Exam Run Through

Question 1

Suitability for bottle aging

Answer 1

• Bottle aged: Suitable for bottle aging
• Oxidatively aged: never suitable for aging - it is fully developed
• Biologically aged: not suitable for bottle aging - will deteriorate
• Youthful: meant to be drunk youn

Question 2

Potential Alcohol

Answer 2

• Sherry: usually picked at 12% abv (palomino)
• Port: Picked at optimum ripeness for style
• Madeira: minimum potential alcohol 9% abv - usually picked at 11% abv
• Vin Doux Naturels: minimum potential Alcohol 14.8% abv
• Rutherglen Muscat: not unusual for grapes to reach 20% ab

Question 3

Yields

Answer 3

• Sherry: max 80hL/ha - usually 60-70hL/ha
• Port: Maximum 55hL/ha - usually around 30hL/ha
• Madeira: max yields vary but yields of 150hL/ha
• Vin Doux Naturels: maximum is generally 30hL/ha
• Rutherglen Muscat: no yield mentioned

Question 4

Sherry Grapes

Answer 4

Palamino
Moscatel
Pedro Ximénez

Question 5

Palomino

Answer 5

mid to late ripening
neutral
loses acidity quickly
well suited to dry summer weather

Question 6

Moscatel

Answer 6

Muscat of Alexandria
late ripening
sandy soils
tolerant of heat and drought
aromatic - blossom/ grape

Question 7

Pedro Ximénez

Answer 7

neutral
small thick skinned
accumulated high levels of sugar

Question 8

Port Grapes

Answer 8

Touriga Franca
Touriga Nacional
Tinta Roriz
Tinta Barroca
Tinta Amarela
Tinta Cao
Sousao
Malvasia Fina
Moscatel Galego Branco

Question 9

Touriga Franca

Answer 9

late ripening
tight bunches of thick skinned grapes
fungal resistant
adds color, tannin, acidity, and juicy red/black fruit

Question 10

Tinta Roriz

Answer 10

Tempranillo in Spain
early ripening
can suffer water stress in warm areas
adds body and deep color
high yields but needs to be limited for concentration

Question 11

Touriga Nacional

Answer 11

mid ripening thick skinned
add color and tannins
retains acidity well
concentrated black fruit and florals
aging potenial
vegetative vigor
susceptible to coulure

Question 12

Tinta Barroca

Answer 12

early ripening
prone to heat damage - shriveling
earthy flavors
colour fades

Question 13

Tinta Amarela

Answer 13

prone to fungal diseases
tight bunches
concentrated black fruits and spicy notes
full bodied, approachable in youth but capable of aging

Question 14

Tinta Cao

Answer 14

low yielding
small thick skinned grapes
resistant to fungal disease
late ripening
very tolerant of heat

Question 15

Sousao

Answer 15

thick skinned
deep color
able to retain high acidity

Question 16

Malvasia Fina

Answer 16

Boal in Madeira
neutral
medium acidity
fully body
honey charecteristics

Question 17

Moscatel Galego Branco

Answer 17

aromatic
Muscat a Petits Grains
usually unaged

Question 18

Madeira Grapes

Answer 18

Tinta Negra
Sercial
Verdelho
Boal
Malvasia
Terrantez

Question 19

Tinta Negra

Answer 19

most planted
high yielding
easy to grow
produces wine of all sweetness levels

Question 20

Sercial

Answer 20

high acidity
produces driest styles
late ripening
resistant to powdery milder
susceptible to botrytis bunch rot
plantings are small

Question 21

Verdelho

Answer 21

high acidity - but lower than Sercial
susceptible to botrytis bunch rot, coulure, downy and powdery mildew

Question 22

Boal

Answer 22

Malvasia Fina in Port
umbrella term - Boal Cachudo in Madeira
susceptible to drought
semi sweet wines

Question 23

Malvasia

Answer 23

Umbrella term - historically Malvasia Candida
Malvasia de Sao Jorge most common now
high yields
susceptible to botrytis bunch rot

Question 24

Terrantez

Answer 24

limited plantings
susceptible to powdery mildew and botrytis bunch rot
picked as soon as it reaches 9%abv potential alcohol

Question 25

VND Grapes

Answer 25

Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains
Muscat of Alexandria
Grenache

Question 26

Rutherglen Muscat grape

Answer 26

Muscat a Petit Grains Rouges - Rutherglen Brown Muscat
red skinned mutation
grapey floral aromas

Question 27

Climate Sherry

Answer 27

hot mediterranean - hot dry summers, mild relatively rainy winters
low latitude 36 degrees low altitude 0-90M
Poniente and Levante
Atlantic Ocean

Question 28

Climate Port

Answer 28

Warm Continental Climate
40 degrees in the summer, freezing in the winter
sheltered by the serra do Marao

Question 29

Climate Madeira

Answer 29

warm summers , mild winters
mountainous - up to 1800 M with a range of micro climates
north and center considerably cooler and wetter

Question 30

Climate Vin Doux Naturels

Answer 30

mediterranean
Roussillon is the warmest - Tramontane

Question 31

Climate Rutherglen Muscat

Answer 31

Continental Climate
warm days moderated by cool air flowing down from the Victorian Alps
warm days in growing season, and long dry autumns

Question 32

Sizes and Location

Answer 32

Sherry: Andalusia: 7142 ha planted 2020
Port: Douro: 250,000 ha, 43,000 ha planted 32,000 ha registered for DO Porto
Madeira: Madeira Island 74,000 ha, 450 ha planted
Vin Doux Naturels: Langedoc, Rhone, Roussillon - no info on size
Rutherglen Muscat: Victoria, 70 ha planted

Question 33

Governing Bodies

Answer 33

Sherry: Consejo Regulador - 1933
Port:
Instituto do Vinho Porto/ Casa Douro -1933/1932
replaced by Instituto dos Vinhos do Porto e do Douro -2003 (IVPD)
Madeira:
Insitudo do Vinho da Madeira -1979
Replaced by Instituto dos Vinho, do Bordado e do Artesanato -2006 (IVBAM)
Vin Doux Naturels: Governed by AOC system
Rutherglen Muscat: Muscat of Rutherglen Network -1995

Question 34

Soils

Answer 34

Sherry:
Albariza - Limestone, Silica, Clay
Barros - greater clay content
Arenas - sandy
Port:
Stony, shallow, free draining soils, poor in nutrients - limits vigor
bedrock of schist - splits vertically
Madeira: Volcanic, high in nutrients
Vin Doux Naturels:
Maury AOC: Pyrenees foothills, dark colored schist soils - aid ripening
Banyuls AOC: Steep terraced schist slopes
Rutherglen Muscat: no info

Question 35

Vine Training

Answer 35

Sherry:
traditionally replacement cane pruning “vara y pulgar”
now single/double cordoned trained, spur pruned, VSP for mechanization
Port:
cordoned trained, spur pruned or head trained, cane pruned and VSP
Madeira:
Pergola “latadas” or cordon trained VSP “espaldeira”
Vin Doux Naturels: no info
Rutherglen Muscat: Double cordons with the canopy over a single trellis wire or VSP

Question 36

Roussillon Label Terms

Answer 36

Grenat/Rimage: unaged red VDNs - Grenat in Maury and Rivesaltes, Rimage in Banyuls
Tuilé/ Traditionnel: Oxidatively aged red VDNs - Tuilé in Maury/ Rivesaltes, Traditionnel in Banyuls
Ambré: white oxidatively aged VDN
Hors d’âge: red or white, matured oxidatively longer than tuilé or ambré
Rancio: red or white with rancio character

Question 37

Fermentation Temperature

Answer 37

Sherry: 22-26°C
Port:
* Red Port : 28-32 °C
* White Port: 17-22°C
* * unaged: 17-18°C
* * oxidized: 20-22°C
* Rosé Port: 15-16°C
Madeira: n/a
Vin Doux Naturels
* White: 15°C
* Red: 28°C
Rutherglen Muscat: n/a

Question 38

Sherry MAturation

Answer 38

old wood vessels - 600 L butt most common
Solera Systems in Bodegas
low temps with high humidity
Biological
4 strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae - Flor
No SO2, plenty of 02, barrels filled 85-90%
16-20°C and 65% humidity
Oxidative
evaporation - 3-5% volume lost each year
concentrates the alcohol, acidity, sugar and increase in glycerol
VOR/ VORS: 20/30 years - analysed by Consejo Regulador to confirm age

Question 39

Port Maturation

Answer 39

Vila de Nova de Gaia (after first winter in the Douro)
* Atlantic influence- cool constant temperatures
* has become touristy - many producers are building temp controlled warehouses in Douro
most styles in old oak
sizes vary based on styles
* Balseiros: 100,000L vats - keeps fresh
* Pipes: 600L - gentle oxidation
racking to remove lees (potential off flavors)
* frequency = determines amount of oxidation

Question 40

Port Style Aging Requirements

Answer 40

Basic Ruby Port - max 3 years
Basic Tawny Port - average age 3 years
Reserve Ruby - no aging min/max
Reserve Tawny - min 6 years in wood
Colheita Port - min 7 years in small barrels
Vintage Port - max 3 years in large, old, wood vessels
Crusted - max 2 years in wood
LBV - must be bottled 4-6 years after harvest
White Tawny Reserve - min 7 years in wood

Question 41

Madeira Maturation

Answer 41

**Estufagem **
Estufas: Temperature controlled stainless steel vessels
heated to 45-50°C - heating coil or water jacket
must stay in for minimum 3 months - IVBAM seals and opens
cooled, filtered, left to rest for 6-12 months
usually 3-5 year old Tinta Negra
**Canteiro **
Old oak vessels (400-700L)
25-40°C - warm loft or warehouse
evaporation occurs - alcohol increases 19-20% abv and concentrates flavor and acidity
rarely racked, but regularly topped up
IVBAM seals and unseals
cannot be sold until 3 years after the 1st January following harvest
Corrente: 2-3 years
Non vintage products labelled 5,10,20,30,40,50, and older than 50- these are indicate fo style - tasted by the IVBAM tasting panel
Rainwater: maximum aged indication 10 years
Frasqueira: Min 20 years in wood
Colheita: Min 5 years in wood

Question 42

Vin Doux Naturels Maturation

Answer 42

Youthful
stainless steel, cool constant temperature
released a few months after fermentation
Oxidative
old oak barrels - typically not topped up
demi-johns (bonbonnes) - not full, unstoppered, left in the sun to speed up aging
Banyuls Grand Cru
min 30 month aging

Question 43

Rutherglen Muscat Maturation

Answer 43

Mature in old ok in warm conditions
warehouse with tin roofs
position with the warehouse matters
higher temperature = faster maturation
large vessels 1,300 -9000 L, Smaller 180-500 L
Frequency of topping up determines style
some use a modified solera system
Rutherglen Muscat: 3-5 years
Classic RM: 6-10 years
Grand RM: 11-19 years
Rare RM: 20 years or more
These are average ages and classified on taste - though age is a major factor

Question 44

Timing of Fortification: Sherry

Answer 44

Dry sherry: fortified after first classification - either 15-15.5% for bio or 17% for oxidative
Naturally Sweet Sherry: ferm will naturally stop at 4-6% avb due to high sugar content - fortified to 15-16% abv

Question 45

Timing of Fortification: Madeira

Answer 45

timing of fortification is determined by the style - usually 17-18%

Question 45

Timing of Fortification: Port

Answer 45

Fortified at 5-7% abv - typically to 19-22% abv (basic ruby, tawny, rose and white 18%)

Question 46

Timing of Fortification: Vin Doux Naturels

Answer 46

fortified at 5-8% abv to 15-18% abv

Question 47

Timing of Fortification: Rutherglen Muscat

Answer 47

fortified at 1-2% abv to 17.5% abv