Written Questions Flashcards
Garnacha is a key grape in the Priorat DOCa. What conditions in the vineyard make this such an important variety here? (4 points)
Garnacha is a late-ripening variety that requires a lot of heat and this is possible in the warm Mediterranean climate of Catalunya. Summers are long, hot and dry. The Llicorella soils absorb heat, which enables the Garnacha vines to fully ripen.
State four reasons in the vineyard and/ or wineries why Priorat DOCa wines are premium and expensive?
Priorat wines are premium and expensive for a variety of reasons.
- The grapes are bush trained to provide ample shade to the grapes during the growing season and are grown on steep slopes. These factors require the vines to be hand pruned and hand harvested, which is expensive due to the extra labour costs.
- Most of the Garnacha and Carinyena vines are older and produce lower yields
- The Llicorella soils are lacking in nutrients, thus producing lower yields, which results in less wine to be sold.
- Finally, the wines are fermented and aged in new oak barrels which are very expensive.
What vineyard conditions produce wines with elegance and finesse in Rioja Alavesa?
- Situated 500-800m in the foothills of the Cantabrian Mountains which increases acidity levels.
- The continental climate is moderated by cooling Atlantic Ocean influences which gives lighter bodies wines with higher levels of acidity.
You are a wine maker wanting to create a red Rioja that is deep coloured, powerful, high tannins and with an excellent ability to age. What techniques will you use?
- Vigorous cap management techniques: punch down or pumping over to increase colour, tannins and flavour extraction during fermentation.
- Blending with Graciano and Mazuelo that add colour, tannins and acidity.
- Ageing in new French or American oak for an extended period of time which will impart more tannins, complexities and oak flavours.
Describe the style of a traditional white Rioja.
Produced from the highly acidic Viura grape. The wine is often aged in New American oak for an extended period of time which imparts flavours of almond, nuts and turns the wine a golden colour.
In the Loire Valley, what are some problems that grapegrowers face?
Due to the cold, wet conditions, there is increased risk of fungal diseases leading to mildew and rot. This can greatly reduce or even damage yields.
Spring frosts are also a potential problem. They damage buds which therefore decreases potential yields.
In a village like Menetou-Salon, where would the best sites be for maximising the quality of grapes?
The best sites would be near rivers to benefit from the warmth stored in the water and the sunlight reflected from the water which both help with the ripening process. Additionally, grapes grown on south-facing mid-slopes would be higher quality because they have better drainage and more exposure to sunlight.
Which wine making methods would be employed to create a fuller and more powerful wine from Menetou-Salon.
1) Oak maturation to give more oxidative, secondary notes
2) Blending with a richer, rounder grape such as Semillon that gives a fuller mouthfeel.
3) Introducting lees contact or MLF for more yeasty, buttery, creamy characteristics as well as adding more texture to be incorporated in the wine.
State and describe the climate of the Marlborough region.
Marlborough is a cool maritime climate located in the northeastern part of New Zealand’s Southern Island. The vineyards are mostly planted with the Sauvignon Blanc grape. The Southern Alps protects the vineyards from the Tasman Sea’s harsh westerly winds. Rainfall is common throughout the year, especially during harvest. During the grape growing months, there are long sunlight days with warmer temperatures and cooling breezes at night.
Describe the two main districts of Marlborough and the wines from these areas.
The two districts of Marlborough are the Wairau Valley and the Awatere Valley.
The Wairau Valley is a bit warmer, drier, larger and has a more varied landscape than the Awatere Valley. The longer, sunnier days and additional heat cause more riper, tropical fruit flavours to be in the wine.
The Awatere Valley is colder, rainier, windier and producing lighter wines with more pronounced herbaceous notes, minerality and brighter acidity.
Name two AVA’s in Napa that produce premium wines
Los Carneros, Calistoga, St Helena, Oakville, Rutherford, Howell Mountain, Mt Veeder, Stag’s Leap
Name 3 climatic and/or geographical features that can craft premium wines in the Napa Valley.
Cooling breezes from San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay - The cool afternoon breezes from these areas help to cool the grapes growing in the Southern Part of Napa, called Los Carneros AVA. These breezes enable cooler climate grapes such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to be grown here. The breezes help to create more balance in the grapes by moderating temperatures.
Morning Fogs - (6am-9am) These help moderate temperatures in Napa Valley up to 1400ft in altitude. These morning fogs help to refresh the vineyards and increase natural acidities in the grapes.
Heat trap via the mountain ranges- The Mayacamas (W) and Vaca (E) create a heat trap within the northern part of Napa Valley such as Rutherford and Oakville. This heat creates riper, bolder wines with more pronounced flavours and complexities.
Altitude - The Mayacamas and Vacas Mountains are the source of higher altitude sites. As a result, grapes grown at higher altitudes will benefit from cooler temperatures, thus developing higher levels of acidity. higher tannins and more complexities. Additionally due to the cooler temperatures, the grapes can be picked later and thus developing more phenolic ripeness.
Examples are Howell Mountain and Mount Veeder.
How does the Sangiovese variety contribute to the style of Brunello de Montalcino wine?
The Sangiovese grape variety has high tannins and high acidity with red fruit flavours such as red cherry and red plum and spices/herbs. It has an affinity for oak ageing, as the oak softens the tannins and acidity over time. It ages well because of the high tannins, high alcohol and high acidity.
Describe the climate of the Brunello di Montalcino DOCG area.
Warm Mediterranean- This wine region is located in southern Tuscany which is the warmest part. It receives some ocean breezes which is beneficial for developing acidity and tannins in the wine. There is low rainfall and warmer temperatures.
How do the climate and weather patterns contribute to the style of wine produced in Brunello di Montalcino?
The wines often have high alcohol due to the warmer temperatures, sunshine and lack of rain. The cool breezes from the sea and the mountains combined with a high diurnal range, increase acidity and tannins in the wine, thus creating fuller bodied styles. Sangiovese ripens later and due to warm climate it can fully ripen due to a longer growing season which increases tannin levels.
How long must Brunello di Montalcino be aged and why does it need to be aged?
It must be aged for a total of 5 years: 2 in oak and 3 in bottle.
With oak ageing, it develops more complex secondary notes from oak contact such as cedar, smoke and vanilla notes). Additionally it develops more oxidative tertiary notes with such a long ageing process such as tobacco, meat and mushroom notes. Additionally the tannins and acidity are softened, creating a more approachable wine.
From the vineyard, how could you ensure a more complex and structured wine from Beaujolais?
As Gamay is a rather vigorous and high yielding variety, I would source the fruit from low-yielding regions with low-nutrient soils, which are found in the mountain foothills in the northwest of the region. These grapes would produce lower yields and higher concentrated wines with more complexities.
Name and describe the winemaking process used to create Beaujolais Nouveau wines.
Semi-carbonic maceration - Whole clusters of grapes are placed in a vat. The pressure of the grapes causes the individual grapes at the bottom to split, thus releasing their juice. The juice begins to ferment with ambient yeast and this releases CO2. The CO2 pushes the Oxygen out of the tank. The tank is then sealed, creating an environment for anaerobic (witout Oxygen) fermentation to take place. The remaining grapes go through an intracellular transformation/carbonic maceration. The intact berries begin to split and release their juice. The free-run juice is then vatted off and fermented with yeast off the skins. The press wine is left in contact with the skins, thus creating more complex flavours, more tannins and more colour. The longer time is for more complex wines.
What does the term classico mean on an Italian wine label?
Classico indicates that the wines have been made solely from grapes grown on original classified land. The wines tend to have more complexities and are some of the best in the area. Wines outside these expansion zones are usually lower quality.
Name the region and grape of Valpolicella wines
Veneto is the region and the grape is Corvina.
Describe the topography and geology of the classico wines of Valpolicella and the effect it has one them.
Located in the north of the region, in the foothills of Monti Lessini, which as soils made up of limestone, clay and volcanic rock. Soils lacking in nutrients and the higher altitudes create conditions for slower ripening, higher acidity and tannins, thus producing wines that are more concentrated and complex.
Explain why Amarone della Valpolicella wines can be dry or off-dry.
Sometimes the grapes can be so full of sugar after going through the passito process of semi-drying the grapes and concentrating the sugars, that the yeast fail to fully ferment the wine to dryness. As a result, some residual sugar may be left behind giving an off-dry style.
Account for the fuller-body and higher alcohol levels in Amarone della Valpolicella wines.
The passito process is used to increase flavour and structure in the grapes by picking early, drying indoors which concentrates the sugar levels and increases the flavours. As a result, the wine fuller-bodied and has a higher alcohol level.
Name 4 primary aromas of Nebbiolo
Red fruits - cherry, plum, red currant, cranberry, raspberry
Floral - rose
Herbal - Lavender, fennel
Spice - black/white pepper, liquorice
