1 Flashcards
Key Choices Affecting Style, Quality and Price in Fortified Wines
How can the grape variety influence the aroma and flavor characters of fortified wine?
either provides its own aroma and flavour characters to the wine or simply used as a relatively neutral base for the flavours of maturation
These wines are made in a very diverse range of styles; red, white and rosé; dry to sweet;
and youthful and aromatic to fully developed and oxidative.
Fortified
the most obvious example of a fortified wine where the grape variety provides the main flavours of the wine
Vins Doux Naturels (VDNs) from Muscat
What kind of wine making is used in the making of VDNs?
protective winemaking and early release from the winery
Name one wine that has been aged in warm and oxidative conditions, the aromatic notes of Muscat are still notable in the best wines.
Rutherglen Muscat
Name a fortified wine that is a relatively neutral variety, and the characteristic aromas of the wine all come from the maturation process.
Palomino
In red grapes, what structural components are important in creating the flavour profile of fortified wines?
Grape Variety, Acidity, Colour, Tannins
What is the main structural characteristic of Madeira
Acidity
Madeira is notable for
high acidity
Name two grape varieties for Madeira
Sercial and Verdelho
In some sherries, the combination of a bone-dry palate and high alcohol can give a sensation similar to
acidity
What is the actual level of acidity in sherry from Palomino?
low - natural characteristic of Palomino
What is an important consideration in red Port which is a blend of grape varieties?
attaining a suitable level of colour in the base wine
What is the colour expectation for Tawny Port?
look aged in a short period of time and hence will be made from wines that are light
in colour
What is the colour expectation for Vintage Port?
To retain a deep colour over decades of bottle maturation
What is the main grape variety for Vintage Port?
Touriga Nacional and Sousão for their deep colour
Name two early drinking styles of red fortified wines in which high levels of tannins are not required nor desirable
Ruby Port
Maury Grenat
How tannins develop with age?
Softens with age
Become integrated into the wine
It provides balance and structure on the palate
Why tannins are necessary for red fortified wines that are meant to age?
Color Stabiliser
Other than grape variety what are the other two important influences on the base material used in the production of fortified wines?
vineyard location and climate
How are the vineyards of Douro scored?
according to factors such as location, aspect and altitude
What does the score of vineyards mean?
this score determines how much Port wine that plot of land can produce
Vintage Ports will often be made from what grapes?
Vintage Ports will often be made from the grapes of certain vineyard plots known for their ability to produce outstanding-quality wines that will age well.
How do the Muscat-based VDN wines from low-altitude vineyards of Muscat de Frontignan in the Languedoc compare in body and flavor to those from the high-altitude sites of Muscat de St-Jean-de-Minervois?
slightly fuller wines with riper flavours
The timing of harvest is an important consideration in many styles of fortified wines. True or False?
True
In the case of Sherry made
from Palomino, the potential alcohol and health of the grapes are much more important for determining harvesting date than the range of flavours in the grapes. True or False?
True
In fortified wine making, unripe fruit flavours will be avoided. True or False?
True
Why do growers aim to harvest grapes in the autumn, when increased rain and humidity raise the risk of botrytis, even in its noble rot form?
botrytis, even as noble rot, is not desirable in fortified wine making
Name some fortified wines that the grapes are typically left on the vine longer in the season to concentrate the sugars, necessary in these wines that have very high levels of residual sugar.
Rutherglen Muscat,
Pedro Ximénez (PX) and
Moscatel Sherry
The extraction of colour, tannins and flavour from the grape skins is a key process in the production of red fortified wines. True or False?
True
What is the period of skin contact for red fortified wines?
as little as 2-3 days
What are the characteristics of ports that are to undergo long ageing?
need high concentrations of colour, tannin and flavours
The Port industry in particular has developed specialist equipment that permit ….
maximum extraction whilst remaining gentle enough not to crush seeds
and release bitter tannins.
the production of basic Tawny and Rosé Ports in which —-
less extraction is desirable to create wines with a paler appearance.
Some producers of white fortified wines such as Madeira, Muscat-based VDNs and White Port, may let their white grapes macerate for a limited time on skins, generally to
increase body,
texture and
extract additional flavours.
skin contact is not desirable for
biologically aged Sherries such as Fino and Manzanilla as….
the phenolic compounds extracted can restrict the growth of flor yeast.
Dry fortified wines are fortified when
fermentation is complete.
The majority of sweet fortified
wines are produced by
fortifying midway through fermentation, stopping the fermentation by raising the overall alcohol level above that at which yeasts can operate and leaving residual sugar that was present in the grapes.
Producers will usually calculate the timing of fortification according to —-
the level of residual sugar that is desired in the final wine; the greater the amount of sugar, the earlier the fortification.
Some styles of Sherries such as Pale Cream, Medium and Cream are made by
fermenting the wine to dryness and then adding a sweetening component.
How is Cream Sherry produced?
a dry Oloroso is often blended with PX
Describe the characteristics of cream sherry
combining the characteristics of aged,
dry Palomino with raisined PX
The majority of fortified wines are fortified with —-
95–96% abv grape spirit, with such
high alcohol content are neutral in aroma and flavour, and hence these spirits do not mask the characteristics of the wine.
What is the common abv in fortified wines?
15-22%
Why high abv grape spirit is used in fortification of wines?
the high level of alcohol minimises the volume of spirit needed to bring the fortified wine to the required alcoholic strength leading to less dilution of the base wine.
What is the only wine that is fortified with grape spirit of 77% abv?
Port - the spirit is distilled to a lower level of alcohol, it is more characterful and contributes more of its own aroma and flavour characteristics to the blend.
What kind of spirit is used in Rose port?
in Rosé Ports a relatively subtle spirit will be chosen so as not to overpower this more delicate style of wine.
More aromatic styles of spirit, use in —-Ports
red
What does using lower strength of spirit mean when fortifying wine?
Due to its lower strength, a significant volume of spirit is required to bring the partially-fermented must up to its required
alcoholic strength of 19–22% abvthe style and quality of the spirit has an important influence of the style and quality of the final wine.
What stage is the defining stage in the production of many fortified wines?
The maturation process
Method of storage for VDNs, Ruby and Rosé Ports and some White Ports
in stainless steel or concrete
