Written Questions

Question 1

Garnacha is a key grape in the Priorat DOCa. What conditions in the vineyard make this such an important variety here? (4 points)

Answer 1

Garnacha is a late-ripening variety that requires a lot of heat and this is possible in the warm Mediterranean climate of Catalunya. Summers are long, hot and dry. The Llicorella soils absorb heat, which enables the Garnacha vines to fully ripen.

Question 2

State four reasons in the vineyard and/ or wineries why Priorat DOCa wines are premium and expensive?

Answer 2

Priorat wines are premium and expensive for a variety of reasons.

1. The grapes are bush trained to provide ample shade to the grapes during the growing season and are grown on steep slopes. These factors require the vines to be hand pruned and hand harvested, which is expensive due to the extra labour costs.
2. Most of the Garnacha and Carinyena vines are older and produce lower yields
3. The Llicorella soils are lacking in nutrients, thus producing lower yields, which results in less wine to be sold.
4. Finally, the wines are fermented and aged in new oak barrels which are very expensive.

Question 3

What vineyard conditions produce wines with elegance and finesse in Rioja Alavesa?

Answer 3

1. Situated 500-800m in the foothills of the Cantabrian Mountains which increases acidity levels.
2. The continental climate is moderated by cooling Atlantic Ocean influences which gives lighter bodies wines with higher levels of acidity.

Question 4

You are a wine maker wanting to create a red Rioja that is deep coloured, powerful, high tannins and with an excellent ability to age. What techniques will you use?

Answer 4

1. Vigorous cap management techniques: punch down or pumping over to increase colour, tannins and flavour extraction during fermentation.
2. Blending with Graciano and Mazuelo that add colour, tannins and acidity.
3. Ageing in new French or American oak for an extended period of time which will impart more tannins, complexities and oak flavours.

Question 5

Describe the style of a traditional white Rioja.

Answer 5

Produced from the highly acidic Viura grape. The wine is often aged in New American oak for an extended period of time which imparts flavours of almond, nuts and turns the wine a golden colour.

Question 6

In the Loire Valley, what are some problems that grapegrowers face?

Answer 6

Due to the cold, wet conditions, there is increased risk of fungal diseases leading to mildew and rot. This can greatly reduce or even damage yields.
Spring frosts are also a potential problem. They damage buds which therefore decreases potential yields.

Question 7

In a village like Menetou-Salon, where would the best sites be for maximising the quality of grapes?

Answer 7

The best sites would be near rivers to benefit from the warmth stored in the water and the sunlight reflected from the water which both help with the ripening process. Additionally, grapes grown on south-facing mid-slopes would be higher quality because they have better drainage and more exposure to sunlight.

Question 8

Which wine making methods would be employed to create a fuller and more powerful wine from Menetou-Salon.

Answer 8

1) Oak maturation to give more oxidative, secondary notes
2) Blending with a richer, rounder grape such as Semillon that gives a fuller mouthfeel.
3) Introducting lees contact or MLF for more yeasty, buttery, creamy characteristics as well as adding more texture to be incorporated in the wine.

Question 9

State and describe the climate of the Marlborough region.

Answer 9

Marlborough is a cool maritime climate located in the northeastern part of New Zealand’s Southern Island. The vineyards are mostly planted with the Sauvignon Blanc grape. The Southern Alps protects the vineyards from the Tasman Sea’s harsh westerly winds. Rainfall is common throughout the year, especially during harvest. During the grape growing months, there are long sunlight days with warmer temperatures and cooling breezes at night.

Question 10

Describe the two main districts of Marlborough and the wines from these areas.

Answer 10

The two districts of Marlborough are the Wairau Valley and the Awatere Valley.
The Wairau Valley is a bit warmer, drier, larger and has a more varied landscape than the Awatere Valley. The longer, sunnier days and additional heat cause more riper, tropical fruit flavours to be in the wine.
The Awatere Valley is colder, rainier, windier and producing lighter wines with more pronounced herbaceous notes, minerality and brighter acidity.

Question 11

Name two AVA’s in Napa that produce premium wines

Answer 11

Los Carneros, Calistoga, St Helena, Oakville, Rutherford, Howell Mountain, Mt Veeder, Stag’s Leap

Question 12

Name 3 climatic and/or geographical features that can craft premium wines in the Napa Valley.

Answer 12

Cooling breezes from San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay - The cool afternoon breezes from these areas help to cool the grapes growing in the Southern Part of Napa, called Los Carneros AVA. These breezes enable cooler climate grapes such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to be grown here. The breezes help to create more balance in the grapes by moderating temperatures.

Morning Fogs - (6am-9am) These help moderate temperatures in Napa Valley up to 1400ft in altitude. These morning fogs help to refresh the vineyards and increase natural acidities in the grapes.

Heat trap via the mountain ranges- The Mayacamas (W) and Vaca (E) create a heat trap within the northern part of Napa Valley such as Rutherford and Oakville. This heat creates riper, bolder wines with more pronounced flavours and complexities.
Altitude - The Mayacamas and Vacas Mountains are the source of higher altitude sites. As a result, grapes grown at higher altitudes will benefit from cooler temperatures, thus developing higher levels of acidity. higher tannins and more complexities. Additionally due to the cooler temperatures, the grapes can be picked later and thus developing more phenolic ripeness.
Examples are Howell Mountain and Mount Veeder.

Question 13

How does the Sangiovese variety contribute to the style of Brunello de Montalcino wine?

Answer 13

The Sangiovese grape variety has high tannins and high acidity with red fruit flavours such as red cherry and red plum and spices/herbs. It has an affinity for oak ageing, as the oak softens the tannins and acidity over time. It ages well because of the high tannins, high alcohol and high acidity.

Question 14

Describe the climate of the Brunello di Montalcino DOCG area.

Answer 14

Warm Mediterranean- This wine region is located in southern Tuscany which is the warmest part. It receives some ocean breezes which is beneficial for developing acidity and tannins in the wine. There is low rainfall and warmer temperatures.

Question 15

How do the climate and weather patterns contribute to the style of wine produced in Brunello di Montalcino?

Answer 15

The wines often have high alcohol due to the warmer temperatures, sunshine and lack of rain. The cool breezes from the sea and the mountains combined with a high diurnal range, increase acidity and tannins in the wine, thus creating fuller bodied styles. Sangiovese ripens later and due to warm climate it can fully ripen due to a longer growing season which increases tannin levels.

Question 16

How long must Brunello di Montalcino be aged and why does it need to be aged?

Answer 16

It must be aged for a total of 5 years: 2 in oak and 3 in bottle.
With oak ageing, it develops more complex secondary notes from oak contact such as cedar, smoke and vanilla notes). Additionally it develops more oxidative tertiary notes with such a long ageing process such as tobacco, meat and mushroom notes. Additionally the tannins and acidity are softened, creating a more approachable wine.

Question 17

From the vineyard, how could you ensure a more complex and structured wine from Beaujolais?

Answer 17

As Gamay is a rather vigorous and high yielding variety, I would source the fruit from low-yielding regions with low-nutrient soils, which are found in the mountain foothills in the northwest of the region. These grapes would produce lower yields and higher concentrated wines with more complexities.

Question 18

Name and describe the winemaking process used to create Beaujolais Nouveau wines.

Answer 18

Semi-carbonic maceration - Whole clusters of grapes are placed in a vat. The pressure of the grapes causes the individual grapes at the bottom to split, thus releasing their juice. The juice begins to ferment with ambient yeast and this releases CO2. The CO2 pushes the Oxygen out of the tank. The tank is then sealed, creating an environment for anaerobic (witout Oxygen) fermentation to take place. The remaining grapes go through an intracellular transformation/carbonic maceration. The intact berries begin to split and release their juice. The free-run juice is then vatted off and fermented with yeast off the skins. The press wine is left in contact with the skins, thus creating more complex flavours, more tannins and more colour. The longer time is for more complex wines.

Question 19

What does the term classico mean on an Italian wine label?

Answer 19

Classico indicates that the wines have been made solely from grapes grown on original classified land. The wines tend to have more complexities and are some of the best in the area. Wines outside these expansion zones are usually lower quality.

Question 20

Name the region and grape of Valpolicella wines

Answer 20

Veneto is the region and the grape is Corvina.

Question 21

Describe the topography and geology of the classico wines of Valpolicella and the effect it has one them.

Answer 21

Located in the north of the region, in the foothills of Monti Lessini, which as soils made up of limestone, clay and volcanic rock. Soils lacking in nutrients and the higher altitudes create conditions for slower ripening, higher acidity and tannins, thus producing wines that are more concentrated and complex.

Question 22

Explain why Amarone della Valpolicella wines can be dry or off-dry.

Answer 22

Sometimes the grapes can be so full of sugar after going through the passito process of semi-drying the grapes and concentrating the sugars, that the yeast fail to fully ferment the wine to dryness. As a result, some residual sugar may be left behind giving an off-dry style.

Question 23

Account for the fuller-body and higher alcohol levels in Amarone della Valpolicella wines.

Answer 23

The passito process is used to increase flavour and structure in the grapes by picking early, drying indoors which concentrates the sugar levels and increases the flavours. As a result, the wine fuller-bodied and has a higher alcohol level.

Question 24

Name 4 primary aromas of Nebbiolo

Answer 24

Red fruits - cherry, plum, red currant, cranberry, raspberry
Floral - rose
Herbal - Lavender, fennel
Spice - black/white pepper, liquorice

Question 25

Why are grapes picked earlier in Barbaresco than Barolo?

Answer 25

The Barbaresco vineyards are at lower altitudes than Barolo (300-500metres) and ripen earlier due to warmer temperatures and more moderating effects of the River Tanaro, which is located alongside Barbaresco.

Question 26

What methods can be employed to soften tannins and acidity in Barolo and Barbaresco wines.

Answer 26

Gentler extraction techniques such as punching down or pumping over should be employed because the seeds of the Nebbiolo grape are rather large and can impart harsh tannins and bitter flavours in the wine. Both wines require oxidative ageing in either Slovonian Botti or French barriques. Barolo needs to be aged for a total of 36 months with a minimum of 18 months in oak. Barbaresco needs to be aged for 24 months with a minimum of 9 months in oak. The oak ageing softens the tannins, oxidizes the wine and lowers the astringency of the acidity in the wine. The

Question 27

What is the primary and secondary grape variety of Pomerol? What soil/geology does it prefer?

Answer 27

Primary - Merlot
Soil - limestone and clay
Secondary - Cabernet Franc
Soil- well-drained, gravely warm soils

Question 28

Often the wines of Pomerol are complex and powerful in style. How is this achieved in the vineyard?

Answer 28

Merlot is often harvested later from lower yields to ensure maximum possible purple colour, concentrated fruit flavours and soft, velvety tannins.

Question 29

Often the wines of Pomerol are complex and powerful in style. How is this achieved in the winery?

Answer 29

The grapes are crushed and then undergo a pre-fermentation cold soak maceration to extract greater colour and tannin with consistent cap management techniques such as pumping over will be used to add further colour, tannin and flavours. The wine will be matured in oak (12-18 months is common) which is often new oak and this will add further complexities.

Question 30

State and explain the four climatic influences in South Africa that make grape production possible.

Answer 30

1. Vineyards are located between 27 and 35 degrees South, which offers warm growing conditions.
2. The cold Banguela Current from Antarctica along with the cooling summer breezes of the Cape Doctor help moderate the high temperatures during the growing season.
3. The various mountain ranges within the area provide higher altitudes to grow grapes at cooler temperatures and it offers a longer growing season.
4. Additionally cool mountain air often helps to moderate temperatures of the vineyards planted within the foothills.