape - TERPENS in grape -young wines - aromatic wine aromas
The most interesting aromas to drinkers
If a wine is aged too long, the primary aromas go away
Fruit,
```
SECONDARY AROMAS (fermentative) = comes from yeast, fermentation and the winery- ESTERS
These aromas never go away - the wine would go bad first
Florals, minerals, malolactic fermentation aromas, pear, rose, banana
Brett
TERTIARY AROMAS = (aging aromas) - OXIDATIVE ESTERS, only aged wines hav these profiles - the wine is overly aged if the primary aromas are no longer present during this stage
Leather, forest floor, truffle, tar, cedar
51
What are the 5 main characteristics of wine that affect the flavor/aroma of wine?
ACIDITY= Fixed acids from grapes:
1- Malic acid = most aggressive - cooler climate grapes - green apple, kiwi
2-Tartaric acid = most elegant, fresh and enjoyable - the main acid of vitus vinifera - this acid crystallizes and salinifies
3-Citric acid = Strong citrus notes, sour - can be dangerous as easily transforms into acetic acid (vinegar taint)
4- Lactic acid = soft and smooth, buttery, cream, (only in secondary malolactic fermentation)
ALCOHOL = warm, hot tactile sensation on the palette, throat and chest
TANNINS = grippy sensation - not a flavor but a textural astringent taste
SWEETNESS = from residual sugar - fructose will smoothen sensation of acidity, (but not tannins)
GLYCEROL = midpalette sensation - ‘body’ -gives structure, smoothness and softness, viscosity
52
What does higher temp do to the wine?
What does lower temp do to the wine?
Higher = softness is enhanced (alcohol and sugars)
Lower temp = hardness enhanced (acid, tannins, mineral sunstances)
53
What is an ester?
Esters are organic acids that occur naturally during the fermentation process in wine. The byproduct of fermentation is Carbon Dioxide, Alcohol and over 200 aromatic esters.
Esters comprise the secondary aromas in the wine’s maturation.
Fruity flavor like pear, rose, banana, and other light fruits
54
What wines are known for having all three aging aroma profiles?
Barolo, Brunelleschi del Montelcino
55
What are the different acids?
FIXED = will not blow off
Fixed In grape:
1- MALIC acid = most AGGRESSIVE- cooler climate grapes - green apple, kiwi
2-TARTARIC acid = most ELEGANT, fresh and enjoyable - the main acid of vitus vinifera - this acid crystallizes and salinifies (like on cork)- this acid added to must for acidification
3-CITRIC acid = Strong SOUR citrus notes - can be dangerous as easily transforms into acetic acid (vinegar taint)
Fixed In wine:
4- LACTIC acid = soft and smooth, buttery, cream, (only in secondary malolactic fermentation)
VOLATILE = will blow off
1- ACETIC acid = VA -NAILPOLISH, paint thinner - result of fermentation temperatures being off -
cooked wine.
2- SUCCINIC acid = VINOUS = freshly fermented wine, fresh must - Lambrusco, Beaujolais Nouveau
56
What wines don’t have an VA or volatile acids?
The finest wines. For grapes that are grown properly, there is no need to crank up the heat during fermentation to extract
57
Estate Produced
The winery has control of the grape from start to finish. They control the quality from grape to glass.
The best wines start in the vineyard and are not manipulated. Manipulation is to compensate for bad grapes
58
What type of wine is known for having Malic acid?
German Riesling, Gruner Vetliner, Sancerre, N. Italian whites, Chardonnay fermented in SS
59
What are the various combinations of acids informed by?
Terroir
60
What is TA
Total acidity
The total acidity of wine is a combination of the Acidity% + PH
You’ll see this code as Somm on wine sheets
‘Usually’ a lower PH is better (less aggressive) and higher PH better for aging
61
1-What is Malolacic Fermentation
2-What is responsible for it?
3-Red vs white
4-How do you achieve or prevent it?
5-What does 100% malo and 50%malo mean?
6-What are the esters of 2ndary malolactic fermentation?
7- How does it feel in your mouth?
8- What types of wines and name some wines
9-How long does mall take?
10-What is the danger of malo remaining in the wine?
1-Secondary fermentation. A winemaking choice for softening, smoothening and thickening the wine. Bacteria grows at room temperature, and it eats Malic acid in wines (which is harsh) and the end product is lactic acid (which is smooth and creamy.)
2-Agent responsible = lactic bacteria which likes Malic acid - when it eats Malic acid, the byproduct is Lactic Acid - this is a fixed acid. Battonage (Stirring of lees) generally jump starts the process since bacteria is in the lees (and warming temperatures).
3- 100% reds undergo malolactic fermentation because of tannins
With whites it is a choice
4- To prevent it, lower the temperature - to achieve it, allow wine to come to room temperature - used to happen naturally in cellars in the spring as temperatures rose
5-either 100% of the Malic acid was eaten by the lactic bacteria, or fermentation was stopped after 50% to retain a little crispness
6- cream pastry, butter, milk, yoghurt, milk candy, Starbucks whipped cream
7-in mouth feels soft
8- Big soft buttery Chardonnay like Cakebread and Kistler
9-2 to 3 weeks
10-It could ferment in the bottle - need to complete malolactic fermentation or add sulphur
62
What is lactic acid
It is a fixed acid not found in the grape, but a byproduct of secondary malolactic fermentation when lactic bacteria eats the Malic acid in wine
63
What is unique about Chardonnay form Chateaux Montelegna in Napa?
They Have zero malolactic despite the trend for buttery Chardonnay’s.
They want theirs to be food friendly
The crisper and more refreshing the wine (opposite of malolactic) the more it cuts through fat in food
Their chardonnay won in blind taste test in 1973 Judgement of Paris - because it tasted more like traditional Burgundy (without the malolactic)
64
What are examples of crisp, thirst quenching wine varietals that don’t allow malolactic fermentation
Bruner Vetliner, Pinot Grigio, Riesling
65
What is another name for devating or racking, and what is it?
For what kind of wines is this a choice?
Clarifying
This is done to remove the dead yeasts, muck and solids (lees) from the wine
The wine is left to sit for a week so the heavy substances sink to the bottom - then a valve is opened and the wine is drained off
All wines are clarified after fermentation
66
What is filtering or fining?
When is this done?
Filtering is a winemaker’s choice after the clarification process. This is a way to ‘shine the diamond’ removing all microscopic impurities. It looks beautiful but strips the wines of its’ terroir and decreases complexity
Generally used in more commercial wines for people who don’t understand subtlety
The best wineries don’t filter
UNFILTERED wine indicative of more complex wine, but you can expect there to be sediment. The flavor is in the sediment
67
What is stabilization
A final stage of adding more sulfites at completion of winemaking process occurs as a preventative measure to avoid bacteria form growing or refermentation to occur in the bottle. Stops weird biological things form happening.
68
What is the difference between must and pomace?
Must = ‘young wine’ - freshly crushed fruit juice that contains skins, seeds, juice and stems
Pomace = the solid portion of the must without the juice - still called pomace after fermentation as well
69
What are the aromatic varietals?
Gewurtztraminer
Muscat
Malvasia
Brachetto
70
What does Inoculate mean
The process of adding commercial (selected) yeast to the must to begin fermentation
The selected yeast inhibits production of indigenous yeast
71
What causes the smoothness and hardness of wine?
Smoothness:
GLYCEROL = poly alcohol - oily and smooth
ETHYL ALCOHOL
Hardness:
ACIDS
TANNINS
MINERAL SALTS
72
Where is the sweetness in wine from?
Sweetness in wines is from Residual sugar (fructose) - NOT added sugars
73
In what case is oxygen good and when bad?
Good = A little is good for SOFTENING of the wine and the INCREASE OF COMPLEXITYThe polymerization over time creates long tendrils of links of molecules which smooth out the wine.
Bad = SPOILAGE, BROWNING, AROMATIC STRIPPING
74
What is carbonic maceration and for what wine style?
Describe how it works and some important terms
Winemaking method where uncrushed grape bunches are put in a sealed, anaerobic vat and topped with carbon dioxide to remove all oxygen. Wine created without oxygen have low tannin and color. It is to make a very specific type of wine (entry level Beaujolais Nouveau) that is very fruity, very fresh, very vinous, very pleasant -
Usually the first batch of the harvest done this way to celebrate the start of harvest season
WILL NEVER AGE
INTRACELLULAR FERMENTATION- the transformation of sugar to alcohol without intervention of yeast
ANAEROBIC ENVIRONMENT = sealed, oxygen free tank
Light colored, Bubble gum aroma, kirsch, pop-crackle-crunch of wines - super fruit forward, venous, drink young
75
What are lees?
Sediments that settle after fermentation
```
Dead yeast cells in particular
Grape seeds
Pulp
Stems
Skin fragments
Insolvable tartarates
```
76
What is a barrel making called?
What are the questions the winemaker needs to ask himself before about barrel aging?
Cooperage
* What kind of wood. (Oak generally the best)?
* Where is the wood from? (American, Slovenian, French)?
* How much toast?
* How big a barrel?
* New or used barrel?
77
Describe American Oak
Where is each used
Which flavors do they impart
AMERICAN
-Biggest, most powerful due to biggest grain more surface area exposure - too much oak can rip apart a delicate wine, so only very big wines can survive aging in American.
-Spain is known for using American oak (very hot region, big grape)
Silver Oak label wine is 100% American oak - they have a niche - bourbon drinkers who want those flavors.
-Coconut, Eucalyptus, tobacco
FRENCH - Most elegant - most prestigeous - still has lots of flavor but it won’t overwhelm a wine
-Used for most fine wines
-Vanilla, chocolate
SLOVENIAN
- Least impactful and most neutral - used when no oak influence is desired in the wine
- If a vintage has gotten lots of rain one year, the skin is thinner, wines are thinner so must be put in neutral barrels.
78
What are barrel sizes?
Why would you use 1 vs the other? Give examples.
What roughly does a new French barrique cost?
Barrique (small oak)= 225 Liter
Tanneu = 500 Liter
The smaller the oak vessel, the more impactful (more surface area). The less area the less flavor.
Bordeaux uses barrique because big wines can handle it.
Burgundy (Pinot grape) is too delicate and uses bigger barrels.
Nebbiolo hates small oak
Barrique costs roughly $500.00 and hundreds needed - huge costs
79
What are the three different materials for aging methods and why?
WOOD = oak adds complexity to the varietal and aerates over time exposing it to small amounts of oxygen
SS - Stainless steel tank = In hot climates winemakers are able to refrigerate the wine for 6mo. To a year - this preserves the flavors of the varietal - this is for vibrant, young wines
BOTTLE = Reduction = anaerobic condition of no oxygen (hyper sleep for a wine)
80
1- What is reduction?
2-What happens during reduction?
3-What happens with too little?
4-What happens with too much?
1- A condition by which wine is aged without exposure to oxygen.
•A BOTTLE
2-Wine is put into a deep sleep where the compounds integrate and round out
3- Too little oxygen = cow shed, rotten egg - aerate while racking to avoid this
4- Too much oxygen = OXIDATION -stale and flat (like sherry or Madeira?) - keep barrel topped to the bung or pump nitrogen into the empty hole
81
What is anaerobic? What wine is associated with this?
An absence of oxygen
Beaujolais nouveau is carbonically macerated (oxygen free tank)
82
••••What is the most important thing oak does for wine?
OXYGENATES IT
Smoothens and softening the wine while aging in barrels. Must use oak for long aging
83
Why are chips good or bad?
Cheaper than barrels
Cannot oxygenate the wine
84
Why can sugar only be added to the must and never to the wine?
It is possible there is still active yeast leftover, so adding sugar can induce fermentation or cause wine to be carbonated.
85
How many years can barrique be reused for flavor?
After 3 years they can’t be used to impart flavor
86
How can oxygen be friend?
How can oxygen be foe?
FRIEND = Oxygen softens wine while aging - integrates compounds, increases complexity bringing out secondary and teritiary aromas
FOE = Too much oxygen too fast browns it and strips it of its flavors, colors and tastes like rust
87
What is charring, styles and flavors?
The amount of toasting inside the barrel. (Light, medium, heavy)
The bigger the wine, the better it can handle the charring
Toasty and cacao flavors
88
What is a wine fault and what is a flaw?
WINE FAULT = Correctable - an imperfection that doesn’t make the wine undrinkable.
•Generally acceptable. In some cases it adds to the mystique and complexity of a wine. But the difference is that the flavor is integrated
Barolo has VA nail varnish - Cote Roti and Chateneuf du Pape have Brett (foxy animals and gamey)
These wines are integrated and elegant
WINE FLAW = Uncorrectable - a defect that makes the wine undrinkable
89
What are the 3 wine flaws?
1- BRETT = brettomyaceas = yeast
In controlled, integrated ways, it can smell like animal, foxy, gamey, animal, horse, barnyard
(When it becomes a flaw, smells like manure)
2-SULFER DIOXIDE = burnt match smell - Usually in young wines with sulfur at top that hasn’t escaped - screw top wines must always be carafed or aerated (anaerobic, so suffer dioxide prominent upon opening.)
3-
90
What is the content of wine and how many components?
There are over 600 components of wine
WATER
POLYPHENOLS - antioxidants and coloring agents
•Pigments = anthocyanins (red), flavones (white)
•Tannin - tannin = antioxidant, add complexity to flavor - undesirable in whites
•Terpens
ACIDS
•Nonvolatile (fixed) Acids from grape = Tartaric, Malic, Citric = supply TASTE
•Volatile Acids from fermentation = accetic, succinic = supply AROMA, bouquet, fragrance
•Lactic acids from Malolactic fermentation
ALCOHOL (Ethyl and Methyl) 9-17%
GLYCEROL- oily and odorless - gives wine more pleasant texture
RESIDUAL SUGAR
MINERALS
91
When and why is Whole Cluster Pressing used?
* Champagne and sparkling wines and many late sweet grapes
* Only good years
* Whole cluster puts less stress on the grapes and the stems create a channel for juice to flow down more easily. But in bad yeast tannins can be too harsh.
92
What is wine sweetness attributed to?
Residual sugar
••Never add sugar to wine - only to must. (Chapitalization)
Fermentation is stopped to leave residual sugar.
93
What is the saying about sulphuric dosage?
The dosage must do no harm to either the wine or the consumer
94
What is fermentation?
Yeast converts sugar in anaerobic conditions into:
ethanol
carbon dioxide
heat
95
How is yeast introduced?
Yeast is inoculated into the must - is usually a dried powder
96
What is green fertilizer and why used?
Green fertilizing is European winemakers way of preserving their wild yeasts.
It is done by composting the vine wood, pomace, and lees and returning it to the vineyard soil as fertilizer.
97
What is extraction?
The transferring of phenols and color from the grape skins during fermentation.
98
Why do red wines ferment faster than white wines generally?
Fermentation is accelerated with heat. Red wines contain more phenols in the must, and when exposed to oxygen in the tank, yeast grows more quickly and produces more heat.
99
What is Pigeage?
What is Remontage?
What is Battonage?
Pigeage is the punching down the cap during fermentation
Remontage is the mechanized version of Pigeage used mostly today
Battonage is the stirring of settled lees back into the wine. “Resting on lees”. This is a form of aeration and it triggers malo-lactic fermentation since lees contain the bacteria that eat Malic acids
100
1-What is responsible for the rate of fermentation?
2- What is the average fermentation time for:
```
a-Most wines
b-Simple reds
c-Medium body cold weather grape
d-White wines
e-Heavy red
f- Nobly sweet (Sauternes)
```
1- Heat
2-
a-Most wines = 10-15 days
b-Simple reds = 4 days Beaujolaise and Valpolicella
c-Medium body cold weather grape = 8 days Alsatian Pinot, Spatburgunder, Austrian Blaufrankisch
d-White wines = 3 to 5 weeks
e-Heavy red = 2 to 4 weeks Barolo and Cabernet Sauvignon
f- Nobly sweet (Sauternes) = 3 months
101
Where is most of the ‘art’ of vinification
Much skill and experience is required to properly control the right amount of phenolic extraction
To ‘capture the soul of the wine’ is to extract the perfect amount of quality tannins
102
What 2 things effect phenolic extraction most (and why) and which is more important
Temperature and Duration
•Temperature is most important for phenolic extraction
Ex: for wines with big tannins = short, intensive (hot - 95F) macerations result in extraction of finest tannins. Barolo and Burgundy wines
At lower temperatures, the fermentation takes longer exposing it longer to the harsher phenols that begin leeching out. Wine can
•Duration, (length of time wine is in contact with must) is also important
If the wine is not fully fermented after a short, intense maceration, the wine can be drawn off the its’ lees and fermentation completed in another vessel.
103
Describe best fermentation temperature for white wine
Lower temperature fermentation is ideal for preserving the volatile aromas and fruity flavors associated with good white wine. (Just not so low that bacteria can grow.) White wine is not at risk of as much exposure to harsh tannins as reds.
104
Why is controlled fermentation so important to white wines?
White wines depend on the primary aromas, so with a hot temperature fermentation they can be lost. Primary aromas are the first to go.
105
What is the difference of aroma vs bouquet?
Aroma is the pleasant primary smells (vs VA) while bouquet refers to smells that arise from fermentation and aging.
106
How has temperature controlled Fermentation changed the map of white wine production
Fresh white wine can now be made in warmest of climates
| Spain, Sicily, Australia, South Africa, chili, California
107
What is the ideal temperature for Fermentation and why
55-60
Mold and bacteria grow from heat
- Cold temps = ferment slower produces more coiffable and elegant wines
- Hotter temps = dangerous threat of microorganism contamination, but can make thick jammy wine and good for heavily tannic grape
108
When is Remontage reduced
| When is it increased?
Circulation is reduced during rainy years when skins contain less phenolic material. Otherwise it would increase the releas of course tannins from the stems and/or seeds.
Circulation increased for great vintages - this is the art of controlling extraction
109
What is the cap?
The chapeau=
Carbon dioxide bubbles pull skins to the surface during fermentation forming a layer of skin. The layer must be punched down to redistribute.
Pigeage
110
1-What is good yeast called (botanical name) and where does it live?
2-What temp will it stop fermenting?
3-What else can stop yeast from fermenting?
1-Saccromyaceas Cerevisae lives in the bloom - the powdery substance on the berry
2- Below 54F temps
3- Lower temperature, add alcohol (15% by volume), add sulphuric dioxide
111
What must happen before white grapes can be fermented or what happens?
Clarification & fining (collage)
| Get one dimensional wines if not
112
What is Ice Wine (Icewein)
Sweet dessert wine made by harvesting and crushing grapes while frozen.
Since water in berry is frozen, what juice can be pressed is highly concentrated extract
These grapes are left on the vine after ripening (overripe)
Germany, Austria, Canada
113
In cold years does wine rest a longer time or shorter time on skins During Fermentation and why?
Shorter time.
| Skins haven’t had a chance to develop color and tannin, and risk passing on harsh, unripe flavors
114
```
1-Why is sulfur added?
2-What are 3 (4 including in the vineyard) points of sulfurization?
3-What does it bind to?
4-Too much sulfur can smell like what?
5-Too much sulfur can cause what?
```
1-
•Antioxidant (preservative)= prevents it from aging and discoloring
•Controls fermentation = kills various unwanted yeasts
•Astringent = kills bacteria and mold
2-Must stage, after fermentation, before bottling - (also sprayed in field as vines growing)
3-Acetaldehyde
4-Wine Flaw = Burnt match
5-Wine Fault = hydrogen sulfite (binds with hydrogen) cabbage, burnt rubber, garlic, onions)
115
1-What is polymerization?
2-When do you see it?
3-How does it impact aroma?
1- Fusion of phenols under aeration into long molecular strands
2- Causes tannin molecules to form sediment on bottom of bottle
3- Gives wine delicacy, clarity, elegance. Responsible form making wine softer, more harmonious and more complex.
116
What is Bottle Shock?
A temporary condition - muted or disjointed fruit flavors
It can occur immediately after bottling or when an additional dose of sulfur dioxide is added
Often occurs from being shaken during transport, etc.
Chateaux Montelegna
117
What is a tank wine?
Which some wine snobs call the stainless steel, temp controlled tanks, because they claim to produce one dimensional obscure wines.
118
What has more acid - Botrytis or Icewein?
What is the same about the 2 styles?
Icewein is higher in acid content because of the colder region
Both styles are aimed at increasing sweetness and concentration of must through late harvest in cool regions were ripening takes longer.
119
What are 5 ways to increase sugar in wine and describe?
1- USE GRAPE WITH HIGHER SUGAR AND THICKER SKIN
•Moscato Malvasia - Grenache - Greko
2- ACHIEVE FULL RIPENESS IN VINEYARD
•canopy management (less leaves=more sun on berry)
•green harvest = thinning the yield increases the concentration in remaining berries
•late harvest = sugar increases and water decreases in pulp
•sorting table = pick the best grapes
3-REMOVE WATER
•in warm climate = air dry raisin wine
•in cold climate = ice wine
•in damp climate = botrytis (noble rot)
4- ADD SUGAR, HONEY OR SWEET MUST
•chapitalization BEFORE fermentation
•unfermented must AFTER fermentation
5- FORTIFICATION
•Add alcohol before all the sugar is fermented leaving lots of residual sugar
120
What is the small of rotten egg and cowshed a sign of?
How can it be avoided?
Reduction = lack of oxygen - disallows bad fermentation odors to be neutralized
Winemaker can aerate while drawing off lees after fermentation
121
Name the 5 wine flaws and describe
•BRETT
1- Brett A = Barnyard, musky = Brunello known for this
2- Brett B = Notes of bandaid
•VA (VOLATILE ACIDITY) = acids evaporate at room temp, but lower temperatures prevent this
1-acetic acid = vinegar
2-ethyl acetate = nail polish remover
•SULFER DIOXIDE = SULFIDICATION (not to be confused with hydrogen sulfite which is a fault)
Burnt match - screw caps get this & goes away after opening
•DIACETYL = Synhesized butter smells like movie popcorn
Chardonnay prone to this
122
What are 8 in correctable wine faults?
1- TCA (corked) Trichloroanisole = When cork smells like ‘anything’ but cork or ‘nothing.’
Penecillan infection in cork. Mold feeds on chlorine and TCA is the waste product.
2- HEAT DAMAGE = Stewed fruit
Anything above 86 stews the wine. Poor transporting/shipping - 1 in 12 bottles gets it
3- VINEGAR = Exposure to acetic bacteria & oxygen
4- HYDROGEN SULFITE = Rotten egg
Viticulturist’s fault. SULFER sprayed on crops too close to harvest or over suffered
5-OXIDATION = Rusty, rancid, over-ripe apples
Browned or aged prematurely, improper storage like standing up with dry cork air gets in
6-GOUT LUMIERE = Canned corn
Overexposure to light (a form of oxidation) like spot lights or displayed in window
7- HIGH BRETT OR HIGH VA = Barnyard, band-aid, nail polish remover
When these flaws interrupt flavor, they become a fault
8- REFERMENTATION = Smells gassy, or feel fizzy or frothy on mouth
123
When does a flaw become a fault?
When the flaw is not integrated or elegant
124
What is VA
Volatile Acidity
Acids evaporate at room temperature, but at lower temperatures prevent this.
Too much acetic acid smells like vinegar - too much ethyl acetate smells like nail polish remover
Too much VA becomes a fault
125
What are the 2 main types of VA
How to avoid
Volatile acidity - may go away at room temp as acids evaporate
1-Acetic acid - when combined with oxygen = smells like vinegar
2-Ethyl acetate - smells like nail polish remover
Fill the bunghole with wine or nitrogen
127
What is Brett?
Brettanomyces
* Bad yeast usually in the winery or vineyard
* Low levels of it can enhance wine- high levels
* Controlled with the addition of sulfer dioxide
* Black Cardomom, Band-aid, Sweaty saddle leather, Horse manure, foxy, Animal, Musk, Truffle
128
How does wine turn to vinegar?
Where is real balsamic vinegar made?
Has to be exposed to Acetic Bacteria. The bacteria converts fermented wine into acetic acid.
‘Real’ Balsamic Vinegar is made only in Emilia-Romagna, just north of Tuscany.
129
Why add sulfites?
Describe the wine flaw and wine fault that occur from over sulfering
99% wineries do it to avoid spoilage.
It is an antioxidant and a preservative.
You can avoid fermentation until ‘I say so’ since it controls unwanted yeasts
Too much sulfer can cause VA or faults.
FLAW - Sulfidication (Sulfer Dioxide)
Burnt match smell from sulfer trapped in bottle -screw caps
•goes away with aeration
FAULT - Hydrogen Sulfite
Smells like Rotten eggs, cabbage, garlic, onion, burnt tire
•when combined with hydrogen molecule
•from over spraying sulfer in crops
130
How much free sulfer is in wine vs bound sulfer and which one is worse?
20% free sulfer - this is smelly and has adverse effect on health
80% bound sulfer = no taste or order or impact on health
