week 2 questions

Question 1

Name 3 main Lambrusco varieties

Answer 1

Lambrusco Salamino, Lambrusco Grasparossa and Lambrusco di Sorbara

Question 2

Most widely planted lambrusco variety

Answer 2

Lambrusco Salamino

Question 3

DOC for variety Lambrusco Salamino

Answer 3

Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce. Closest denomination to river Po, DOC requires min 85% Salamino and max yield 133hL/ha

Question 4

Lambrusco Salamino wine style

Answer 4

Produces fragrant, deeply coloured, full bodied, m+ tannin and high acidity

Question 5

Lambrusco Grasparossa style and growing

Answer 5

Deep coloured, full bodied, high tannins. Best on clay and silt, grown mainly on hillsides.

Question 6

DOC for variety Lambrusco Grasparossa

Answer 6

Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro. Furthest from river Po, minimum 85% this variety, max yield 126hL/ha

Question 7

Lambrusco di Sorbara wine style

Answer 7

Pale, lighter bodied wines, m+ tannin, high acidity. Range of sweetness, including dry and off-dry

Question 8

DOC for variety Lambrusco di Sorbara

Answer 8

Lambrusco di Sorbara. Minimum 60% this variety, max. yield of 126hL/ha

Question 9

Champagne vineyard ownership

Answer 9

More than 15,000 growers own around 90 percent of vineyards, and 360 champagne houses own about 10 percent.

Question 10

How do champagne co-operatives function?

Answer 10

They provide a bridging point between growers and champagne houses.

Question 11

What does the code ‘NM’ mean in champagne?

Answer 11

Negociant manipulant - commonly referred to as houses. Buy grapes/must/wine, make champagne on own premises and sell under their own label.

Question 12

What does the code ‘RM’ mean in champagne?

Answer 12

Recoltant manipulant - commonly referred to as growers. Make champagne exclusively from their own vineyards, processed on own premises.

Question 13

What does the code ‘CM’ mean in champagne?

Answer 13

Cooperative de manipulation - co-operatives that market champagne under own label from members’ grapes.

Question 14

What percentage of champagne sales by value do the top 5 groupings account for?

Answer 14

Top 5 groupings account for 2/3 of all sales by value.

Question 15

Which brands does LVMH own?

Answer 15

Moet & Chandon, Dom Perignon, Mercier, Veuve Cliquot, Ruinart, Krug.

Question 16

Which brands does Vranken Pommery Monopole own?

Answer 16

Vranken, Pommery, Monopole Heidsieck, Charles Lafitte and Bissinger.

Question 17

What is the market distribution for champagne?

Answer 17

Half is sold domestically, half exported. Champagne houses account for 73 percent of all sales, 83 percent of exports. Growers sell most wine in home market.

Question 18

What are the maceration options for Lambrusco?

Answer 18

Most wines macerated 1-2 days to minimize tannin extraction. Lambrusco Sorbara - 24h in press, Lambrusco Salamino - 3 days on skins, Lambrusco Grasparossa - 3-4 days.

Question 19

What is the first fermentation temperature for Lambrusco?

Answer 19

Low temps for red wine - 18-20C, to retain primary fruit. Completed off skins. MLC blocked to preserve high acidity.

Question 20

How do Lambrusco producers release fresh wine throughout the year?

Answer 20

They hold stabilized fresh juice or base wine at 0C. Make new batches on demand throughout the year.

Question 21

What are the tank method options for Lambrusco?

Answer 21

Majority of wines made this way to preserve fresh primary. Second fermentation at low temps 12-15C. 2 weeks for frizzante, one month for spumante. No lees maturation.

Question 22

How does the Lambrusco tank method achieve sweetness levels?

Answer 22

No dosage for dry styles; sweet wines either have fermentation stopped at desired sweetness, or by blending with must or RCGM.

Question 23

What other Lambrusco production methods exist?

Answer 23

Traditional method styles and ancestral method made with Lambrusco di Sorbara.

Question 24

What are the pressing options for Prosecco?

Answer 24

Whole bunch option - believed to preserve primary fruit. Or destem and press.

Question 25

What is the first fermentation process for Prosecco?

Answer 25

Lasts for 15-20 days at controlled temp of 18C to preserve fruit. MLC blocked for fruit and acid retention.

Question 26

What is the second fermentation process for Prosecco (tank method)?

Answer 26

Lasts 1 month at 12-15C, a few weeks on lees, then racked off.

Question 27

How does the Prosecco tank method achieve sweetness levels?

Answer 27

Can adjust sweetness after wine is racked off lees of 2nd ferment; otherwise, winemaker calculates tirage for desired level of CO2 and remaining sugar in final bottle.

Question 28

What is the style of Asti DOCG?

Answer 28

Aka Asti Spumante, slightly higher in alcohol, fully sparkling.

Question 29

What is the style of Moscato d'Asti DOCG?

Answer 29

Lower in alcohol, semi-sparkling, higher residual sugar.

Question 30

What are the harvest date differences between Asti and Moscato d'Asti?

Answer 30

For Asti, grapes are picked slightly earlier to ensure high acidity. For Moscato d'Asti, picked slightly later for high aromatic intensity.

Question 31

What are the RS and ABV ranges for Asti and Moscato d'Asti?

Answer 31

Asti DOCG - range of 6-8% ABV, sweet wine around 100g/L RS. Moscato d'Asti DOCG - 4.5-6.5% ABV, sweeter style around 130g/L RS (Dolce). Also no more than 2.5 atmospheres (frizzante).

Question 32

Dry Madeira winemaking

Answer 32

The length of fermentation for dry madeira is around a week, compared to as little as two days for fully sweet styles. Once the wine is dry, fortification takes place with a 96% abv spirit, to around 17-18% abv.