1: Key choices affecting Style, Quality and Price Flashcards
Name the 9 key choices that affect style, quality, and price.
- GRAPE VARIETY
- VINEYARD SITE
- TIMING OF HARVEST
- SKIN CONTACT AND EXTRACTION
- TIMING OF FORTIFICATION
- THE FORTIFYING SPIRIT
- MATURATION
- BLENDING
- FINISHING
In what styles are fortified wines made?
very diverse range of styles:
- red, white and rosé
- dry to sweet
- youthful, aromatic to fully developed, oxidative
How does the grape variety influence the final wine?
- provide its own aroma and flavour characteristics to the wine
- used as a relatively neutral base for the flavours of maturation
- provide structural components such as acidity, and in black grapes, colour and tannin
Give an example of a fortified wine where the grape variety provides the main flavours of the wine.
Vins Doux Naturels (VDNs) from Muscat
Give an example of a fortified wine where the grape variety doesn’t provide much influence on the flavors of the wine. Describe why.
Sherry
- Palomino is a relatively neutral variety, and the characteristic aromas of Sherry all come from the maturation process
Give an example of a fortified wine where the specific grape variety used helps to impart structure on the final wine.
Madeira
- notable for its high acidity, it’s made with a number of grape varieties, such as Sercial and Verdelho, that have naturally high levels of acidity
Name 2 grape varieties that provide color intensity in Vintage Port.
Touriga Nacional and Sousão
For what styles of fortified wine is a high level of tannin not desired? Give 2 examples.
- early drinking styles of red fortified wines
- examples: Ruby Port or Maury Grenat
What is a benefit of tannins in long-aged wines?
medium (+) or high levels of tannins are beneficial in the color stability
Why are the vineyard site and climate important?
- location, aspect and altitude determine how much wine a plot of land can produce
- low altitude sites can producer fuller wines with riper flavors
Is botrytis desirable in the production of fortified wines?
in no case is botrytis, even as noble rot, desirable
To avoid botrytis, what might the grower do?
growers will be looking to harvest before the increased risk of rain, and hence increased humidity, in the autumn
What styles might be left on the vine longer?
Rutherglen Muscat, Pedro Ximénez (PX) and Moscatel Sherry
What effect does leaving the grapes on the vine longer have? In what types of wines is this necessary?
- concentrate the sugars
- necessary in these wines that have very high levels of residual sugar
In what types of wines is the extraction of colour, tannins and flavour from the grape skins a key process?
red fortified wines
How long do red fortified wines undergo a period of maceration?
as little as 2-3 days
Why is it important to extract as much compounds as possible during the maceration period? For what types of wines is this most important?
- only have a short period of time to extract
- wines that are to undergo long ageing and hence need high concentrations of colour, tannin and flavours
What industry has developed specialist equipment that permit maximum extraction whilst remaining gentle enough not to crush seeds and release bitter tannins?
Port
In what types of wines is less extraction desirable?
basic Tawny and Rosé Ports
- wines with a paler appearance
Why might a fortified wine producer allow their white grapes to macerate for a limited time on skins? Give examples.
increase body, texture and extract additional flavours
- Madeira, Muscat-based VDNs and White Port
For what types of wines is skin contact not desirable?
- biologically aged Sherries such as Fino and Manzanilla
- the phenolic compounds extracted can restrict the growth of flor yeast
When are dry fortified wines fortified?
once fermentation is complete
When are the majority of sweet fortified wines fortified? Describe how this works.
- midway through fermentation
- stops the fermentation by raising the overall alcohol level above that at which yeasts can operate
- leaving residual sugar that was present in the grapes
How do producers 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
How else might sweet fortified wines be made?
- fermenting the wine to dryness and then adding a sweetening component
Give examples of wines made by fermenting the wine to dryness and then adding a sweetening component.
Sherries such as Pale Cream, Medium and Cream
With what are the majority of fortified wines fortified?
95-96% abv grape spirit