Chapter 12: Approaches to Winemaking Flashcards
1.3.2, 1.3.3 (28 cards)
Identify the four approaches to winemaking.
Conventional, modern winemaking
Organic winemaking
Biodynamic winemaking
Natural winemaking
What is the aim of conventional, modern winemaking?
To produce stable wines that reliably show their fruit character and have no faults.
What is organic winemaking?
Winemaking that produces wine made from certified organically grown grapes and complying with rules that restrict certain practices from being performed during the winemaking process.
Does organic winemaking allow the addition of additives and processes used in modern, conventional winemaking?
- Yes. Cultured yeasts and yeast nutrients and addition of tannins are often allowed.
- Ecocert (certification agency) issues a full list of allowable additives and processes, including where organic raw materials should be used if possible (e.g., organic egg white albumin for fining)
What is an example of practice not allowed in organic winemaking?
Partial de-alcoholization of wines
Who determines whether winemaking is organic?
Certified organic status can be issued by associations (e.g., Organic Winegrowers New Zealand) or determined at the country level (e.g., USDA) or by the EU
How is SO2 addressed in organic winemaking?
Varies across countries.
* EU allows additions of regulated amounts.
* USA excludes additions of SO2 and requires naturally occurring SO2 to be less than 10 mg/L; however, USA does have a category of organic grapes that allow additions of SO2
Who is the certifying body for biodynamic winemaking?
Demeter International
* Demeter certifiers in each country determine specification for that country
* UK - natural yeasts are encouraged, but organic or, if unavailable, commercial, yeasts can be used
* UK - bans the use of methods such as increasing alcohol levels by concentrating must
* USA - natural yeasts must be used, but certain classes of commercial yeast can be used if a ferment has stuck and then only on a case-by-case basis
* USA - cannot add tannins, prohibits certain financing agents, such as isingglass
What is natural winemaking?
No agreed upon definition; however, generally refers to wine made with the fewest possible manipulations, i.e., low intervention winemaking.
Aim is ‘nothing added, nothing removed’
What are the typical practices of natural winemaking?
- fermentation by ambient yeasts
- absolute minimum of SO2 (often only at bottling) or no added SO2
- organic or biodynamic grapes used whether certified or not
Who certifies biodynamic winemaking?
- Any winery can claim that any of their wines are natural.
- France’s Vin methode nature was first nationally recognized certification.
- VinNatur (Italy), L’Association des Vins Naturels (France) - associations that publish own standards and appraoches
Compare the cost impacts of the winemaking approaches.
- Conventional – All styles, quality levels, and prices.
- Organic – Certification adds a small cost element; sold at every price level but whether consumer will pay a premium for organic depends on the market
- Biodynamic - Certification adds a small cost; typically mid-priced, premium and super premium, reducing additional costs and small-scale production
- Natural - negligible impact on price as save on investment in equipment offset by cost of small batch winemaking and, where sought, certification; mid-priced to premium because small-scale production
Identify how each winemaking approaches uses SO2.
- Conventional – Adds SO2 to protect wine
- Organic – Varies across countries; UK okay with adding regulated amounts, whereas US denies addition of SO2 and naturally occuring SO2 has to be under 10 mg/L (there is a category of organic that allows)
- Biodynamic – ?
- Natural – absolute minimum of added SO2 (generally at bottling) or no added SO2
What are three things that typify conventional, modern winemaking?
- Temperature Control
- Use of additives and/or processing aids
- Manipulations
Where does temperature control come into play for conventional modern winemaking?
- Cold soaking
- Fermentation
- Maturation
What are examples of additives and/or processing aids used in conventional, modern winemaking?
- Adding sugar to increase potential alcohol and sweeten the wine
- Adding SO2 to protect wine
- Use of cultured yeasts and fining agents
What are examples of manipulations used in conventional, modern winemaking?
simple pressing and filtration to high technology such as reverse osmosis
Do all conventional, modern winemakers use sterile filtering?
No. Options employed are dictated by style and price point of wine being made.
Sterile filtering of wines with residual sugar usually desirable as the sugar makes them prone to spoilage; whereas, a number of producer of premiumd ry wines choose not to filter as they do not want to remove texture and flavors.
What advantages do natural winemakers claim?
- Involves use of artisan practices from the past
- More expressive of terroir
- Some feel some level of intervention or addition (e.g., of SO2) is beneficial to ensure wines show at their best
When the term ‘organic winemaking’ is used to describe how a wine is made, what exactly does the winemaker have to adhere to in order to use that term?
- Making wine using certified organically-grown grapes
- Complying with rules that restrict or exclude certain practices during the winemaking process.
Choose the correct answer from the options below:
Certified organic status can be issued by __:
*Associations, at the country level, of by the EU
* Winemaker
* Grape grower
Association at the country level or by the EU
The EU definition of organic wine:
* allows
* does not allow
the addition of regulated amounts of SO2.
Allows
In the United States, the category of ‘wine made from organic grapes’
* allows
* does not allow
the addition of SO2.
Allows
In the United States, the definition of organic wine:
* allows
* does not allow
any addition of SO2.
Does not allow
