Chapter 4

Question 1

What types of stills are used in the production of fruit spirits?

Answer 1

Both pot and column

Question 2

True or false?
Italian grappa are typically unaged.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

All fruit contain ————

Answer 3

sugar
juice
seeds

Question 4

What are the two ways of processing fruit for spirits?

Answer 4

Crushed and pressed to create a sugary liquid that is fermented and distilled
Some fruits are macerated in a neutral spirit, which is then re-distilled

Question 5

What are the best grapes for producing spirits?

Answer 5

Highly acidic
White grapes
Not possess a great deal of aromas

Question 6

What does distillation do to wines that are highly acidic with faint aromas?

Answer 6

Concentrates their delicate floral and fruity aromas

Question 7

What spirit uses a highly aromatic grape variety?

Answer 7

Pisco

Question 8

What does a distiller do to the wine before distillation?

Answer 8

Store the wine, it will remain fresh because of the acidity and alcohol

Question 9

What do distillers do with the mass of grape skins discarded by winemakers?

Answer 9

Make pomace brandy

Question 10

How is pomace brandy made?

Answer 10

The discarded grape skin retain some juice, so it will be mixed with water and the resulting liquid can be fermented

Question 11

What are the most common fruits that are used for fruit spirits?

Answer 11

Cherries
Raspberries
Plums
Strawberries
Apples
Pears

Question 12

Why a producer may choose to macerate fruits?

Answer 12

Some fruit don’t have enough juice for fermentation
To avoid some aromas created during fermentation

Question 13

How are high quality vodkas produced?

Answer 13

Maceration

Question 14

What type of still is used for distillation of fruit spirits?

Answer 14

Pot stills

Question 15

What is the grape variety used for producing cognac?

Answer 15

Ugni Blanc

Question 16

True or false
Most grape and apple brandies are matured in oak barrels.

Answer 16

True

Question 17

What is the most important phase of producing an oak matured brandy?

Answer 17

Blending

Question 18

Is pomace brandy oak matured?

Answer 18

No, similar to fruit brandies (except Calvados)

Question 19

How are the best fruit brandies matured?

Answer 19

For a number of years in inert vessels

Question 20

What is the purpose of maturing unoaked fruit brandies?

Answer 20

To help the flavors round out and become more complex

Question 21

What is the heat source for the production of cognac?

Answer 21

Direct heat by means of gas burners

Question 22

What is Chapiteau?

Answer 22

Still head is the upper part of the olive shaped still

Question 23

What is col de cygne?

Answer 23

Swan neck or the curving tube that links the still head to the condenser

Question 24

What kind of condenser is used in the production of cognac?

Answer 24

Worm tube

Question 25

What are the three most important fruit brandies of France?

Answer 25

Cognac Armagnac Calvados

Question 26

What is the most widely recognized grape brandy?

Answer 26

Cognac

Question 27

Where is the cognac region?

Answer 27

North of Bordeaux

Question 28

What are the main aromas of cognac made from ugni blanc?

Answer 28

Raisins and Violets

Question 29

When is the distillation of ugni blanc wines that are produced for cognac making done?

Answer 29

By the end of March the year after the harvest

Question 30

What are the requirements for distilling cognac?

Answer 30

Double distilled in copper pot still

Question 31

What are the oak aging requirements for cognac?

Answer 31

Matured in oak for a minimum of two years Start maturation in new oak and finish in older oak barrels

Question 32

What are demijohns are used for?

Answer 32

Decanting very aged spirits from barrels into demijohns for reserves when the distiller considers that there is no further benefit to be gained from either oak or oxygen

Question 33

True or false? Most cognac are slightly sweetened before bottling for sale.

Answer 33

True

Question 34

Where is Armagnac?

Answer 34

A region south of Bordeaux

Question 35

What are the three grape varieties of Armagnac?

Answer 35

Ugni Blanc Baco (smells like prune) Folle Blanche (pronounce floral aromas)

Question 36

What kind of still is used in the production of Armagnac?

Answer 36

Traditional short Column still

Question 37

What are the two notable points of difference between Cognac and Armagnac ?

Answer 37

Armagnac commonly Vintage dated (if vintage dated the product is NOT a blend) Armagnac can be sold unaged (Blanche)

Question 38

What is the grape variety used in the making of Armagnac Blanche?

Answer 38

Folle Blanche/ the product does have an expressive fruity quality

Question 39

Where is Calvados made?

Answer 39

Specific part of Normandy in the very north of France

Question 40

What is Calvados made of?

Answer 40

Apples and pears

Question 41

What kind of still is used in the production of Calvados?

Answer 41

Both pot and short column stills

Question 42

What kind of barrels are used in the production of Calvados?

Answer 42

Large oak vessels as a result the spirit retains a pronounced and easily recognizable aroma of apples

Question 43

Where is grappa made?

Answer 43

Italy

Question 44

What are the characteristics of grappa?

Answer 44

Herbaceous flavors from the pomace Sharp texture

Question 45

Where is the home of Pisco?

Answer 45

Chile & Peru

Question 46

What country produces wood-matured pisco?

Answer 46

Chile

Question 47

What kind of still is used in the production of pisco?

Answer 47

Pot still

Question 48

What is Central Europe famous for?

Answer 48

Fruit brandies

Question 49

What countries other than France & Italy produce fresh grape and pomace brandies?

Answer 49

Spain South Africa Mexico

Question 50

True or False Grappa is a pomace spirit.

Answer 50

True

Question 51

What are the two most important subregions of Armagnac?

Answer 51

Bas Armagnac Ténarèze

Question 52

What does chateau mean on Armagnac labels?

Answer 52

It indicates a small individual producer

Question 53

What does chateau mean on Armagnac labels?

Answer 53

It indicates a small individual producer

Question 54

What is the aging requirements for Blanche Armagnac?

Answer 54

3 months

Question 55

What is the aging requirements for VS Armagnac?

Answer 55

1 yr old

Question 56

What is the aging requirements for VSOP Armagnac?

Answer 56

4 yrs

Question 57

What is the aging requirements for XO Armagnac?

Answer 57

6 years

Question 58

What is the aging requirements for Hors d’Age, vintage Armagnac?

Answer 58

10 years

Question 59

What are the 4 major cognac houses?

Answer 59

Remy Martin Martell Hennessy Courvoisier

Question 60

What are the main regions of cognac?

Answer 60

Grande Champagne Petit Champagne Borderies

Question 61

If any of the sub regions of cognac appear on a label then ——— of the grapes used to make that cognac must have been grown in stated region.

Answer 61

100%

Question 62

If a cognac is a blend of spirits from Grande Champagne (min 50%) and Petite Champagne it can be labelled ———.

Answer 62

Fine Champagne

Question 63

What is the minimum age of the youngest spirit in the blend of a VS Cognac?

Answer 63

2 yrs

Question 64

What is the minimum age of the youngest spirit in the blend of a VSOP Cognac?

Answer 64

4 yrs

Question 65

What is the minimum age of the youngest spirit in the blend of a XO Cognac?

Answer 65

10 yrs

Question 66

What is the minimum age of the youngest spirit in the blend of a Napoléon Cognac?

Answer 66

6 yrs

Question 67

What is the minimum age of the youngest spirit in the blend of a Hors d’Age Cognac?

Answer 67

10 yrs

Question 68

What are the characteristics of a VS Cognac?

Answer 68

Typically has a distinct fruit & oak aromas with a slightly sharp texture

Question 69

What are the characteristics of a VSOP cognac?

Answer 69

Richer and fuller than VS Some aromas of maturity

Question 70

What are the characteristics of XO Cognac?

Answer 70

Seamlessly integrated array of raisin, floral, oak and rancio aromas, and a smooth mouthful.