20.1 Producing Inexpensive, High-Volume Dry Wine from an Aromatic White Grape Variety Flashcards
How would this wine be harvested? Why? What is the influence on style quality and price?
- Machine harvest
- Quicker than hand harvest.
- Usually significantly cheaper than hand harvest.
- Allows cooler night harvesting.
- Cheaper than hand harvesting for large vineyards, helping to keep price of wine low.
How would the grapes be transported to the winery? Why? What is the influence on style quality and price?
- Transport during the night or early morning if viable. Otherwise transport during day.
- Addition of SO2
- Chance to transport cool grapes. Grapes transported during the afternoon likely to be warm.
- Protection from microbial spoilage and oxidation.
- Cool grapes less affected by oxidation and microbial spoilage, better for quality, retains aromatic fruity style. Warm grapes more at risk of oxidation and microbial spoilage.
- Retains quality.
How would the grapes be received at the winery? Why? What is the influence on style quality and price?
- Limited sorting (MOG only)
- No skin contact
- Sorting costs in terms of time, labour, equipment and lowering yield.
- Slows processing time and may add tannins that are not desirable.
- Keep costs and therefore price of wine low.
- Keeps costs and therefore price of wine low. Style of wine suitable for target consumer.
How would the grapes be pressed? Why? What is the influence on style quality and price?
- Pneumatic press
- Can take large press loads. Possible to flush with inert gas.
- Keeps costs and therefore price of wine low. Protection from oxidation and microbial spoilage, better for quality, retains aromatic fruity style.
What adjustments might be made? Why? What is the influence on style quality and price?
- Made as necessary: acidification or deacidification, chaptalisation
- Depends on the ripeness of the grapes
- Can help enhance the balance of the wine, which improves quality. Moderate cost
What choices might be made in regards to must clarification? Why? What is the influence on style quality and price?
- Flotation, centrifugation, clarifying agents
- Low level of solids
- All methods that speed up clarification, relative to sedimentation.
- Complexity from high level of solids not desirable. Fermentation with high level of solids needs regular monitoring.
- Speeds up processing, therefore plays a role in reducing costs.
- Retain aromatic fruity style. Keeps labour costs and therefore price of wine low. Less risk of off-flavours that could reduce quality.
What choices might be made in regards to hyperoxidation? Why? What is the influence on style quality and price?
- No hyperoxidation
- Would reduce aromatic compounds
- Retain aromatic fruity style
What yeast would be used for fermentation? Why? What is the influence on style quality and price?
- Cultured yeast
- Reliable, potential to increase aroma release and creation.
- Less risk of off-flavours that could reduce quality. Create and retain aromatic fruity style.
What vessel would be used for fermentation? At what temperature? Why? What is the influence on style quality and price?
- Cool temperatures (12–16°C / 54–61°F) in stainless steel tank
- Enhance and retain aromatic compounds. Stainless steel tank used for ability to control temperature and ease of cleaning.
- Create and retain aromatic fruity style.
- After initial investment in computerized, temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, costs can be recovered through high volume working and fast throughput.
What choices would be made in regards to malolactic conversion? Why? What is the influence on style quality and price?
- Avoid
- Retain aromatic compounds, avoid buttery flavours
- Retain aromatic fruity style.
What choices would be made in regards to blending? Why? What is the influence on style quality and price?
- In addition, wines may be blended with other wines to maximise volume or to achieve continuity of style.
- Maximize volume of wine produced at acceptable quality level.
- Acceptable quality. Maximize the amount of wine to sell.
What choices would be made in regards to maturation? Why? What is the influence on style quality and price?
- Lees ageing generally avoided
- Storage in stainless steel or concrete.
- Takes time and requires monitoring.
- Characteristics of new oak not desired for aromatic style of wine
- By releasing the wine as quickly as possible, costs and therefore price of wine are kept low. Though lees add texture, and therefore this way of enhancing quality is missed.
- Retain aromatic fruity style. By releasing the wine as quickly as possible costs and therefore price of wine are kept low.
What choices would be made in regards to finishing the wine before packaging? Why? What is the influence on style quality and price?
- Tartrate stabilisation: contact process, metatartaric acid or CMC
- Fining
- Sterile filtration
- Consumers will not accept tartrate crystals. CMC or metatartaric acid are quicker and less expensive in terms of energy than cold stabilisation.
- Ensure wine stays clear and bright.
- Avoid risk of any faults developing in bottle.
- By releasing the wine as quickly as possible costs and therefore the price of wine are kept low.
- Maintain style and quality.
- Maintain style and quality.
What choices would be made in regards to packaging? Why? What is the influence on style quality and price?
- Glass bottle, PET, bag-in-box, can
- Screwcap
- This wine is for immediate consumption and therefore all formats of packaging are suitable.
- Screwcap likely to be a popular choice in many markets due to low OTR, lower risk of cork taint and cheaper price (compared to high quality cork).
- Providing wine is drunk within a year of release from winery, no negative impact on quality
- Suitable for retaining aromatic fruity style. Keeps costs and therefore price of wine low.
