Chapter 9 Flashcards
(40 cards)
T/F: Dessert wines are all sweet and the category includes still and sparkling natural wines as well as fortified wines
True
T/F: Botrytis-affected dessert wines made in cAlifornia are modelled after Hungarian Tokai
False. They are modelled after French Suternes and German late-harvest Rieslings.
T/F: Botrytis cinerea is a widely-occurring destructive disease organism that can attack grapevines and many other plants
True
A typical disease cycle of Botrytis begins with the germination of spores that have overwintered in______ following _____ and can produce shoots and leaves that look like they have been scorched.
plant debris; spring rain
Because they contain plenty of nutrients, the ______ are the best site for Botrytis to multiply.
grape berries
T/F: A botrytis infection cannot develop in the fruit unless the skins of the grapes are first cracked or broken by some other agent
False. Botrytis can penetrate an intact grape skin.
Which item on the list below is NOT a general vineyard condition or cultural practice that would encourage Botrytis growth on grape berries?
A. limited use of fungicide
B. removal of leaves to aerate the canopy
C. lingering summer fogs
D. soils that hold moisture
E. carefully timed fungicide applications early in the season
removal of leaves to aerate the canopy.
Leaf removal is done to prevent Botrytis infection (and early-season fungicide use prevents the young shoots-but not the fruit that forms later-from being infected)
The difference between a normal Botrytis disease cycle in which a grower could lose a large proportion of his crop and a limited infection that produces fruit suitable for making exquisite sweet wines is determined, in part, by _________, but hinges upon _________.
vineyard climate, soils, and cultural decisions; the proper pattern of fall weather
A successful Botrytis infection requires limited fall ______ or a seriesof foggy days to initiate the germination of the spores.
rainfall
When Botrytis grows on the surface of a grape it penetrates the skin enabling water to evaporate during a period of ____ weather
warm, dry
T/F: A successful Botrytis infection–from the point of view of the winemakesr, if not the mold–is one in which the disease cycle is interrupted before the berries are broken and secondary infections develop.
true
T/F: In a typical Botrytis infection all the berries in a cluster become infected at the same time.
False, A typical Botrytis infection spreads from one site to infect adjacent berries. A cluster with an advanced infection will contain berries in all stages from shriveled to healthy.
Which grape varieties are more susceptible, and which are the least susceptible to Botrytis?
Chenin Blanc, White Riesling, Zinfandels-most
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot-least
T/F: The change in sugar and acid composition following a Botrytis infection differs from the changes of normal grape ripening because acid and sugar BOTH increase in concentration.
True
T/F: Both growers and wineries feel that, for Botrytis-infected fruit, the higher the sugar, the better.
false. Even though higher sugars can be obtained, harvest sugars between 35-45 deg Brix are optimal for well-balanced wines.
Why is harvesting Botrytis-infected fruit slow?
Because each cluster must be smelled to be sure it does not have a secondary infection and handled carefully so it doesn’t fall apart. In addition, because not all fruit is infected at once, a vineyard is selectively harvested several times over several days or even weeks
T/F: The water evaporation that occurs in a vineyard successfully infected with Botrytis can reduce yields to as little as 1/3 to 1/2 of normal
true
T/F: Even though vineyard yields are reduced by a Botrytis infection, in the winery, the juice yield per ton of grapes is the same as for non-infected fruit
false, the yield of juice per ton is reduced to 75-90 gallons per ton
T/F: Fermentation of the high-sugar juices of Botrytis-affected fruit are hard to start and slow to progress.
true
Botrytis-affected wines made from _______ are more likely to be aged in small oak barrels.
sauvignon blanc & semillon
T/F: Although the cultivation of a bineyard can be modified to encourage or discourage the growth of Botrytis, a successful infection cycle has never been completed on harvested fruit.
false
The concentrated alcohol used to fortify wines is called_____
wine spirits
T/F: For ordinary fortified wines hot growing regions are beneficial for both high vineyard yields and high sugar content grapes.
true
About __ the fruit for dessert wine production goes to produce alcohol for fortification, making the per ton yield of finished wine ___gallons.
1/2; 75-110
