C08 - White and Sweet Winemaking Flashcards
What considerations need to be made when making white wine?
Skin contact
Clarity of the juice
Fermentation temperature and vessel
Post-fermentation and maturation options
Blending
Clarification and stabilization
During white winemaking, what is the principal reason the juice spends little time in contact with the skins?
To reduce the risk of oxidation
What happens in white winemaking once the grapes arrive at the winery and are sorted?
The grapes are crushed
Free run juice is separated off
Remaining grape mass is sent to the press
Why might a white winemaker choose to use whole bunches of uncrushed grapes in the press?
To further limit the contact between skins and juice
The process is gentle
It reduces the risk of oxidation
What kind of wine is created by using whole bunches?
It can lead to wines with more purity and delicacy
Why will a winemaker want to clarify the pressed juice after pressing?
Untreated, the juice contains fragments of cells from the skin and pulp. These can result in unpleasant aromas forming and fermentation can stop prematurely
Why might a white winemaker choose to keep juice in contact with skins for a short time? Explain how this is done…
To increase flavor intensity and texture in certain aromatic varieties
It happens at a sufficiently cool temperature to inhibit fermentation
It happens for only a few hours
How are the post-pressing particles removed from juice prior to fermentation?
Using the same techniques as employed for pre-bottling fining (settling, centrifugation, fining and filtration)
Which kinds of wines are rarely fermented with particles still present? Why?
Wines that are intended to show pure varietal character| Because of the risk of off-flavors forming
Why may a winemaker want to keep some of the particles left after pressing?
It’s thought that it makes the completed wine less susceptible to oxidation
It adds complexity and a richer texture
What is the result on the wine of fermenting at too low a temperature?
It creates pear-drop aromas| It fails to capture varietal fruit aromas
What is the benefit of fermenting white wines at higher temperatures?
It encourages more complex, non-fruit aromas to develop
What is the optimum temperature range for fermenting white wine?
12 - 22C
What is the risk when fermenting white wine at higher temperatures?
Varietal fruit characteristics can be lost
What is the benefit of fermenting white wines in stainless steel?
Temperature can usually be easily controlled
