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Micky WSET Lv3 > C41 - Sparkling Wine Production - completed > Flashcards

C41 - Sparkling Wine Production - completed Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the three main requirements when it comes to grapes for sparkling wine?

A
  • Grapes should have low sugar levels
  • High acid levels are desirable
  • Flavours should be ripe enough not to have green, herbaceous flavours
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2
Q

Why should sparkling grapes have relatively low sugar levels?

A

As the secondary fermentation adds 1.2 to 1.3% abv

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3
Q

What range of alcohol will sparkling wine-makers aim for when making their still base wines?

A

10 - 11% abv

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4
Q

Why are high acid levels desired for sparkling wines?

A

Many sparkling wines are made in a refreshing style

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5
Q

Which kinds of regions are best for growing grapes for sparkling wines?

A

Cool regions

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6
Q

Why are cool regions best for grapes for sparkling wines?

A

Changes to sugar and acid levels happen slowly and at the same time as changes to the grapes’ flavours

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7
Q

Why may warm regions be unsuitable for the growth of grapes for sparkling wines?

A

Sugar levels can rise and acid levels fall very quickly

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8
Q

What is the only option in warm areas when growing for sparkling wine? What is the risk/reality in a lot of these cases?

A
  • Picking early

- These grapes can be ovetly green and herbaceous

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9
Q

Describe how grapes for sparkling wine may be picked and why

A
  • 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
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10
Q

What should happen as sparkling grapes arrive at the winery and why?

A
  • They should be pressed as soon as possible

- Because avoiding the crushing stage will minimise contact between the skins and the juice

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11
Q

Describe pressing for sparkling grapes

A

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)

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12
Q

What other than gentle pressing helps to minimise the extraction of colour and tannins?

A

The use of whole bunches during pressing

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13
Q

How does pressing sparkling grapes come into the field of law?

A

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

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14
Q

How many methods of sparkling wine production are there? What are they?

A 
Five:
1- Traditional Method
2- Transfer Method
3- Tank Method
4- Asti Method
5- Carbonation
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15
Q

What will determine the sparkling method which is employed by winemakers?

A
  • 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
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16
Q

Briefly describe the Traditional Method of sparkling wine making

A

It indicates a wine that has undergone a second fermentation in the bottle in which it is later sold

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17
Q

Which technique is often used to make most premium sparkling wines?

A

Traditional method

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18
Q

What are the main down-sides to using the traditional method for making sparkling wine?

A

It’s costly and time-consuming

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19
Q

What is the big advantage for producers of sparkling wines made using the traditional method?

A

They often command the highest prices

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20
Q

What are the principal steps of the traditional method after harvest and pressing?

A 
1- Making the base wine
2- Blending
3- Second alcoholic fermentation
4- Yeast autolysis
5- Riddling
6- Disgorgement and corking
7- Bottle ageing
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21
Q

Describe the first alcoholic fermentation for the traditional method

A
  • 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
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22
Q

Describe the base wine for traditional method sparkling wines

A

It’s usually completely dry with neutral flavours and high acidity

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23
Q

What must a winemaker decide once their traditional method base wine has fermented?

A

Whether the wine will undergo MLF and/or a period of maturation in oak before the second alcoholic fermentation

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24
Q

When are base wines used for sparkling wines?

A
  • Most are used the year after the harvest

- Some are stored for use in future years

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25
Q

What are the principal functions of blending in creating sparkling wines?

A
  • 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
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26
Q

What are Chardonnay and Pinot Noir respectively believed to bring to a sparkling blend?

A
  • Chardonnay: Citrus fruit, finesse and longevity

- Pinot Noir: Aromas/flavours of red fruit and more body

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27
Q

How may old reserve wines help to add complexity to a sparkling wine blend?

A

They can bring flavours of dried fruit to the blend

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28
Q

How may a broader texture and spicy flavours be added to a wine for sparkling wine?

A

By blending in wines that have been matured in oak

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29
Q

How may blending options be broadened for making sparkling wines?

A

Grapes are often fermented in many different small parcels

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30
Q

What happens once a traditional method sparkling blend is made?

A

A small proportion of liqueur de tirage is added

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31
Q

What is liqueur de tirage?

A

A mixture of wine, sugar, yeast, yeast nutrients and a clarifying agent

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32
Q

What are the stages of secondary alcoholic fermentation for traditional method sparkling wines?

A

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

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33
Q

What happens in the bottle during secondary fermentation?

A
  • Alcohol is raised by about 1.2 - 1.3% abv

- CO2 generated by the yeast dissolves into the wine, creating bubbles

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34
Q

What is the pressure created in the bottle by secondary alcoholic fermentation?

A

Five to six atmospheres

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35
Q

What stage is after secondary alcoholic fermentation? Describe it

A
  • 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
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36
Q

How does yeast autolysis affect a wine?

A

The compounds released contribute to the flavour, typically giving bread, biscuit and toasty notes

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37
Q

How long does yeast autolysis last for?

A
  • Typically four to five years

- It can last for up to ten years

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38
Q

Describe the flavour of wines that spend a longer time their lees

A

The develop more of a pronounced yeast character

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39
Q

Why might wine be kept on its lees after autolysis is complete?

A

It can maintain the wine’s freshness for years

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40
Q

Which stage of sparkling wine-making comes after yeast autolysis/maturation?

A

Riddling

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41
Q

Which two processes of sparkling wine-making remove the dead yeast cells?

A

Riddling and disgorgement

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42
Q

Describe riddling

A
  • 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
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43
Q

How was riddling traditionally performed?

A

By hand

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44
Q

Describe hand-riddling

A
  • 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
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45
Q

What is a Pupitre?

A

The A-frame used for hand-riddling during the process of sparkling wine-making

46
Q

What are the major disadvantages of hand-riddling?

A
  • A very labour intensive process

- Takes up to eight weeks to complete

47
Q

What is the alternative to hand-riddling?

A

Mechanised riddling

48
Q

Why is mechanised riddling a better option than hand-riddling?

A
  • It’s quicker
  • Less labour intensive
  • Can be carried out in bulk
49
Q

What is the standard machine in use for mechanised riddling?

A

The gyropalette

50
Q

Describe a gyropalette

A

A cage holding 500 bottles on a hydraulic arm, which is regularly rotated and inclined

51
Q

How quickly does a gyropalette typically complete the process of riddling?

A

A matter of days

52
Q

Which stage comes after riddling?

A

Disgorgement and corking

53
Q

Describe disgorgement

A
  • 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
54
Q

Describe corking for a sparkling wine

A
  • After disgorgement, the wine is topped up with liqueur d’expédition
  • Sealed with a cork which is held secure by a wire cage
55
Q

How long does the process of mechanised corking for sparkling wine take? Why?

A
  • A matter of seconds

- It is entirely mechanised to avoid a loss of pressure and reduce the risk of oxidation

56
Q

What is liqueur d’expédition?

A

A mixture of wine and sugar

57
Q

What is the sugar in liqueur d’expédition known as? What is it for?

A
  • Dosage

- Used to balance acidity and help with flavour development

58
Q

What are sparkling wines labelled as which are made without sugar with the addition of liqueur d’expédition?

A

Brut nature or Zéro dosage depending on producer or wine region

59
Q

Why will wine always be added just before corking a traditional method sparkling wine?

A

To top up the wine to the right level in the bottle

60
Q

Why is the liquid in liqueur d’expédition so important?

A

It is in effect a second blending operation used to create the house style

61
Q

Describe the role of screw-tops in sparkling wine

A

The vast majority of sparkling wines are sealed with corks

62
Q

Describe a sparkling wine cork

A

A cylinder with an area on its round face around three times that of the opening of the bottle

63
Q

How does the cork in a sparkling wine keep the perfect seal?

A

It has to be compressed considerably before it can be inserted into the neck of the bottle

64
Q

How is complete security ensured for the cork of a sparkling wine?

A

By adding a wire cage

65
Q

Which process occurs after disgorgement?

A

Bottle ageing

66
Q

What may the main reason be for bottle ageing a sparkling wine?

A
  • 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
67
Q

Why it is problematic for a consumer/retailer know the precise age of a sparkling wine?

A
  • 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

68
Q

How have a number of sparkling wine producers attempted to give a greater idea of age for their consumers?

A

By adding a date of disgorgement to the labels

69
Q

What would be the main purpose for using the transfer method?

A

It’s an adaptation of the traditional method that avoids the processes of riddling and disgorgement

70
Q

Why would a producer using the transfer method choose to avoid disgorgement and riddling?

A

They are costly and complex

71
Q

How is the transfer similar to the traditional method?

A

It’s the same up to the point of riddling

72
Q

Describe the transfer method from after secondary alcoholic fermentation

A
  • 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
73
Q

What are the main advantages of using the transfer method?

A
  • 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
74
Q

How may one tell whether a wine has been made with the traditional method or the transfer method?

A
  • 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
75
Q

What characteristic does the tank method allow?

A
  • 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

76
Q

What kind of wines is the tank method ideal for creating?

A

Those made from aromatic varieties such as Muscat and Riesling or those to be made in a fruity style such as Prosecco

77
Q

Why is the tank method popular for sparkling wines?

A

It’s cheaper, faster and less labour-intensive that transfer or traditional wines

78
Q

How is the tank method seen with regard to quality?

A
  • 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

79
Q

Describe the treatment of the base wine during the tank method

A
  • 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
80
Q

What is added before secondary fermentation during the tank method?

A

Yeast, sugar, yeast nutrients and clarifying agents

81
Q

What is the big difference between the tank method and transfer/traditional methods? Describe it

A

Secondary alcoholic fermentation takes place in a sealed tank able to withstand the pressure as CO₂ dissolves into the wine

82
Q

What happens during the tank method immediately after secondary fermentation?

A

Wine is filtered to remove yeast lees before being bottled under pressure

83
Q

What characteristic do most tank method wines not show? Why?

A
  • Notes of yeast autolysis

- Because they spend no extended time on the lees

84
Q

How may autolytic character be created in wines made using the tank method?

A

By using paddles to stir up the lees during the second fermentation

85
Q

Why is lees-stirring relatively uncommon in wines made using the tank method?

A

Most winemakers using this method will want to retain primary fruit flavours

86
Q

What is the Asti method principally used for?

A

The production of sweet sparkling wines in the Asti region of Piemonte

87
Q

What kind of wines does the Asti method produce?

A

Sweet, fruity sparkling wines

88
Q

What is unusual about the Asti method?

A

It only involves one alcoholic fermentation

89
Q

Describe fermentation in the Asti method

A

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

90
Q

What is the principal behind carbonation?

A

CO₂ is injected into a still wine, which is then bottled under pressure

91
Q

For what kind of wine is carbonation useful?

A

Fruity, sparkling wines that retain the flavours of the base wine

92
Q

For what kinds of grapes is carbonation most often used and why?

A

For grapes with strong varietal flavours

93
Q

What is the biggest advantage of carbonation?

A

It’s the cheapest of all the methods

94
Q

What are the EU laws regarding sweetness of sparkling wines?

A

Sparkling wines must use certain labelling terms to denote levels of sweetness

95
Q

What are the seven levels of sweetness which may appear on an EU sparkling wine label?

A
  • 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
96
Q

What are the residual sugar requirements for Brut Nature et al?

A

0-3 g/l (dosage cannot be added)

97
Q

List the most commonly used terms used to describe styles of sparkling wines

A
  • Non-vintage
  • Vintage
  • Rosé
  • Blanc de Blancs
  • Blanc de Noirs
  • Prestige Cuvée
98
Q

What is ‘Non-vintage’ used to describe?

A

Wines made from grapes harvested in more than one vintage

99
Q

What do non vintage wines usually represent for a producer?

A

Their standard offering/house style

100
Q

What does ‘Vintage’ mean for a wine from Champagne?

A

That the wine must come from a single year

101
Q

What does ‘Vintage’ mean in regions other than Champagne?

A

Generally that all grapes must come from a single vintage, but some may allow a small percentage to come from other years

102
Q

Why do vintage Champagnes command a price premium?

A

Here there is considerable vintage variation, so ‘Vintage’ is only made in the best years

103
Q

Why may non-Champagne vintage wines not necessarily be held in quite the same esteem?

A

Vintage variation may be less of a problem

104
Q

How may rosé sparkling wine be made?

A

Either by blending red and white base wines or by a short maceration

105
Q

How may colour be adjusted in a rosé sparkling?

A

With the liqueur d’expédition

106
Q

There are some sparkling wine appellations that only permit their rosé wines to be made by…

A

Maceration

107
Q

What is a commonly used term for a sparkling wine made only from white grape varieties?

A

Blanc de Blancs

108
Q

What is a commonly used term for a sparkling wine made only from black grape varieties?

A

Blanc de Noirs

109
Q

Which term is generally used to describe the best sparkling wine in a producer’s range?

A

Prestige Cuvée

110
Q

Why are Prestige Cuvée wines an important part of the sparkling wine market especially Champagne?

A

Reputations have been built based on an association with luxury as well as celebration

Micky WSET Lv3 (46 decks)

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