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WSET Level 2 Award in Wines & Spirits > Sherry & Port > Flashcards

Sherry & Port Flashcards

1
Q

What is the base for almost all Sherry?

A

Neutral, dry, low acid, white wine made from the Palomino grape variety

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2
Q

What is a fortified wine?

A

Wine that has alcohol added

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3
Q

Where is Sherry made?

A

Jerez de la Frontera in Southern Spain

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4
Q

In what type of vessel is Sherry typically fermented?

A

Stainless steel tank

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5
Q

Describe the solera aging process.

A

In the solera system, younger and older wines are blended together continually as they age, ensuring a consistent style of mature wine.

Sherry is matured in old casks (butts) that do not give the Sherry any oak flavors.

Sherry flavors come from differences in the aging periods and conditions.

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6
Q

Describe Fino & Manzanilla Sherries.

A
  • pale in color
  • dry
  • medium bodied
  • 15% abv
  • refreshing citrus zest
  • almond flavors
  • bready notes from flor
  • after bottling, quickly lose freshness
  • chill and consume quickly
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7
Q

What is flor and what role does it play in Fino & Manzanilla Sherry production?

A
  • a layer of yeast
  • keeps wine fresh during the solera process
  • floats on the surface of the wine and protects the wine from air that would otherwise spoil it
  • can only grow if the abv is around 15%
  • adds unusual bready notes
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8
Q

What is a Pale Cream Sherry?

A

A young Fino Sherry that has been sweetened with concentrated grape juice

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9
Q

How is an Amontillado Sherry made?

A
  • Start with a Fino or Manzanilla Sherry and add more spirit to increase the alcohol and kill off the flor.
  • Oxidize
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10
Q

Describe an Amontillado Sherry.

A
  • deeper amber color
  • nutty flavors
  • dry
  • some sweetened before bottling (labeled “Medium”)
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11
Q

How is an Oloroso Sherry made?

A
  • Fortified after fermentation to 18% abv

- oxidization

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12
Q

Describe an Oloroso Sherry.

A
  • intense kernel flavors (nuts, coffee)
  • intense animal flavors (meat)
  • deep brown
  • full body
  • high alcohol
  • dry
  • some sweetened (labeled “Cream Sherry”)
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13
Q

What is a Cream Sherry?

A

A sweetened Oloroso Sherry.

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14
Q

What is a Medium Amontillado Sherry?

A

A sweetened Amontillado Sherry.

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15
Q

How is a PX (Pedro Ximenez) Sherry made?

A

Made from sun-dried PX grapes.

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16
Q

Describe a PX (Pedro Ximenez) Sherry.

A

used as the sweetening component for the finest sweetened Sherries

  • almost black in color
  • intense dried fruit flavors (fig, prune, raisin, sultana)
  • full body
  • syrupy in texted
  • high sugar content
17
Q

How is Port made?

A
  1. Start with blend of black grape varieties.
  2. Rapidly extract color and tannins from the slins during a short fermentation period. (Fermentation not finished: sugar content remains high.)
  3. Grape-derived spirit is added to the partly fermented grape juice, killing yeast, stopping fermentation.
    Result: sweet & high in alcohol
  4. Aged in old oak vessels.
  5. Blending & bottling.
18
Q

What determines which style of Port will be made?

A

Period of maturation.

19
Q

Describe Ruby Style Port.

A
  • deeply colored
  • fruity
  • short period of time in large oak vessels
  • bottled ready to drink
20
Q

What are the three styles of Ruby Port?

A
  1. Inexpensive Ruby Port
  2. Reserve Ruby Port
  3. Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) Port
21
Q

Describe Inexpensive Ruby Port.

A
  • non-vintage
  • less than 3 year aging before bottling
  • sweet, simple, fruity
22
Q

Describe Reserve Ruby Port.

A
  • use better quality wines
  • more intense complex fruit flavors
  • longer cask aging (up to 5 years) helps to soften and integrate the alcohol
23
Q

Describe Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) Port

A
  • wines come from single year’s harvest
  • some not filtered before bottling (requires decanting)
  • ready to drink on release
  • intense red & black fruit (cherry, plum, blackberry)
  • hint of sweet spice (clove pepper)
  • sweet
  • high alcohol
  • medium tannins
  • medium-to-low acid
24
Q

What are Vintage Ports?

A
  • long-lived wines
  • grapes come from best vineyards
  • made only in good years
  • short period of aging in large oak vessels
  • high tannin
  • intense fruit
  • unfiltered

Can drink young but benefit from bottle age.

Youth:
-intense spicy red & black fruit

Age:

  • cooked fruit
  • animal/vegetal notes (prune, leather, wet leaves, coffee)
  • MUST be decanted
25
Q

What are the different types of Tawny Port?

A
  1. Inexpensive Tawny Port
  2. Reserve Tawny Port
  3. Tawny Port with Indication of Age
26
Q

Describe an Inexpensive Tawny Port.

A
  • lighter style
  • toffee
  • caramel

some have color adjusted by adding a little White Port

27
Q

Describe a Reserve Tawny Port.

A

Aged for 6+ years in small oak vessels:

  • breaks down fruit
  • encourages oxidizative, kernel flavors (walnut, coffee, chocolate, caramel)
  • attacks color (medium tawny)
28
Q

Describe a Tawny Port with Indication of Age.

A
  • the very best Reserve Tawny Ports
  • 10, 20, 30 or 40 years old (average, not a minimum)
  • do not need to be decanted
  • best consumed close to bottling date (on label)
  • serve slightly chilled
-complex
concentrated
-tawny or brown in color
-walnuts
-coffee
-chocolate
-caramel
-dried fruit

WSET Level 2 Award in Wines & Spirits (11 decks)

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