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WSET Level 4 D5: Fortified Wine > 3.2: Port - Winemaking > Flashcards

3.2: Port - Winemaking Flashcards

1
Q

How is fermentation stopped in Port production?

A

by the addition of grape spirit to create a sweet wine

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2
Q

How sweet are Ports usually?

A

usually 80-120 g/L residual sugar

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3
Q

Why do the extraction techniques have to be very effective?

A

maceration with the skins lasts for a maximum of two days

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4
Q

What are the 5 key methods of extraction during the fermentation?

A
  1. Foot treading in lagares
  2. Modern lagares
  3. Pumping over
  4. Stainless-steel pistons
  5. Autovinifiers
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5
Q

What are lagares? How were they traditionally made and used?

A
  • singular lagar
  • shallow (around 80 cm deep) square tanks, allowing a large surface area between the must and grape skins
  • traditionally made from granite
  • extraction would come from foot treading
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6
Q

Describe foot treading in lagares as an extraction method. Who uses this method?

A
  • effective at extracting
  • gentle enough not to crush the seeds (release bitter tannins)
  • method used for a small number of premium and super-premium Ports
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7
Q

What is another name for modern lagares?

A

robotic lagares

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8
Q

Describe modern lagares.

A

silicon ‘feet’, attached to a stainless-steel gantry, press the grapes against the lagar floor and subsequently punch down the cap

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9
Q

What is the advantage of modern lagares?

A
  • reduce the need for a large hired workforce, which can be difficult to obtain and unreliable
  • can produce wines of equal quality to those that are produced by foot treading (but some producers continue to use foot treading for their most expensive wines)
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10
Q

What is the disadvantage of modern lagares?

A

initial investment for this equipment is higher

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11
Q

What is pumping over? Is it more or less effective than foot treading or modern lagares?

A
  • same technique used for non-fortified wines
  • can produce Ports with deep colour and high levels of concentration through frequent pumping over
  • not as effective at extracting as foot treading or modern lagares
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12
Q

Describe the stainless-steel pistons method of extraction.

A
  • uses open stainless-steel vats with pistons that punch down the cap to a programmed schedule
  • can be used in conjunction with pumping over, which is usually needed to promote a more-even extraction
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13
Q

How effective is the stainless-steel pistons method of extraction?

A
  • believed to be almost as effective at extracting as lagares
  • seems to produce wines that are very similar in quality to those that have been made by foot treading in lagares
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14
Q

Describe how an autovinifier extracts.

A
  • sealed concrete or stainless-steel tanks provide a solution to cap management that does not require electricity
  • rising pressure of the CO2 produced from the fermentation pushes the juice up through pipes into a holding tank
  • when CO2 pressure reaches certain level, valve automatically released
  • wine in the holding tank, no longer supported by the gas pressure, sprays over the cap
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15
Q

What is a key advantage of the autovinifier method?

A

does not require electricity and therefore can be one of the cheapest options

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16
Q

What is a key disadvantage of the autovinifier method? For this reason, for what wines is this technique suitable?

A
  • process is reliant on CO2 released from fermentation, very little extraction occurs before the fermentation starts
  • means that the wines that this technique tends to produce are lighter in colour, body and flavour, suitable for basic Tawny, White and Ruby Ports
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17
Q

What is the most popular modern fermentation vessel? Why?

A
  • stainless-steel
  • easy temperature control (if necessary, the tank can be cooled to slow the fermentation and therefore prolong the period of extraction)
  • easy to clean
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18
Q

In addition to stainless steel, what other vessels might a producer use for fermentation? For what types of wines might these vessels be more common?

A
  • some producers use granite, concrete or old wooden vessels

- usually for small-volume wines

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19
Q

Are the grapes typically destemmed or not?

A

may or may not be destemmed

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20
Q

Why might a producer choose to destem?

A

unripe stems can impart bitterness

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21
Q

Why might a producer choose not to destem?

A

if stems are fully ripe they can aid pressing (reducing pressure of the pomace and enabling better drainage) after the fermentation has been stopped and free-run wine drained

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22
Q

At what temperature is the fermentation for red wines carried out? Why?

A
  • 28-32°C
  • warm enough to allow sufficient extraction
  • not so warm that the fermentation progresses too quickly and reduces the available extraction time before pressing and fortification
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23
Q

At what temperature is the fermentation for white wines carried out?

A
  • 20°C and below
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24
Q

What types of yeasts are typically used? Why?

A
  • many producers use ambient yeasts for fermentation
  • sufficient to start the ferment
  • completing fermentation to dryness is not a concern
25
Q

According to Port legislation, where must the spirit used to fortify come from? What abv must it be?

A
  • grapes or other grape-derived products

- 77% abv (+/- 0.5%)

26
Q

What is the name for the spirit used to fortify?

A

aguardente

27
Q

To what alcoholic strength must all Port be fortified?

A

19-22% abv

28
Q

How does the alcoholic strength of the aguardente compare to that of other foritifed wines?

A

relatively low compared to the 95-96% abv spirits used in many other fortified wines

29
Q

What is the main difference between 95-96% abv grape spirits and aguardente?

A
  • 77% abv has more character, and is the reason Port displays spirity aromas
  • 95-96% abv is neutral
30
Q

Due to the lower alcoholic strength of aguardente, what is needed?

A
  • a significant amount of spirit needs to be added to produce a fortified wine of 20% abv
  • approximately 1 L of spirit for every 4 L of fermenting must
31
Q

Why does the style and quality of the fortifying spirit have a significant influence on the style and quality of the wine when it comes to Port?

A
  • more of it is needed (since it’s lower abv)

- it has more character (since it’s lower abv)

32
Q

Between 1967 and 1976, from where did all producers have to buy their aguardente? When did that change?

A
  • Casa do Douro

- 1976: IVP tendered the contract for the spirit

33
Q

Describe the quality of aguardente in 1976.

A
  • same for all producers

- not of particularly high quality (cheap alcohol from southern Portugal, and then France)

34
Q

Since when have producers been able to source and buy their own aguardente?

A

1991

35
Q

Why might producers use slightly different aguardentes in different wines?

A
  • sometimes relatively neutral spirits used to best show the character of the wine
  • sometimes aromatic (more fruity esters) spirits used to add a certain character
  • influence on the price of the final wine (high quality spirit will be added to premium wines, whereas less expensive spirit will be used in inexpensive wines)
36
Q

The fermentation is stopped when the wine reaches what abv?

A

5-7% abv

37
Q

How does a producer determine when to add the fortifying spirit?

A
  • house style

- depends on the concentration of sugar the producer wants to retain in the final wine, generally 80-120 g/L

38
Q

What happens just before the wine is fortified? How does this occur and why?

A
  • wine drained from skins before the aguardente added
  • draining must be as efficient as possible, as the must will continue fermenting during this time (until the fortifying alcohol is added), using up sugar that may be desired in the final wine
39
Q

How are modern fermentation vessels for port designed?

A
  • to drain as quickly as possible

- compared to traditional granite lagares, which can take hours to drain

40
Q

What happens with the mass of grapes skins left after draining?

A
  • pressed
  • much of this press wine will be blended into the fortified free run wine to provide greater colour and tannin, necessary for wines that are to undergo long periods of ageing
41
Q

When are grapes for Port picked?

A

when the flavours and tannins are ripe

42
Q

What are potential problems regarding the ripeness of the grapes at harvest? What might that lead to in the winery? What is not a problem?

A
  • too much potential alcohol is not an issue for these wines
  • acidity can be low
  • pH can be high
  • acidification can be common
43
Q

Do Ports go through malolactic conversion? Why or why not?

A
  • no

- lactic acid bacteria are unable to tolerate the high concentration of alcohol in the wine after fortification

44
Q

Where do all Ports spend their first winter? What happens to them during this time? What happens in the spring?

A
  • Douro
  • wines are left to clarify before they are racked off the gross lees
  • rotary vacuum filter often used to extract the remaining wine from the lees
  • spring: wines may be shipped from wineries in the vineyard area to lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia
45
Q

When does blending occur?

A

may happen at any point

46
Q

What types of wines are blended?

A
  • different vineyard parcels
  • different grape varieties (though co-fermentation of different varieties is quite common)
  • different vintages
  • treated differently in the winery
47
Q

Why are Port wines blended?

A
  • consistency
  • house style
  • style: profile and quality
48
Q

Give 2 examples of blending for consistency.

A
  1. producers generally make a range of young wines some with very high levels of sweetness and some that are drier specifically to adjust level of sweetness in the final wine style
  2. many ports non-vintage products; consumers expecting consistency of style year on year
49
Q

Give an example of blending to produce a typical style.

A

wines destined for Vintage Port will be blended to have deeper colour, greater concentration of flavours, and higher tannins to be able to undergo extensive ageing, compared to a Reserve Ruby or LBV

50
Q

Where are were the wines historically matured? What is happening now?

A
  • Vila Nova de Gaia
  • become more tourist focused and congested
  • more producers built well-insulated, humidity-controlled lodges in the vineyard area
51
Q

Why is the climate of Vila Nova de Gaia better suited to the maturation of Port wines than the wineries in the vineyard area?

A
  • strong Atlantic influence

- temperatures are generally cooler and more constant

52
Q

How are most styles of port aged?

A

in oak, even if for a relatively short time

53
Q

In what size vessel is Port typically matured?

A

Vessels may vary considerably in size depending on the amount of oxidation desired

54
Q

What is the largest type of aging vessel? How much can it hold?

A
  • balseiros

- 100,000 litres

55
Q

Generally, what are balseiros used for?

A

to store wines and keep them fresh

56
Q

If gentle oxidation is desired, what is used for aging?

A

600 L barrels called pipes

57
Q

Is new oak used?

A
  • aromas of new oak are not wanted

- new vessels will be used to produce unfortified wines for a few years before they are used for Port maturation

58
Q

What happens during the maturation process? Why?

A
  • racking

- to remove lees that gradually accumulates at the bottom of the vessel to avoid potential off-flavours

59
Q

How frequently is racking carried out during maturation?

A
  • depend on level of oxidation desired
  • frequency of racking is another way the producer can control the amount of oxidation, as is the degree to which the vessels are topped up with wine

WSET Level 4 D5: Fortified Wine (23 decks)

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