3) Factors Influencing the Production of White, Sweet and Rosé Wines; Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Sémillon/Semillon, Furmint Flashcards
Grape formation and ripening
• Flowering
• Fruit set - flowers become grapes
• Véraison
• Ripe grapes
Concentration of grape sugars
Extra ripening
• Earlier stages
- Riper aromas
- Higher sugar levels
• Later stages
- Raisining
- Dried-fruit aromas
Botrytis/noble rot
• Necessary conditions
- Ripe grapes
- Damp, misty mornings
- Warm, dry afternoons
Frozen grapes
• Method
- Grapes freeze on vine (winter)
- Picked while frozen
- Pressed while frozen
- Icewine/Eiswein
Winemaking: Process of White Wine
• Crushing; Pressing; Alcoholic
fermentation; Storage or maturation;
Packaging
Winemaking Options:
• Adjustments
- Sugars
- Acid
• Oak Vessels:
- Level of Toast; New vs Old; Size of
Vessel
• Oak Alternatives
- Oak staves
- Oak chips
• Malolactic conversation
- Lower acidity
- Secondary flavors: butter, cream
• Lees
- More body
- Secondary flavors: bread, biscuit
• Clarification
Winemaking: Process of Sweet Wine
Grapes with concentrated sugars; Alcoholic fermentation in vessel; Yeast stops fermenting before all sugar has been converted to alcohol
Ripe grapes; Alcoholic fermentation; Remove yeasts using filtration; Add sweetness to a dry wine; Kill yeast by adding alcohol
Winemaking: Process of Rosé wine
Crushing; Alcoholic fermentation;
Draining (after only a short
macerating); Storage; Packaging
Characteristics of: RIESLING
• High acidity
• Susceptible to botrytis/noble rot
• Aromatic variety
• Fruit characteristics vary according to
ripeness
• Cool to moderate climate
• Many harvest options
• Dry to sweet
• Light- to full-bodied
• Unoaked
• Very good examples can age:
honey; petrol (gasoline)
World Wine Regions of: RIESLING
• Germany: Mosel; Rheingau; Pfalz
• France: Alsace;
• Australia:
- Northern Territory
- Queensland
- Western Australia
- South Australia:
Eden Valley; Eden Valley
- New South Wales
- Victoria
Labelling in Germany
Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)
Qualitätswein
Prädikatswein
Protected Geographical Indication (PGI)
Landwein
The Six Prädikat (German) Categories
Dry to Sweet
• Kabinett
• Spätlese
• Auslese
Sweet: concentrated by freezing)
• Eiswein
Sweet: concentrated by botrytis/noble rot
• Beerenauslese (BA)
• Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA)
Other labelling terms:
• Trocken
• Halbtrocken
Characteristics of: CHENIN BLANC
• Versatile: range of climates
• High acidity
• Susceptible to botrytis/noble rot
• Many harvest options
• Dry to sweet
• Oaked or Unoaked
• Climate: Cool, Moderate, Warm
• Very good wines can age:
dried fruit; honey
World Wine Regions: CHENIN BLANC
• France
Loire Valley
• South Africa
Western Cape
Characteristics of: SEMILLON
• Medium to high acidity
• Susceptible to botrytis/noble rot
• Many harvest options
• Dry to sweet
• Light- to full-bodied
• Unoaked or oaked
• Sometimes blended:Sauvignon Blanc
• Climate: Moderate to Warm
World Wine Regions of: SEMILLON
• France
Bordeaux: Sauternes
• Australia
New South Wales: Hunter Valley
South Australia: Barossa Valley
Characteristics of: FURMINT
• High acidity
• Mostly grown in Tokaj, Hungary
• Susceptible to botrytis/noble rot
• Dry to sweet
• Unoaked or oaked
• Climate: Moderate
• Very good examples (notably sweet
wine) can age:
dried fruit; caramel; nuts
*Bonus:
World Wine Regions of: FURMINT
Furmint is a white Hungarian wine grape variety that is most widely grown in the Tokaj-Hegyalja wine region where it is used to produce single-varietal dry wines as well as being the principal grape in the better known Tokaji dessert wines.
It is also grown in the tiny Hungarian wine region of Somló.
Furmint plays a similar role in the Slovakian wine region of Tokaj.
It is also grown in Austria where it is known as Mosler.
Smaller plantings are found in Slovenia where it is known as Šipon.
The grape is also planted in Croatia where it is known as Moslavac.
It is also found in Romania and in former republics of the Soviet Union.
Furmint is a late ripening variety. For dry wines the harvest starts usually in September, however sweet wine specific harvest can start in the second half of October or even later, and is often inflicted with botrytis.
Furmint can be produced in a variety of styles ranging from bone dry to extremely sweet wines affected by noble rot.
https://www.gerrardseel.co.uk/collections/furmint
