41. Sparkling Wine Production Flashcards
Name 3 requirements for growing grapes for sparkling wine.
- grapes relatively low in sugar
- high acid levels are desired for many sparkling wines (refreshing style)
- flavors must be sufficiently ripe so they no longer have any herbaceous flavors
Why are grapes that are relatively low in sugar needed for sparkling wine production?
Second fermentation gives most sparkling wines their bubbles also increase the alcohol levels of the wines by a further 1.2-1.3%. Thus, the base wine would be 10-11% abv so the final wine is not too high in alcohol.
What type of climate is best for sparkling wine grape growing? If you don’t grow in this climate, how can you sufficiently produce grapes for sparkling wine? What’s the downside
Cool climate
-sugar and acid level changes are slow
In a warmer climate, you can pick early
-downside = herbaceous, overly green
How are grapes typically harvested for the very best sparkling wines? Why? What about inexpensive sparkling wines?
By hand
-retain whole bunches of unspilt grapes
Inexpensive = machine harvesting
- efficiency
- pick all grapes quickly before they accumulate too much sugar or lose their acidity
How does pressing typically occur with sparkling wine grapes?
- as soon as possible after harvest
- gently: minimize extraction of any tannins and color
- use of whole bunches helps; avoid crushing so that contact between skins and juice is minimized
What regulations are set in the EU regarding pressing grapes for sparking wine?
-most eu regions have legislations to set the max pressure that can be used during pressing and the amount of juice that can be extracted from the grapes
Name the 5 methods of sparkling wine production.
- Traditional Method
- Transfer Method
- Tank Method
- Asti Method
- Carbonation
At a high level, what is the traditional method?
Wine had undergone a second fermentation in the bottle in which it is later sold.
- costly
- time consuming
- more expensive
What are the 7 steps in the traditional method?
- Make the base wine
- Blending
- Second Alcoholic fermentation
- Yeast Autolysis
- Riddling
- Digorgement & Corking
- Bottle Aging
Describe the base wine in the traditional method.
- dry
- neutral flavors
- high acidity
- decisions: stainless steel or oak, MLF
- typically used in the year after harvest, some stored for future use
Name 3 reasons why a producer might choose to blend base wines.
- house style, non-vintage; consistency year to year
- achieve balance (chardonnay adds citrus fruit, finesse, longevity; pinot noir brings aromas, red fruit flavors, body)
- enhance the complexity (old wines: dried fruit; young wines: fresh fruit. oak: texture, spicy)
What is liquor de tirage?
Mixture of wine, sugar, yeast, yeast nutrients, a clarifying agent added to the base wine before the second fermentation.
What are the 3 steps to kick of the second fermentation?
- add liquor de tirage
- closed with crown cap
- bottles stacked horizontally in cellar (cool, constant temperature)
What happens to the wine during the second fermentation?
- slow fermentation
- alcohol raised 1.2-1.3% abc
- CO2 generated by the yeast dissolves into the wine, creating sparkle
- 5 to 6 atmospheres of pressure created
What is yeast autolysis?
- after second fermentation, the yeast die and form a sediment of lees in the bottle
- lees break down and release chemical compounds into the wine, giving bread, biscuit and toasty notes
- typically 4-5 years long (can be longer ~10 yrs)
How are the dead yeast cells removes from the wine?
Riddling and Disgorgement
What is riddling?
- moving the bottle very slowly from a horizontal to an inverted vertical position
- yeast sediment is dislodged and gradually slides down the side of the bottle collecting in the plastic cup insert in the crown cap
What are the two ways to riddle?
- by hand (traditional) - very labor intensive, up to 8 weeks
- gyropalette (machine) cage holding 500 bottles on a hydraulic arm, which regularly rotated and inclined, quicker - days
Describe the 5 steps of disgorgement.
- neck of the upturned bottle is submerged in a very cold brine solution, freezes the wine in the neck
- crown cap removed
- pressure created by CO2 ejects the frozen wine taking the sediment and the plastic insert with it
- wine topped with liquor d’expedition
- sealed with cork and cage
What is liquor d’expedition?
- mixture of wine and sugar
- amount of sugar will determine final level of sweetness in the wine “dosage”
- different styles that will effect the wine: young and fresh, toasty from oak maturation, dried fruit from years in bottle
What is the dosage?
- amount of sugar in the liquor d’expedition
- balances acidity and helps with flavor development
What are wines made without the addition of sugar called?
Brut Nature or Zero Dosage
Why is it sometimes difficult to know the age of a sparkling wine?
Most spackling wines are not vintage-dated
-some include disgorgement dates
How does the transfer method differ from the traditional method?
- Same until riddling
- bottles emptied into sealed tanks under pressure
- filtered to remove yeast lees
- liquor d’expedition is added
- rebottled
What are the pros of the transfer method?
- easier
- less labor intensive
- consistant qualité and style
How are transfer method wines typically labelled?
“Bottled-fermented”
How are traditional method wines typically labelled?
“Traditional Method”
“Methode Traditionelle”
What style of sparkling wines does the tank method produce?
- final wines retain the flavors of the base wine
- varieties with strong flavors (Muscat, Riesling)
- fruity styles
- no yeast autolysis flavors
What are perks of using the tank method?
- preserve pure variety character
- cheaper
- faster
- less labor intensive
What are the steps of the tank method?
- first fermentation in stainless steel (typically no MLF or oak)
- Yeast, sugar, yeast nutrients, clarifying agents added
- second fermentation in sealed tank
- wine filtered
- wine bottled under pressure
How can autolytic character be added to tank method wines?
- using paddles to stir up the lees during the second fermentation
- not too common; usual goal is to retain fruit flavors
What type of wines does the Asti method production? Why is it different from other methods?
- produce sweet fruity sparkling wines
- only 1 alcoholic fermentation
What are the 5 steps of the Asti method?
- juice is chilled and stored until needed
- juice warmed and fermentation takes place in pressurized tanks
- initially some CO2 is allowed to escape
- partway through, tank completely sealed
- fermentation continues to 7% abv, 6 atm of pressure - fermentation stopped early by chilling the wine
- filtered
- bottled for immediate sale
What are the 2 steps of the carbonation method?
- CO2 injected into a still wine
2. bottled under pressure
What types of sparkling wine is the carbonation method used for?
- fruity
- retain base wine flavors
- grapes with strong varietal flavors (Sauv Blanc)
- cheapest method
What are the EU labelling terms for sweetness in sparkling wines and what is each’s corresponding level of residual sugar?
- Brut Nature/Bruto Natural/Naturherb/Zero Dosage: 0-3g/L (No dosage here, any sugar is natural from fermentation
- Brut/Bruto/Herb: 0-12 g/L
- Demi-Sec/Semi-Seco/Medium
- Doux/Dulce/Sweet/Mild: 50+ g/L
How are EU sparkling wines labelled?
With level of sweetness depicting g/L of residual sugar (Note: range of sweetness for each level)
What does non-vintage mean?
- describes wine made from grapes harvested in more than 1 vintage
- represent the standard offering from the producer
- displays the house style
What does vintage mean?
- Champagne: grapes must come from a single vintage
- elsewhere: small percentage of grapes from other years could be included in the blend
In prestigious regions:
- only made in the very best years
- price premium
How can rose sparkling wines be made (3 ways)?
- blending red and white base wines
- short maceration
- color adjusted withe liquor d’expedition
What is a Blanc de Blancs?
A white sparkling wine made only from white grape varieties
What is a Blanc de Noirs?
A white sparking wine made only from black grape varieties
What is a Prestige Cuvee?
- best wines in a producers range
- small in number
- very prestigious
