Approach to Winemaking Flashcards
Explain conventional/modern winemaking?
Conventional winemaking builds on a scientific understanding of the processes which convert grape must into wine. The foundational discovery was Louis Pasteur’s work in the 1860s identifying bacteria and yeasts. Conventional winemaking now includes:
- temperature control – cold soaking; the ability to control fermentation temperatures with particular outcomes in mind (e.g. a fruity style); and temperature control in the maturation phase
- use of additives and/or processing aids of many types – examples include adding sugar to increase potential alcohol or sweeten the final wine, adding SO2 to protect wine, use of cultured yeasts, fining agents
- manipulations – from simple pressing and filtration to high technology such as reverse osmosis
The aim is to produce stable wines which reliably show their fruit character and have no faults. This approach is used for wine of all styles, quality levels and prices.
Just because manipulations are possible or additives are available does not mean they are used in every case. The options employed are dictated by many factors including the style and price point required, the health and ripeness of the grapes, and the particular beliefs/preferences of the winemaker. For example, sterile filtering of wines with residual sugar is usually desirable as the sugar makes them prone to microbial spoilage. By contrast, a number of producers of premium dry wines choose not to filter, believing it may remove some texture and/or flavours from the wine.
Explain organic winemaking?
Organic winemaking refers to making wine with certified organically-grown grapes and complying with rules that restrict certain practices from being performed during the winemaking process. These rules allow many common additives and processes used in conventional winemaking, including cultured yeasts and yeast nutrients and adding tannins. The certification agency Ecocert issues a full list of allowable additives and processes. It indicates where organic raw materials should be used if possible (e.g. organic egg white albumin for fining), and has a short list of excluded practices, e.g. partial dealcoholisation of wines.
The rules for organic wine vary across countries with regard to the addition of SO2. The EU definition of organic wine allows the addition of regulated amounts of SO2. However, the definition of organic wine in the USA excludes any addition of SO2 and requires naturally- occurring SO2 (produced in fermentation) to be less than 10 mg/l. In the USA there is also a category of ‘wine made from organic grapes’ that does allow the addition of SO2.
Certified organic status can be issued either by associations (e.g. by the Organic Winegrowers New Zealand) or is determined at country level (US Department of Agriculture, USDA) or by the EU.
Certification adds a small cost element to organic wines. The wines are sold at every price level. Whether consumers are willing to pay a premium for organic wines compared to non-organic equivalents depends very much on the specific market.
Explain biodynamic winemaking?
Certified biodynamic wine must be made from certified biodynamically grown grapes. In the winery, certain processes are required or encouraged by the certifying body. Demeter International is the main certifying association. Although it sets certain global standards, Demeter certifiers in each country determine the specifications. Thus, for example, for Demeter- certified biodynamic wine in the UK, natural yeasts are encouraged, but organic or, if unavailable, commercial yeasts can be used.
Other stipulations ban the use of measures such as increasing alcohol levels by concentration of the entire must. For Demeter-certified biodynamic wine in the USA, natural yeasts must be used, but certain classes of commercial yeast can be used if a ferment has stuck and then only on a case-by-case basis. Many products are not permitted (e.g. adding tannins or certain fining agents such as isinglass).
Winemakers claim that biodynamic wines are more expressive of terroir. Certification adds a small cost element to biodynamic wines. The wines are sold at every price level.
Explain natural winemaking?
Natural winemakers reject many modern interventions in favour of artisan practices from the past. The overall aim is ‘nothing added, nothing removed’. While there is no agreed definition for natural wine, in practice it usually refers to wine made with the fewest possible manipulations, fermentation by ambient yeasts and an absolute minimum of added SO2 (typically only at bottling) or with no added SO2.
Natural wine can be made from conventionally or sustainably grown grapes, though many natural winemakers would argue that organic or biodynamic grapes should be used. There is no certifying body for natural winemaking; therefore, any winery can claim that any of their wines are natural. However, there are associations that publish their own approach and/or standards. Examples include ViniVeri in Italy and L’Association des Vins Naturels in France.
There is a negligible impact on price as the saving on investment in equipment is offset by the cost of small batch winemaking. The wines are typically small batch and mid to premium priced.
Winemakers of natural wines often claim that their wines are more expressive of terroir than those made by conventional winemaking. By contrast, other winemakers feel that some level of intervention or addition (e.g. of SO2) is beneficial to ensure their wines show at their best.
