20.4 Producing Premium, Small-Volume Red Wine Flashcards
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PRESSING
CHOICE (2)?
REASON (2)?
INFLUENCE ON STYLE / QUALITY / PRICE (2)?
CHOICE: 1) Pneumatic Press
2) Basket Press
REASON: 1) Both are gentle forms of pressing.
2) Separation of free run juice from press wine = options for blending.
INFLUENCE: 1) Blending for preferred style of wine, esp. tannins.
2) More tannins = Better aging potential.
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ADJUSTMENTS
CHOICE?
REASON (2)?
INFLUENCE ON STYLE / QUALITY / PRICE?
CHOICE: Acidification / Deacidification / Chaptalization done as necessary, but likely not needed.
REASON: 1) Greater selection criteria of fruit = balance of ripeness w/acidity likely to be ideal.
2) Some vintages may require chaptalization / acidity adjustments.
INFLUENCE: Enhances balance of wine = higher quality.
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FILTERING / FINING
CHOICES (3)?
REASONS (3)?
INFLUENCE ON STYLE / QUALITY / PRICE (3)?
CHOICE: 1) Sedimentation
2) Fining e.g. using egg whites.
3) Sterile Filtration
REASON: 1) Sedimentation (racking) = gentlest / least manipulative form of removing sediment. Intervention of filtering/fining wants to be avoided.
2) Egg White Filtering = clear+bright wine, gentle, removes harsh tannins
3) Sterile Filtration = avoids risks of developing in bottle.
INFLUENCE: 1) Maintains quality + style
2) Additional $$$ as wine must be stored until it is cleared of sediment.
3) More refined tannins from egg white fining.
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HARVEST
CHOICE?
REASON?
INFLUENCE ON STYLE / QUALITY / PRICE (2)?
CHOICE: 1) Hand Harvest
REASON: 1) Sorting in vineyard = only healthy, fully ripe bunches.
INFLUENCE: 1) Optimally ripe grapes = better quality.
2) Increase in cost due to hand harvesting.
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TARTRATE STABALIZATION
CHOICE?
REASONS (2)?
INFLUENCE ON STYLE / QUALITY / PRICE (2)?
CHOICE: Cold Stabalization
REASON: 1) Consumers of premium wines may not accept tartrate crystals.
2) Involves least amount of manipulation.
INFLUENCE: 1) Maintains quality + style
2) Avoids what can be seen as a fault.
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TRANSPORTATION TO WINERY
CHOICES?
REASON?
INFLUENCE ON STYLE / QUALITY / PRICE?
CHOICE: 1) Transportation in small crates.
REASON: 1) Limits damage + minimizes crushing.
INFLUENCE: 1) By minimizing crushing = minimizing possibility of microbial spoilage + premature fermentation before reaching winery.
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MATURATION VESSEL
CHOICES (2)?
REASON (2)?
INFLUENCE ON STYLE / QUALITY / PRICE (4)?
CHOICE: 1) Small, new oak barrels.
2) Large, used barrels (or combination)
REASON: 1) Oaked style is desired: Oak flavors via exposure to extractable compounds + slow, gradual oxidation, e.g. Premium Napa Cabernet Sauvignon.
2) Oaked style is NOT desired: large, old barrels allow gradual oxidation w/out new oak flavors, e.g. Brunello di Montalcino / Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
INFLUENCE: 1) Small barrels = vanilla+spice notes / development of tertiary characteristics.
2) Added cost of barrels + monitoring / racking wine = $$$
3) Neutral vessels = best expression of primary fruit flavors.
4) Large vessels = winery space needed, appropriate temp + monitoring of racking.
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WHOLE BUNCH / WHOLE BERRY FERMENTATION
CHOICE?
REASON (2)?
INFLUENCE ON STYLE / QUALITY / PRICE (2)?
CHOICE: Fermentation started w/portion of whole bunches/whole berries + stem inclusion.
REASON: 1) Stems add spicy / herbal flavors + additional tannins.
2) Contributes vibrant, fresh fruit character.
INFLUENCE: 1) Adds to complexity + quality of final wine.
2) Minimal cost.
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CRUSHED FRUIT FERMENTATION
CHOICE (2)?
REASON (2)?
INFLUENCE ON STYLE / QUALITY / PRICE (3)?
CHOICE: 1) Grapes crushed to release juice + being fermentation.
2) Option of Cold maceration.
REASON: 1) Facilitates beginning of fermentation + color / flavor / tannin / aroma extraction.
2) Cold maceration = extraction of color w/minimal tannins, more common for grapes w/low anthocyanins, e.g. Pinot Noir.
INFLUENCE: 1) Beginning of process of extraction of flavors/color/tannins.
2) Cold maceration = more deeply colored wines.
3) Additional energy for chilling + tank space = $$$
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CAP MANAGEMENT
CHOICE (3)?
REASON (3)?
INFLUENCE ON STYLE / QUALITY / PRICE (3)?
CHOICE: 1) Punch down (“pigeage”).
2) Pump over (“remontage”)
3) Rack + Return (“delestage”) (or combination of these)
REASON: 1) Punch down = appropriate for small batches.
2) Rack and return = more extractive
3) Pump over = very gentle.
INFLUENCE: 1) Desired levels of color/aromas/tannins.
2) Equipment, labor, specialized machinery = $$$
3) Additional space needed for R+R = $$$
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MALOLACTIC CONVERSION
CHOICE (3)?
REASON (2)?
INFLUENCE ON STYLE / QUALITY / PRICE (2)?
CHOICE: 1) Allow to occur naturally.
2) Initiate during/after alcoholic fermentation
3) Option of racking into barrels and allowing MLF to occur there.
REASON: 1) Natural = minimal interventionist style.
2) Barrel = better integration of flavors.
INFLUENCE: 1) If barrel = better integration of flavors = higher quality.
2) Monitoring each barrel = time+labor $$$
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FERMENTATION VESSELS
CHOICES (3)?
REASON (2)?
INFLUENCE ON STYLE / QUALITY / PRICE (2)?
CHOICES: 1) Stainless Steel
2) Concrete
3) Oak (or combination)
REASON: 1) Stainless steel + concrete = no oak flavors, retains fruit purity.
2) Oak = more rounded mouthfeel + better integration of oak compounds during maturation.
INFLUENCE: 1) Rounder mouthfeel + good integration of oak compounds.
2) Large, high quality oak fermenters = expensive.
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POST-FERMENTATION MACERATION
CHOICE?
REASON?
INFLUENCE ON STYLE / QUALITY / PRICE (2)?
CHOICE: Option of additional time on skins.
REASON: Longer maceration = more extraction of tannins + polymerization of tannins.
INFLUENCE: 1) Improved tannin structure + aging potential.
2) Additional time / labor to monitor / winery space needed = $$$
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FINAL BLEND
CHOICES?
REASON?
INFLUENCE ON STYLE / QUALITY / PRICE (2)?
CHOICE: Final blend of different barrels.
REASON: Allows creation of desired style of final wine.
INFLUENCE: 1) Better balance+complexity of fruit / oak / tannins / acidity.
2) If barrels are rejected / sold as second wine = loss of $$$.
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GRAPE RECEPTION
CHOICES?
REASON?
INFLUENCE ON STYLE / QUALITY / PRICE (2)?
CHOICE: 1) High levels of sorting (by hand on a sorting table/vibrating belt or optical sorting.)
REASON: 1) Eliminates under/over-ripened grapes + diseased/moldy fruit.
INFLUENCE: 1) Sorting raises quality level by removing sub-par grapes = added $$$ for time, labor, equipment.
2) Removing grapes = lower volume = more expensive wine.
