Sparkling Wines

Question 1

Name 5 most common grapes used to make sparkling wine

Answer 1

Champagne, Pinot Noir, Moscato, Meunier, Glera

Question 2

Name two types of methods used to make Sparkling Wines

Answer 2

Bottle Fermentation and Tank Fermentation

Question 3

Describe the typical acid, sweetness and alcohol level for base wine that is used to make sparking wines.

Answer 3

High acid, low alcohol, dry

Question 4

The base wines used to make sparkling wines can be from different vintages, varieties and villages. True/False

Answer 4

True

Question 5

What is the name of the process that sugar and yeast to the base wines

Answer 5

Second Fermentation

Question 6

What is alcohol percentage increase that results from second fermentation

Answer 6

About 1.5%

Question 7

The second fermentation takes place in oak vessels. True/False

Answer 7

False, it takes place in sealed vessels (bottle or tank)

Question 8

What is the Traditional Method of Sparkling wine fermentation actually called.

Answer 8

Bottle Fermentation

Question 9

Which fermentation method is used in Champagne and Cava

Answer 9

Bottle Fermentation

Question 10

In the first step of the Bottle Fermentation method, what 3 items are added to the bottle before it is sealed with a crown cap?

Answer 10

Base Wine
Yeast
Sugar

Question 11

What is yeast autolysis

Answer 11

The yeast form a sediment of lees in the bottle and then start to break down.

Question 12

What flavours are present in the wine a a result of yeast autolysis

Answer 12

Biscuit, Bread

Question 13

What is riddling

Answer 13

The process of moving the lees into the neck of the bottle

Question 14

Describe the Riddling process?

Answer 14

The bottle is slowly moved from a horizontal position to an inverted vertical position which allows the lees to slide into the neck

Question 15

What is a gyropolette

Answer 15

A machine used in the riddling process

Question 16

Describe the disgorgement process

Answer 16

One riddled, the neck of the bottle is frozen and the lees are trapped in a plug of ice, the cap is removed and the pressure forces the plug of ice and lees out of the bottle.

Question 17

What is liquer d’expedition?

Answer 17

A mixture of wine and sugar that is used to top up sparkling wines after disgorged.

Question 18

What is the label given to wines made using the Bottle fermentation method that are dry with high acid and bubbles

Answer 18

Brut

Question 19

What determines the final sweetness of the wine?

Answer 19

The dosage (the amount of sugar added at the dosage stage)

Question 20

What is Demi-Sec

Answer 20

Medium sweetness

Question 21

What is resealing

Answer 21

The final stage of the bottle fermentation process. Once the wine is topped up, the bottle is resealed with a thick cork and wire cage.

Question 22

What are the three varieties used in Champagne AOC

Answer 22

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Meunier

Question 23

What does the term non-vintage mean when producing Champagne

Answer 23

The base wines are a blend of wines from several vintages

Question 24

Base wine made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier results in a wine that is ____________ alcohol and _________ acid

Answer 24

Low
High

Question 25

When making Champagne, what is the legal minimum amount of time ageing on the lees is required?

Answer 25

12 months

Question 26

Describe a less expensive champagne profile. Sweetness Acid Flavours

Answer 26

Dry High Acid Apple and light autolytic

Question 27

When using riper grapes for Champagne, do they typically age in contact with lees for a Longer or Shorter time than ripe grapes

Answer 27

Longer

Question 28

Describe the flavours a very good quality champagne.

Answer 28

Green Fruit Citrus Fruit Autolytic (toasted bread and biscuit)

Question 29

Vintage Champaign uses grapes from multiple years to achieve top quality. True/False

Answer 29

False

Question 30

Describe the flavour profile of a vintage champagne

Answer 30

Apple Citrus Autolytic Nuts Honey

Question 31

Where Cava produced

Answer 31

Spain

Question 32

Which fermentation method does Cava use?

Answer 32

Bottle fermentation

Question 33

Where does the vast majority of Cava come from

Answer 33

Catalunya

Question 34

What grapes are outside of spanish local varieties are permitted in Cava

Answer 34

Pinot Noir and Chardonnay

Question 35

What is the benefit of adding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to Cava

Answer 35

They add both fruit flavours and acidity to the base wine

Question 36

What is the climate in Catalunya

Answer 36

Warm

Question 37

Are the grapes in Catalunya typically harvested early, or late

Answer 37

Early to retain high acid

Question 38

What are the typical flavours in the base wine in Cava

Answer 38

Apple and pear

Question 39

Does Canada age on the lees for a longer or shorter time than Champagne

Answer 39

Typically shorter

Question 40

Cava typically has strong autolytic characters. True/False

Answer 40

False

Question 41

Champagne does not require a PDO status on the label. True/False

Answer 41

True

Question 42

Name four regions aside from France and Spain, that produce sparkling wines using the bottle fermentation process

Answer 42

Australia New Zealand South Africa California

Question 43

Which climate typically produces a higher quality sparkling wine

Answer 43

cool climates

Question 44

What are the typical grapes used for base wine in regions outside of France and Spain

Answer 44

Chardonnay and Pinot Noir

Question 45

What is the labelling term in South Africa to signify the traditional method of sparkling wine,

Answer 45

Methode Cap Classique

Question 46

What is one other grape that is sometimes used in South Africa when producing sparkling wine.

Answer 46

Chenin Blanc

Question 47

The tank method adds autolytic flavours to sparkling wines. True/false

Answer 47

False.

Question 48

Describe the Tank Fermentation process

Answer 48

Yeast, sugar and the base wine are added to steel tanks The second fermentation takes place in the tank, producing bubbles The lees are removed by filtration The wine is bottled under pressure and sealed with a thick cork and wire cage

Question 49

The tank method is used to produce both Dry and Sweet sparkling wines. True/False

Answer 49

False, only dry

Question 50

What is the name of the method used to produce sweet sparkling wines

Answer 50

The Asti Method

Question 51

When using the asti method, what is used in place of dry base wines.

Answer 51

Juice

Question 52

What is added to Juice when producing sparkling wines using the asti method

Answer 52

Yeast

Question 53

Describe how CO2 is handled during the fermentation process when using the Asti method

Answer 53

It is allowed to escape in the beginning before being sealed and retained

Question 54

How is fermentation stopped using the Asti method.

Answer 54

Filtering out all of the yeast before all of the sugar has been converted to alcohol.

Question 55

Descibe alcohol and sweetness of an Asit wine

Answer 55

Low alcohol Sweet

Question 56

What is the labelling term for Asti wine

Answer 56

Asti DOCG

Question 57

Where is Asti DOCG from

Answer 57

Piemonte

Question 58

What grape variety is used to make Asti DOCG

Answer 58

Moscato

Question 59

What is the grape variety used in Prosecco DOC

Answer 59

Glera

Question 60

Describe the flavour profile of Prosecco

Answer 60

Light to medium body with light apple and melon flavours

Question 61

Describe the sweetness of a Prosecco

Answer 61

Dry to off-dry