C41 - Sparkling Wine Production - completed Flashcards
What are the three main requirements when it comes to grapes for sparkling wine?
- Grapes should have low sugar levels
- High acid levels are desirable
- Flavours should be ripe enough not to have green, herbaceous flavours
Why should sparkling grapes have relatively low sugar levels?
As the secondary fermentation adds 1.2 to 1.3% abv
What range of alcohol will sparkling wine-makers aim for when making their still base wines?
10 - 11% abv
Why are high acid levels desired for sparkling wines?
Many sparkling wines are made in a refreshing style
Which kinds of regions are best for growing grapes for sparkling wines?
Cool regions
Why are cool regions best for grapes for sparkling wines?
Changes to sugar and acid levels happen slowly and at the same time as changes to the grapes’ flavours
Why may warm regions be unsuitable for the growth of grapes for sparkling wines?
Sugar levels can rise and acid levels fall very quickly
What is the only option in warm areas when growing for sparkling wine? What is the risk/reality in a lot of these cases?
- Picking early
- These grapes can be ovetly green and herbaceous
Describe how grapes for sparkling wine may be picked and why
- Grapes for the best wines are typically hand-picked to retain whole bunches of unsplit grapes
- For inexpensive sparkling wines in warm regions, machine harvesting may be the most efficient way of picking grapes before they accumulate too much sugar and lose their acidity
What should happen as sparkling grapes arrive at the winery and why?
- They should be pressed as soon as possible
- Because avoiding the crushing stage will minimise contact between the skins and the juice
Describe pressing for sparkling grapes
It will be gentle to minimise the extraction of any tannins and colour (especially important for black grapes when using them for white sparkling wines)
What other than gentle pressing helps to minimise the extraction of colour and tannins?
The use of whole bunches during pressing
How does pressing sparkling grapes come into the field of law?
In most EU regions, legislation determines the maximum pressure that can be used during pressing and the amount of juice that can be extracted from the grapes
How many methods of sparkling wine production are there? What are they?
Five: 1- Traditional Method 2- Transfer Method 3- Tank Method 4- Asti Method 5- Carbonation
What will determine the sparkling method which is employed by winemakers?
- In Europe this may be determined by wine law
- Outside of Europe, the method used may be informed by the style which is intended on being created, or the costs involved
Briefly describe the Traditional Method of sparkling wine making
It indicates a wine that has undergone a second fermentation in the bottle in which it is later sold
Which technique is often used to make most premium sparkling wines?
Traditional method
What are the main down-sides to using the traditional method for making sparkling wine?
It’s costly and time-consuming
What is the big advantage for producers of sparkling wines made using the traditional method?
They often command the highest prices
What are the principal steps of the traditional method after harvest and pressing?
1- Making the base wine 2- Blending 3- Second alcoholic fermentation 4- Yeast autolysis 5- Riddling 6- Disgorgement and corking 7- Bottle ageing
Describe the first alcoholic fermentation for the traditional method
- It usually takes place in large stainless steel, temperature controlled vats
- Some producers still use oak vats or barrels for some or all of their wines
Describe the base wine for traditional method sparkling wines
It’s usually completely dry with neutral flavours and high acidity
What must a winemaker decide once their traditional method base wine has fermented?
Whether the wine will undergo MLF and/or a period of maturation in oak before the second alcoholic fermentation
When are base wines used for sparkling wines?
- Most are used the year after the harvest
- Some are stored for use in future years
What are the principal functions of blending in creating sparkling wines?
- To help to achieve the ‘house style’ year on year despite vintage variation
- To improve the balance of the wine
- To enhance the complexity of the wine
What are Chardonnay and Pinot Noir respectively believed to bring to a sparkling blend?
- Chardonnay: Citrus fruit, finesse and longevity
- Pinot Noir: Aromas/flavours of red fruit and more body
How may old reserve wines help to add complexity to a sparkling wine blend?
They can bring flavours of dried fruit to the blend
How may a broader texture and spicy flavours be added to a wine for sparkling wine?
By blending in wines that have been matured in oak
How may blending options be broadened for making sparkling wines?
Grapes are often fermented in many different small parcels
What happens once a traditional method sparkling blend is made?
A small proportion of liqueur de tirage is added
What is liqueur de tirage?
A mixture of wine, sugar, yeast, yeast nutrients and a clarifying agent
What are the stages of secondary alcoholic fermentation for traditional method sparkling wines?
1- Liqueur de tirage is added
2- Bottle is closed with a crown cap that has a plastic cup insert
3- Bottles are stacked horizontally in the producers’ cellars at a cool, constant temperature
What happens in the bottle during secondary fermentation?
- Alcohol is raised by about 1.2 - 1.3% abv
- CO2 generated by the yeast dissolves into the wine, creating bubbles
What is the pressure created in the bottle by secondary alcoholic fermentation?
Five to six atmospheres
What stage is after secondary alcoholic fermentation? Describe it
- Yeast autolysis:
- Yeast die and form a sediment of lees in the bottle
Over a period of months, the dead cells start to break down, releasing chemical compounds into the wine
How does yeast autolysis affect a wine?
The compounds released contribute to the flavour, typically giving bread, biscuit and toasty notes
How long does yeast autolysis last for?
- Typically four to five years
- It can last for up to ten years
Describe the flavour of wines that spend a longer time their lees
The develop more of a pronounced yeast character
Why might wine be kept on its lees after autolysis is complete?
It can maintain the wine’s freshness for years
Which stage of sparkling wine-making comes after yeast autolysis/maturation?
Riddling
Which two processes of sparkling wine-making remove the dead yeast cells?
Riddling and disgorgement
Describe riddling
- Involves moving the bottle very slowly from a horizontal position 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
How was riddling traditionally performed?
By hand
Describe hand-riddling
- Bottle were placed horizontally in the holes of an A-frame rack called a pupitre
- Each day given a shake and a twist and raised slightly closer to vertical
What is a Pupitre?
The A-frame used for hand-riddling during the process of sparkling wine-making
What are the major disadvantages of hand-riddling?
- A very labour intensive process
- Takes up to eight weeks to complete
What is the alternative to hand-riddling?
Mechanised riddling
Why is mechanised riddling a better option than hand-riddling?
- It’s quicker
- Less labour intensive
- Can be carried out in bulk
What is the standard machine in use for mechanised riddling?
The gyropalette
Describe a gyropalette
A cage holding 500 bottles on a hydraulic arm, which is regularly rotated and inclined
How quickly does a gyropalette typically complete the process of riddling?
A matter of days
Which stage comes after riddling?
Disgorgement and corking
Describe disgorgement
- The neck of the upturned bottle is submerged in a very cold brine solution, which freezes the wine in the neck
- Bottles are inverted into an upright position
- Frozen wine holds the sediment in position
- Crown cap seal is removed
- Pressure created by the dissolved CO₂ ejects the frozen wine, taking the sediment and plastic insert with it
Describe corking for a sparkling wine
- After disgorgement, the wine is topped up with liqueur d’expédition
- Sealed with a cork which is held secure by a wire cage
How long does the process of mechanised corking for sparkling wine take? Why?
- A matter of seconds
- It is entirely mechanised to avoid a loss of pressure and reduce the risk of oxidation
What is liqueur d’expédition?
A mixture of wine and sugar
What is the sugar in liqueur d’expédition known as? What is it for?
- Dosage
- Used to balance acidity and help with flavour development
What are sparkling wines labelled as which are made without sugar with the addition of liqueur d’expédition?
Brut nature or Zéro dosage depending on producer or wine region
Why will wine always be added just before corking a traditional method sparkling wine?
To top up the wine to the right level in the bottle
Why is the liquid in liqueur d’expédition so important?
It is in effect a second blending operation used to create the house style
Describe the role of screw-tops in sparkling wine
The vast majority of sparkling wines are sealed with corks
Describe a sparkling wine cork
A cylinder with an area on its round face around three times that of the opening of the bottle
How does the cork in a sparkling wine keep the perfect seal?
It has to be compressed considerably before it can be inserted into the neck of the bottle
How is complete security ensured for the cork of a sparkling wine?
By adding a wire cage
Which process occurs after disgorgement?
Bottle ageing
What may the main reason be for bottle ageing a sparkling wine?
- It may be bottle-aged for a further few months to allow the liqueur d’expédition to integrate with the wine
- Some premium sparkling wines may benefit from further ageing anyway
Why it is problematic for a consumer/retailer know the precise age of a sparkling wine?
- Because most are not vintage-dated
- It is nearly always impossible to know whether the wine inside the bottle is youthful and fresh or more mature
How have a number of sparkling wine producers attempted to give a greater idea of age for their consumers?
By adding a date of disgorgement to the labels
What would be the main purpose for using the transfer method?
It’s an adaptation of the traditional method that avoids the processes of riddling and disgorgement
Why would a producer using the transfer method choose to avoid disgorgement and riddling?
They are costly and complex
How is the transfer similar to the traditional method?
It’s the same up to the point of riddling
Describe the transfer method from after secondary alcoholic fermentation
- The wines are disgorged into a sealed tank under pressure
- The wine is filtered to remove yeast lees
- Liqueur d’expédition is added
- The wine is rebottled into a fresh bottle
What are the main advantages of using the transfer method?
- It gives good quality sparkling wines at a cheaper price than the traditional method
- With larger batches it is an easy way to ensure consistent quality and style
How may one tell whether a wine has been made with the traditional method or the transfer method?
- Transfer method wines will often state ‘bottle-fermented’ on the label
- Traditional method wines will often print the term ‘traditional method’ or ‘méthode traditionnelle’ on their labels
What characteristic does the tank method allow?
- It allows for the retention of the base wine’s flavours
- Traditional and transfer method wines produce wines that have the flavour of bread and toast
What kind of wines is the tank method ideal for creating?
Those made from aromatic varieties such as Muscat and Riesling or those to be made in a fruity style such as Prosecco
Why is the tank method popular for sparkling wines?
It’s cheaper, faster and less labour-intensive that transfer or traditional wines
How is the tank method seen with regard to quality?
- As an inferior method to the traditional method
- With high quality grapes and care during production, high quality wines can be made in this way
Describe the treatment of the base wine during the tank method
- It takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks to retain pure fruit and floral flavours
- Base wines do not usually undergo MLF or oak ageing
What is added before secondary fermentation during the tank method?
Yeast, sugar, yeast nutrients and clarifying agents
What is the big difference between the tank method and transfer/traditional methods? Describe it
Secondary alcoholic fermentation takes place in a sealed tank able to withstand the pressure as CO₂ dissolves into the wine
What happens during the tank method immediately after secondary fermentation?
Wine is filtered to remove yeast lees before being bottled under pressure
What characteristic do most tank method wines not show? Why?
- Notes of yeast autolysis
- Because they spend no extended time on the lees
How may autolytic character be created in wines made using the tank method?
By using paddles to stir up the lees during the second fermentation
Why is lees-stirring relatively uncommon in wines made using the tank method?
Most winemakers using this method will want to retain primary fruit flavours
What is the Asti method principally used for?
The production of sweet sparkling wines in the Asti region of Piemonte
What kind of wines does the Asti method produce?
Sweet, fruity sparkling wines
What is unusual about the Asti method?
It only involves one alcoholic fermentation
Describe fermentation in the Asti method
1- The juice is chilled and stored until needed
2- When the juice is required, it is warmed and the fermentation takes place in pressurised tanks
CO₂ is initially allowed to escape
3- Part way through, the tank is sealed so that CO₂ is retained
4- Fermentation continues until alcohol reaches about 7% abv and pressure to five to six atmospheres
5- Fermentation is stopped by chilling the wine
6- Wine is filtered under pressure to remove yeast
What is the principal behind carbonation?
CO₂ is injected into a still wine, which is then bottled under pressure
For what kind of wine is carbonation useful?
Fruity, sparkling wines that retain the flavours of the base wine
For what kinds of grapes is carbonation most often used and why?
For grapes with strong varietal flavours
What is the biggest advantage of carbonation?
It’s the cheapest of all the methods
What are the EU laws regarding sweetness of sparkling wines?
Sparkling wines must use certain labelling terms to denote levels of sweetness
What are the seven levels of sweetness which may appear on an EU sparkling wine label?
- Brut Nature/Bruto Natural/Naturherb/Zéro Dosage
- Extra Brut/Extra Bruto/Extra Herb
- Brut/Bruto/Herb
- Extra-Sec/Extra-Dry/Extra Trocken
- Sec/Secco/Seco/Dry/Trocken
- Demi-Sec/Semi-Seco/Medium Dry/Abboccato/Halbtrocken
- Doux/Dulce/Sweet/Mild
What are the residual sugar requirements for Brut Nature et al?
0-3 g/l (dosage cannot be added)
List the most commonly used terms used to describe styles of sparkling wines
- Non-vintage
- Vintage
- Rosé
- Blanc de Blancs
- Blanc de Noirs
- Prestige Cuvée
What is ‘Non-vintage’ used to describe?
Wines made from grapes harvested in more than one vintage
What do non vintage wines usually represent for a producer?
Their standard offering/house style
What does ‘Vintage’ mean for a wine from Champagne?
That the wine must come from a single year
What does ‘Vintage’ mean in regions other than Champagne?
Generally that all grapes must come from a single vintage, but some may allow a small percentage to come from other years
Why do vintage Champagnes command a price premium?
Here there is considerable vintage variation, so ‘Vintage’ is only made in the best years
Why may non-Champagne vintage wines not necessarily be held in quite the same esteem?
Vintage variation may be less of a problem
How may rosé sparkling wine be made?
Either by blending red and white base wines or by a short maceration
How may colour be adjusted in a rosé sparkling?
With the liqueur d’expédition
There are some sparkling wine appellations that only permit their rosé wines to be made by…
Maceration
What is a commonly used term for a sparkling wine made only from white grape varieties?
Blanc de Blancs
What is a commonly used term for a sparkling wine made only from black grape varieties?
Blanc de Noirs
Which term is generally used to describe the best sparkling wine in a producer’s range?
Prestige Cuvée
Why are Prestige Cuvée wines an important part of the sparkling wine market especially Champagne?
Reputations have been built based on an association with luxury as well as celebration
