24. Sparkling Wines

Question 1

What characteristics does the base wine for sparkling wines usually have?

Answer 1

Dry
High acidity
Low in alcohol
Blend of different wines

Question 2

What is the equation for the process of making sparkling wines?

Answer 2

Sugar + Base wine + Yeast = Alcohol + Carbon Dioxide

Question 3

How are the bubbles typically formed in a sparkling wine?

Answer 3

During a second fermentation carbon dioxide is released as the yeast converts the sugar to alcohol.
The carbon dioxide is trapped in a sealed vessel and therefore creates bubbled in the wine.

Question 4

How many fermentations take place in most sparkling wines?

Answer 4

Two - one to create the base wine and one to create the bubbles

Question 5

How much ABV does the second fermentation add to sparkling wines?

Answer 5

1.5% ABV

Question 6

What are the two main types of second fermentation to make sparkling wines?

Answer 6

Bottle fermentation

Tank fermentation

Question 7

What are the six stages of bottle fermenting a sparkling wine?

Answer 7

1. Secondary fermentation
2. Yeast autolysis
3. Riddling
4. Disgorgement
5. Dosage
6. Resealing

Question 8

What happens during the second fermentation of sparkling wines made by the traditional method?

Answer 8

Base wine, sugar and yeast added to a bottle and sealed with a crown cap.
Bottle stored on its side.
Yeast converts sugar to alcohol and carbon dioxide (bubbles)
Dead yeast sinks to form lees.

Question 9

Why are champagne bottles laid on their side to bottle ferment?

Answer 9

Increased contact with the lees to gain lots of flavours

Question 10

What is yeast autolysis?

Answer 10

Lees breaking down imparting flavours to the sparkling wine

Question 11

What characteristics does yeast autolysis add to a sparkling wine?

Answer 11

Biscuit
Bread
Brioche

Question 12

What is riddling?

Answer 12

Moving the lees deposit to the neck of the bottle when making a sparkling wine by bottle fermentation
Bottle is slowly moved from a horizontal to an inverted vertical position.
Done by hand or gyropalette

Question 13

What are the two methods of riddling?

Answer 13

Hand riddling on an A frame

Using a gyropalette to process hundreds of bottles at a time

Question 14

What is disgorgement?

Answer 14

When the neck of a sparkling wine bottle is frozen to trap the lees in a plug of ice. Once the crown cap is removed the pressure forces the plug out the bottle.

Question 15

What is dosage (process)?

Answer 15

Adding wine, and usually sugar into a sparkling wine after disgorgement to top up the bottle.
The amount of sugar added (dosage) determines the sweetness of the wine.

Question 16

What is liqueur d’expedition?

Answer 16

The sugar and wine mixture added to a sparkling wine during the dosage process.

Question 17

What different levels of dosage are common?

Answer 17

Brut nature - 0 sugar added
Brut - dry, some sugar added
Demi Sec - medium sweetness

Question 18

What two sparkling wines are traditionally made using bottle fermentation?

Answer 18

Champagne

Cava

Question 19

What does the wine labelling term Methode traditionnelle mean?

Answer 19

A sparkling wine made in the traditional bottle fermentation method, e.g. Champagne

Question 20

Why are the lees typically removed from bottle fermented sparkling wines?

Answer 20

Otherwise the wines would be hazy/cloudy

Question 21

What three grapes are typically blended to form Champagne?

Answer 21

Pinot Noir
Pinot Meunier
Chardonnay

Question 22

What is the climate in Champagne?

Answer 22

Cool climate

Question 23

What is a Non Vintage champagne and why is this commonly made?

Answer 23

A blend of various base wines from different vintages.

To create consistency

Question 24

What is the minimum legal amount of time for Champagne to age on lees?

Answer 24

12 months

Question 25

What flavours can be expected from a very good quality champagne?

Answer 25

Green apple Lemon Toast/biscuits

Question 26

What is a Vintage Champagne and what is different about the way it is produced?

Answer 26

Only made in exceptional years out of the best grapes from that harvest. Aged with lees contact for longer and also bottled ages after disgorgement Nuts and honey flavours present due to bottle age

Question 27

Where does the majority of Cava come from?

Answer 27

Catalunya

Question 28

What grapes are used to make Cava?

Answer 28

Mainly local varieties, sometimes Chardonnay and Pinot Noir

Question 29

What is the climate in Catalunya?

Answer 29

Warm climate

Question 30

What wine is commonly produced in Catalunya?

Answer 30

Cava

Question 31

What flavours are common in Cava?

Answer 31

Green apple Pear Very subtle autolytic characteristics

Question 32

What countries around the world produce traditional method sparkling wines?

Answer 32

``` France - Champagne Spain - Cava California South Africa Australia New Zealand ```

Question 33

What does Methode Cap Classique on a bottle label signify?

Answer 33

A sparkling wine from South Africa.

Question 34

Why may tank fermentation be used instead of bottle fermentation for sparkling wines?

Answer 34

Cheaper and simpler process Less labour intensive Preserves the flavours of the grapes

Question 35

What are the stages of the tank fermentation process for sparkling wines?

Answer 35

1. Yeast and sugar added to a base wine 2. Sealed in a tank for second fermentation 3. Lees removed by filtration 4. Bottled under pressure

Question 36

What grapes is Prosecco made from?

Answer 36

Glera

Question 37

What are the characteristics of Glera?

Answer 37

Light to medium bodied Dry to off dry Apple and melon flavours

Question 38

What flavours are typical in a Prosecco?

Answer 38

``` Apple Melon Pear Citrus Florality ```

Question 39

What are the stage of the asti method of making sparkling wine?

Answer 39

Grape juice is partially fermented in a pressurised tank. Tank is sealed to retain carbon dioxide Filtration of the yeast to stop fermentation

Question 40

What are the key characteristics of an Asti wine?

Answer 40

Low alcohol Sweet Produced by one fermentation

Question 41

What is the key different between the Asti method and tank fermentation for other wines?

Answer 41

Asti method begins with grape juice not base wine - only one fermentation for Asti

Question 42

Where is Asti made?

Answer 42

Piemonte, Italy

Question 43

What grapes is Asti made from?

Answer 43

Moscato / Muscat

Question 44

What sparkling wine is commonly made from Muscat/Moscato?

Answer 44

Asti

Question 45

What flavours are common in an Asti wine?

Answer 45

Grape Pear Blossom Peach

Question 46

Why should sparkling wine be well chilled before opened?

Answer 46

Reduces the pressure in the bottle

Question 47

What are the four stages of opening a bottle of sparkling wine?

Answer 47

1. Chill the bottle 2. Remove foil and keep thumb on cork 3. Unscrew cage 4. Turn bottle keeping hold of the cork and cage

Question 48

``` What wine has the following characteristics: Off dry Light to medium body Sparkling Light apple, pear and melon flavours? ```

Answer 48

Prosecco

Question 49

``` What wine has the following characteristics: Dry Light body Simple flavours of green apple and pear Short finish Sparkling? ```

Answer 49

Cava

Question 50

What wine has the following characteristics: Dry Pronounced flavours Sparkling Flavours of green apple, lemon, toast and biscuits Medium-long finish?

Answer 50

Champagne

Question 51

``` What wine has the following characteristics: Sweet Low alcohol Flavours of grapes and peaches Short finish Sparkling? ```

Answer 51

Asti