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Micky WSET Lv3 > C7 - Common Elements In Winemaking And Maturation - Micky - completed > Flashcards

C7 - Common Elements In Winemaking And Maturation - Micky - completed Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the next stage in winemaking after harvest?

A

The grapes are processed and prepared for alcoholic fermentation

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2
Q

On a basic level, what is alcoholic fermentation?

A

Yeast converts sugars in the grape to alcohol

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3
Q

What is the next basic stage of winemaking after alcoholic fermentation?

A

The wine needs to be stored prior to packaging and sale

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4
Q

Broadly speaking, what are natural wines?

A

Wines made with minimal human intervention

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5
Q

Describe the seeds and stems of the grape

A
  • Both contain tannins

- Seeds contain high levels of bitter oils

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6
Q

How are stems made available to the winemaker

A

By hand harvesting

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7
Q

Why is the grape skin important to the winemaker?

A
  • The skin and the area immediately underneath, contain high levels of flavour compounds (containing the grape’s signature character)
  • It contains tannins
  • It contains colour compounds
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8
Q

A large number of chemical compounds are classed as …

A

Tannin

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9
Q

Describe tannins at Véraison.

How does this change?

A
  • They taste very bitter and astringent

- As grapes ripen, bitterness and astringency fall

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10
Q

What is the Bloom of a grape?

A
  • The waxy surface that covers the skin of a grape

- It contains yeast that can be used for fermentation

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11
Q

List the three major constituents of a grape’s pulp

A
  • Water
  • Sugar
  • Acid
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12
Q

What is the largest constituent of a grape’s pulp?

A

Water

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13
Q

What is the second largest constituent of a grape’s pulp?

A

Sugar

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14
Q

In order, what are the most abundant acids in a grape’s pulp, and will be presented in the finished wine?

A
  • Tartaric acid

- Malic acid

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15
Q

What can oxygen react with during winemaking and maturation?

A
  • Grape juice

- Many of the component parts of a wine

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16
Q

What is oxidation?

A

Oxygen reacting with many component part of a wine during the winemaking and maturation process.

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17
Q

What is the biggest threat to a winemaker wanting their wine to be dominated by primary fruit characteristics?

A

Oxidation

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18
Q

How is the risk of oxidation broadly avoided by a winemaker?

A
  • Use of antioxidants such as Sulfur Dioxide

- Keeping oxygen contact to a minimum

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19
Q

Why might grapes be picked at night?

A
  • It is cooler and the effect of oxygen is reduced because chemical reactions occur more slowly at lower temperatures
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20
Q

How are grapes kept away from oxygen once they reach the winery? What is this process called?

A
  • By filling airtight winery equipment with carbon dioxide or nitrogen before they are used for grape processing or winemaking
  • Protective/anaerobic winemaking
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21
Q

What is the argument against anaerobic winemaking?

A

Some argue that the resultant wines may be bland or uninteresting and that a higher level of oxygen contact helps to develop complexity and character

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22
Q

…rarely if ever benefit from oxygen contact during maturation

A

Wines that have been protected from oxygen during winemaking

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23
Q

How are anaerobically made wines stored?

A

In inert airtight vessels which are kept completely full

The vats are made from stainless steel or cement lined with epoxy-resin

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24
Q

How are aerobically made wines usually stored?

A

In wooden vessels that are normally made of oak

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25
Q

Oak is…but it is not…

A
  • Watertight

- Airtight

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26
Q

How does the mild oxygen permeability of oak help a wine?

A
  • It can help to soften tannins in red wines

- Gives more flavour complexity

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27
Q

What happens to flavours in wine during deliberate oxidation/maturation?

A
  • Primary fruit flavours gradually fade

- Tertiary characters start to develop, such as leather and earth

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28
Q

Other than flavour, how may a wine change as a result of oxidation?

A
  • Red wines become paler and gain a hint of brown

- White wines become deeper in colour and gain a hint of orange

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29
Q

What two main factors influence the amount of deliberate oxidation a wine receives?

A
  • Size of vessel

- The length of time stored in it

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30
Q

How does barrel size affect the amount of oxidation a wine receives? Why?

A
  • Smaller barrels have a greater oxidative effect

- They present a proportionately larger surface area of wood to the wine

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31
Q

What size is a barrique?

A

225L

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32
Q

Wines are rarely kept in barriques for longer than…

A

Two years

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33
Q

How may the effect of barrel oxidation be further enhanced?

A

If the container is not completely full

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34
Q

Name three wines which are matured in barrels which are not completely full

A
  • Oloroso Sherry
  • Rutherglen Muscat
  • Tawny Port
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35
Q

What characters do wines (e.g. Oloroso Sherry) which are deliberately aged take on?

A

Caramel, toffee and nuts

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36
Q

What may happen to a wine if it’s exposed to too much oxygen?

A

It can lose much of its fruit flavour and smell stale

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37
Q

What can happen to over-oxidised wine in extreme cases?

A

Bacteria can use the oxygen to turn the wine to vinegar

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38
Q

What are the main uses of Sulfur Dioxide in a winery?

A
  • Antioxidant effects

- Antiseptic effects

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39
Q

Which element in winemaking can be toxic? How is this prevented?

A
  • Sulfur Dioxide

- It is regulated by law

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40
Q

Which major element in winemaking can cause allergic reactions, even at low levels?

A
  • Sulfur Dioxide
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41
Q

Why might a quality-conscious winemaker want to keep SO2 levels as low as possible?

A

It can make wines seem harsh and lacking in fruit

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42
Q

When used as an antioxidant, why must SO2 levels be constantly monitored?

A

By protecting wine from oxidation, SO2 becomes ‘bound’ and can have no further protective use

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43
Q

Why is SO2 effective as an antiseptic?

A

It is toxic to the many strains of yeast and bacteria that can cause unwanted flavours in wine

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44
Q

Is SO2 toxic to the principal yeast involved in winemaking?

A

No, it is resistant to certain levels of SO2

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45
Q

The majority of wooden vessels used in winemaking are made of…

A

Oak

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46
Q

Other than oxygen, what can oak ageing give to a wine?

A
  • Tannins

- Flavours

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47
Q

What does oak-tannin give to a wine?

A
  • Structure

- textural complexity

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48
Q

What kind of flavours can oak give to a wine?

A
  • Toast
  • Vanilla
  • Smoke
  • Cloves
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49
Q

What is a particular challenge when using oak for maturation? Why?

A
  • Hygiene

- It is particularly difficult to keep wooden vessels free of yeasts, bacteria and moulds

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50
Q

Why may a winemaker use different types of vessel during maturation?

A
  • As oak vessels differ widely in their characteristics

- To enhance complexity in their wines

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51
Q

What are the four major factors to consider when choosing oak for maturation?

A
  • Species and origin of oak
  • Size
  • Production of oak barrels
  • Age
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52
Q

Describe why species of oak is an important factor in flavour characteristics

A

Flavour can change, even within the same specie of oak

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53
Q

_____ oak has broadly similar characteristics no matter which country it’s from

A

European

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54
Q

Where is some of the finest oak considered to come from?

A

Some forests in France

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55
Q

What is a 228L barrel known as?

A

Pièce

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56
Q

How large can wine maturation vessels get?

A

More than 2000L

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57
Q

What is one of the most important procedures when it comes to how a barrel affects the flavour of a wine?

A

Toasting

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58
Q

How are the barrel’s staves prepared so they can be bent into shape?

A

They are heated

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59
Q

What secondary effects does the heating of a barrel’s staves have?

A

It transforms the tannins and the flavour compounds in oak

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60
Q

What flavours are newly produced by a barrel once it is toasted?

A
  • Sweet spice

- Toast

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61
Q

What does ‘level of toasting’ refer to in the making of a barrel?

A

The temperature and length of heat exposure

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62
Q

What affects the flavours a barrel contributes to the wine?

A

The level of toasting

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63
Q

What happens each time a barrel is used?

A

The effect of toasting diminishes

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64
Q

Why might a winemaker not use new oak?

A

In order to make a wine with more subtle oak flavours

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65
Q

How else may oak flavours and tannins be added to a wine, other than using barrels? What is the advantage of doing this?

A

By adding oak staves or oak chips during fermentation or maturation processes.

It’s cheaper

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66
Q

How may the oxidative effects of barrel ageing be replicated?

A

By adding small, controlled quantities of oxygen to the wine vessel

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67
Q

What is an inert wine vessel?

A

It does not add flavour to the wine or allow oxidation

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68
Q

What are the majority of inert winery vessels made from?

A

Stainless steel or concrete

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69
Q

What can inert winery vessels be used for?

A
  • Fermentation

- Temporary storage of wine after it is finished until it can be bottled.

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70
Q

What are most modern winery vessels made from?

A

Stainless steel

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71
Q

List the advantages of stainless steel as a winery vessel

A
  • Easy to keep clean
  • Can be made into any shape and size
  • Can incorporate temperature control mechanisms
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72
Q

What are the two main types of temperature control mechanisms?

A
  • Sleeves on the outside of the vessels

- Internal coils through which cold or hot liquid can be circulated

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73
Q

What are concrete vessels usually lined with? What does this do?

A
  • Epoxy resin

- It’s inert and provides a waterproof barrier

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74
Q

What was commonly used before stainless steel vessels?

A

Concrete vessels

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75
Q

What are the disadvantages of concrete vessels over stainless steel?

A

They can be less easy to clean and maintain

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76
Q

Why might some winemakers prefer concrete vessels?

A

The thick concrete shells help to regulate temperature during fermentation and maturation without the need for expensive equipment

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77
Q

Name a wine vessel which is not steel or concrete…

A

Glass bottles

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78
Q

When do grapes usually use their first dose of SO2?

A

When they arrive at the winery

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79
Q

Besides receiving SO2, what else may happen to wine grapes during reception?

A

They may be individually checked and sorted for unripe and rotten grapes

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80
Q

What is the next possible stage after grape reception?

A

Destemming and crushing

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81
Q

What does crushing do?

A

It breaks the skin of the grapes and liberates a quantity of juice

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82
Q

What is the liquid product of crushing called?

A

Free run juice

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83
Q

What is the danger when crushing grapes?

A

If the seeds are crushed, they will release bitter oils and tannin

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84
Q

What does pressing do?

A

It separates the liquid and solid constituents of the grape

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85
Q

Why are modern pressing techniques designed to be gentle?

A

As with crushing, to avoid crushing the seeds

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86
Q

What is the traditional design of grape presses?

A

They were all vertical

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87
Q

How does a vertical press work? What is a traditional vertical press called?

A
  • The pressure on the grapes comes from above, using a screw or lever
  • A basket press
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88
Q

Name a wine producing region which is still particularly known for its vertical presses

A

Champagne

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89
Q

Describe a pneumatic press machine

A

An inflatable rubber tube within a perforated, horizontal stainless steel cylinder

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90
Q

What does a pneumatic press allow that a vertical press does not?

A

It’s possible to apply pressure over a larger area in a controllable way

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91
Q

Why are some presses built within a closed tank?

A

So that the amount of oxygen in contact with the juice is kept to a minimum

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92
Q

What is it important to be aware of regarding the juice which is pressed?

A

Liquid released at the start of pressing is very different from liquid released at the end

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93
Q

What are fractions?

A

Different pressings of grape juice/wine within the pressing process

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94
Q

What may be done with different ‘fractions’?

A

They may treated individually and blended in different proportions to create a certain style

95
Q

When may adjustments take place?

A

Before, during or after fermentation

96
Q

How is grape juice commonly referred to?

A

Must

97
Q

What is the term for the level of sugar in grape juice?

A

Must weight

98
Q

How may sugar be increased in a wine? What is it called?

A

By adding Rectified Concentrated Grape Must

Enrichment

99
Q

What is Rectified Concentrated Grape Must?

A

A colourless, odourless, syrupy liquid

100
Q

At what stage may a must be enriched?

A

Before or during fermentation

101
Q

Which wine adjustment is banned in many parts of the world or it’s strictly controlled?

A

Enrichment

102
Q

What may happen to a wine if the process of enrichment is abused?

A
  • the wine may taste hard and thin

* Because there are insufficient flavours to balance the artificially elevated alcohol

103
Q

What is chaptalisation?

A

Where sugar from sources other than grapes is added before fermentation as a form of enrichment

104
Q

Other than enrichment, how else may alcohol levels be raised in a must/wine?

A

By removing water from the must

105
Q

What are the disadvantages of removing water to concentrate sugar/alcohol?

A
  • As well as sugar, it concentrates tannins, acids, flavour compounds and faults
  • It reduces volume of the juice
106
Q

Name an adjustment which is very difficult

A

Removing sugar

107
Q

Can alcohol be removed from wine?

A

Yes, using machinery after fermentation is complete

108
Q

How is acid usually increased in a wine?

A

By the addition of tartaric acid in powder form

109
Q

Where is acidification permitted?

A
  • In Europe, only in warmer countries

- In many hot countries around the world

110
Q

How may a wine be de-acidified?

A

By the addition of an alkali

111
Q

What are the inputs and outputs of fermentation?

A

input: Sugar + yeast
output: Alcohol and CO2

112
Q

What are the ‘other’ by-products of fermentation?

A

Heat and flavour compounds

113
Q

Which yeast species is responsible for the majority of wine fermentations? Why is this used?

A

Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Due to its tolerance of relatively high alcohol levels and SO2

114
Q

What is the minimum temperature at which fermentation can begin?

A

5C

115
Q

At what point does fermentation naturally stop?

A

When all the sugar has been consumed

116
Q

What may stop fermentation before all sugar has been consumed?

A
  • Yeast run out of nutrients
  • Temperature reaches over 35C
  • Combination of high sugar and alcohol
117
Q

What may happen to fermentation if sugar levels are very high?

A

Fermentation may not even start

118
Q

Broadly speaking, how may a winemaker deliberately halt fermentation?

A
  • By killing yeast

- By removing yeast

119
Q

How may yeast be killed?

A
  • Adding SO2

- Adding grape spirit

120
Q

Describe how a winemaker may remove yeast?

A
  • By temporarily halting fermentation, by chilling the must to below 5C
  • By filtering the yeast out
121
Q

What are the two important ways in which a winemaker may control fermentation?

A
  • Choice of yeast

- Temperature management

122
Q

What are the two yeast choices a winemaker has?

A
  • use the ambient yeast strains on the grape bloom, or

- adding cultured strains to the must

123
Q

What is the advantage of using ambient yeast strains?

A

It can produce complex flavours in the final wine

124
Q

What is the disadvantage of using ambient yeast strains?

A
  • The winemaker cannot control exactly which yeast strains are present
  • There may be some variation between batches of grapes
125
Q

What are commercially available yeasts?

A
  • Strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae that have been specifically selected because they consistently perform and produce attractive flavours
126
Q

What is a potential argument against using cultured yeasts?

A

That it can limit the potential complexity of the wine

127
Q

Why is temperature management important in the winery?

A
  • Because if fermenting wine becomes too hot, yeast are killed
  • By controlling temperature, the winemaker can influence the wine’s flavours
128
Q

What is achieved by fermenting at lower temperatures?

A
  • It avoids the loss of most volatile aromas (which often have a floral character)
  • It can encourage the development of fruity aromas in white wines
129
Q

What is achieved by fermenting at higher temperatures?

A
  • This is necessary for the extraction of colour and tannins from black grape skins
130
Q

Why is temperature control during fermentation easier now than it was?

A

Many vats have their own heating/refrigeration systems

131
Q

Other than automatically, how may excess heat be releases during fermentation?

A

By pumping over

132
Q

Name a winemaking technique which has been pivotal in quality and consistency of modern winemaking

A

Precise temperature control

133
Q

When does malolactic fermentation usually take place?

A

Once alcoholic fermentation has finished

134
Q

What carries out MLF?

A

Lactic acid bacteria

135
Q

What happens during MLF?

A

Lactic acid bacteria convert tart malic grape acid into softer lactic acid

136
Q

What does MLF broadly do?

A
  • Softens and reduces acidity
  • Creates buttery flavours
  • Produces CO2
137
Q

How may MLF be encouraged??

A

By raising the temperature of the wine and not adding SO2

138
Q

How may MLF be avoided?

A
  • Through storage at cool temperatures
  • Use of SO2
  • By filtering out the bacteria
139
Q

Why may wine appear cloudy after fermentation? What becomes of this effect?

A
  • Due to the presence of dead yeast cells and grape fragments
  • The offending particles are usually heavy enough to fall to the bottom of the vessel within a few hours
140
Q

What is the sediment that falls to the bottom of the vessel after fermentation?

A

Gross lees

141
Q

What is the result of gross lees are not removed?

A

Unpleasant aromas can develop in the wine

142
Q

What are fine lees?

A

Smaller particles in the wine after fermentation (which settle more slowly)

143
Q

How are fine lees removed?

A

They are removed gradually during the wine maturation process

144
Q

Why may a winemaker not want to remove the fine lees during pre-bottle maturation?

A

To add extra flavours and a richer texture to the wine

145
Q

Why may a wine be bottled after only a few months?

A

The winemaker may want to preserve as many primary fruit aromas as possible

146
Q

Give an example of a premium wine which is only matured for a short time, in inert vessels before bottling

A

Premium Australian Riesling

147
Q

What is the most important factor in determining how well a wine will survive medium to long-term ageing?

A

It needs to have flavours that will develop in an interesting way

148
Q

What changes can occur during pre-bottling maturation?

A
  • The vessel can affect the wine’s flavours by adding oak flavours or allowing the wine to oxidise
  • Over time, wine components can react with each other, altering flavour or balance
  • and sometimes creating sediment in the vessel, which is periodically removed
149
Q

When does blending take place?

A

It can take place at any stage during winemaking

150
Q

When does blending usually take place?

A

After fermentation or during maturation

151
Q

What is blending used to achieve?

A
  • Improve balance
  • Attain consistency
  • Achieve a certain style
152
Q

What may impede blending when involving diff. varieties, vineyard locations or vintages?

A

Local laws

153
Q

Give an example of when blending may be used to improve balance

A
  • When making red wine, free run wine may be blended with press wine to increase tannins in the final product
154
Q

Give an example of when blending may be used to achieve consistency

A
  • Wines matured in small barrels can develop in subtly different ways and may be blended together in a large vat to smooth out inconsistencies
  • Variations may arise due to differences in the fruit (harvested at different times)
  • Inconsistencies may arise during winemaking
155
Q

How may a winemaker go about achieving their ‘house style’

A

By creating as many blending options as possible during the winemaking process

156
Q

List some variations of blends that a winemaker may create

A
  • Separating press fractions
  • Fermenting/maturing in different vessels
  • Allowing only a proportion to go through MLF
  • Using different grape varieties
  • Different vineyard plots
  • Different vintages
157
Q

What are the three main techniques a winemaker may use to clarify a wine?

A
  • Sedimentation
  • Fining
  • Filtration
158
Q

Why may a wine not go through all clarification treatments?

A

Because some winemakers believe that some of the treatments may harm the character of the wine

159
Q

What is racking?

A

Once the gross lees have settled in a deposit, the wine is gently pumped into another vessel, leaving the sediment behind

160
Q

How are fine lees dealt with after racking?

A

Racking may be repeated several times during maturation

161
Q

For some fine wines, ____ and ____ is the only clarification that will take place

A

Sedimentation and Racking

162
Q

What is the major disadvantage of natural sedimentation as a means of clarification?

A

It is very slow, due to gravity is a weak force.

163
Q

How may sedimentation be accelerated? What is the disadvantage of this?

A
  • By putting wine in a centrifuge

- The equipment is very expensive

164
Q

What is fining?

A

It speeds up the process of deposits clumping together in a wine so that they are visible and can be removed

165
Q

How is fining performed?

A

By adding a fining agent to the wine, causes visible clumps to form, can then be removed.

166
Q

Why may a winemaker not add a fining agent to a wine

A

Some winemakers believe it can adversely affect flavour and texture

167
Q

What is filtration?

A

A process that physically removes particles from a wine as it is passed through a filter

168
Q

When may filtration be performed?

A

After fermentation, during maturation and before bottling

169
Q

What are the two methods of filtration?

A
  • Depth filtration

- Surface filtration

170
Q

Describe the filters in depth filtration

A

They are made from a thick layer of material

171
Q

Describe depth filtration

A

As wine passes through the filter, the solid parts become trapped inside it

172
Q

What can depth filtration achieve?

A

It can handle very cloudy wines and remove gross lees

173
Q

Describe the filters in surface filtration

A

They resemble very fine sieves

174
Q

How does surface filtration work?

A

Solid particles are trapped on the surface of the filter as wine passes through

175
Q

What are the disadvantages of surface filtration?

A
  • Filters are very expensive

- Filters clog up very easily

176
Q

How is the expense of surface filtration minimised?

A

By only using it after depth filtration

177
Q

What is sterile filtration?

A

Where the pores in a surface filter are small enough to remove yeast cells and bacteria

178
Q

When may sterile filtration be performed?

A

Just before bottling

179
Q

Why are some bottles unfiltered?

A

Some winemakers believe that filtration can negatively affect a wine’s character, especially its texture

180
Q

When is a wine considered stable? Why does this vary?

A
  • If over a specific time, it changes in a slow, predictable manner
  • The rate and amount of change deemed acceptable will vary from wine to wine
181
Q

Name a stabilisation process and explain why it is considered to ‘stabilise’

A
  • Fining

- It aims to produce a predictable outcome after bottling

182
Q

Other than fining, name three other important areas that require stabilisation

A
  • Tartrate stability
  • Microbiological stability
  • Oxygen stability
183
Q

Why can tartaric acid crystals form in wine? What are they called?

A

Tartaric acid is less soluble in wine than in grape juice

Tartrates

184
Q

What do Tartrates look like?

A
  • Clear crystals in white wine

- Purple crystals in red wine (stained by colour compounds)

185
Q

What is the big disadvantage of Tartrates?

A

They spoil the appearance of the wine

186
Q

How is the formation of Tartrates accelerated?

A

In cool temperatures

187
Q

How may a winemaker force tartrate formation when long maturation is not appropriate?

A

By chilling the wine to below 0C for a short period of time

188
Q

How are tartrate crystals removed?

A

Filtration

189
Q

Why are yeast and bacteria undesirable in wines?

A

They can spoil a wine and make it undrinkable

190
Q

Why is it important to keep equipment sterile from a microbiological perspective?

A

Undesirable microorganisms can thrive in grape and wine residues

191
Q

What kind of wines may not be at risk from microorganisms?

A
  • Fortified wines

- Their alcohol levels are toxic to all microorganisms

192
Q

Name a non-fortified wine which is highly resistant to microbiological spoilage

A

A dry, high-acid wine that has undergone MLF

193
Q

Which wines are most prone to microbiological spoilage?

A

Low acid, low alcohol wines, which have not undergone MLF and have a little residual sugar

194
Q

How are more susceptible wines treated to prevent spoilage?

A
  • With SO2

- Sterile filtration

195
Q

How may oxidation risk be reduced in a wine?

A
  • Minimising oxygen contact

- Keeping SO2 topped up

196
Q

Name an extra measure a winemaker may take during packaging to minimise oxidation risk

A

The bottle may be flushed with CO2 or nitrogen before filling to eliminate oxygen

197
Q

What are the advantages of glass bottles?

A
  • Portable
  • Cheap
  • Quite strong
  • Oxygen impermeable
  • Do not impart flavours to wine
198
Q

What are the main disadvantages of glass bottles? Explain this

A
  • They are heavy and rigid
  • Weight adds to transport costs
  • Rigidity means it cannot be packed to make best use of the available space
199
Q

How are the disadvantages of glass bottles being counteracted?

A
  • Some producers are using lighter bottles

- transport the wines in bulk to be bottled in (or closer to) the destination country

200
Q

Apart from logistics, why is bottle rigidity a disadvantage?

A

It means that when half-full, the bottle will contain a space for air

201
Q

What is the main disadvantage of plastic bottles for wine?

A

They are slightly oxygen permeable and wines may lose their freshness within a matter of months

202
Q

What is the advantage of bag-in-box wines?

What is the disadvantage?

A
  • The bag collapses as wine is drunk, preventing air from entering
  • The plastic bag is still oxygen permeable
203
Q

Within what time period must a bag-in-box wine be consumed?

A

approximately 18 months

204
Q

What factors may dictate the type of closure which is used for a bottle?

A
  • Ease of use
  • Which closures a bottling line is designed to use
  • For bottles intended for maturation, it must allow the wine to mature positively
205
Q

A slow entry of small amount of oxygen into the bottle allow development of ______ flavours.

A

tertiary

206
Q

What does an airtight closure allow?

A

Retention of fresh fruit flavours for longer

207
Q

Why may a winemaker not be able to choose their bottle closure?

A

Sometimes it may be overridden by the preference of the consumer market

208
Q

What is the most widely used bottle closure?

A

Cork

209
Q

What is the major benefit of cork as a wine closure?

A

It allows very small amounts of oxygen to enter the wine, thus allowing the development of sometimes desired tertiary flavours

210
Q

What are the two problems with cork-closed wines?

A
  • The risk of cork-taint

- Risk of oxidation

211
Q

What causes cork taint?

A

Trichloroanisole (TCA)

212
Q

What effect does TCA have on a wine?

A

Gives wine a mouldy, cardboard-like aroma

213
Q

How are winemakers battling the risk of TCA?

A

By investing large sums in treatments designed to prevent its formation

214
Q

What are synthetic corks made from?

A

A form of plastic

215
Q

What is the disadvantage of synthetic corks as closures?

A

They are generally designed for wines intended for early consumption

216
Q

Who has championed the use of screw caps?

A

Producers from Australia and New Zealand

217
Q

What are the advantages of screw caps as closures?

A
  • They do not taint wine

- They provide an impermeable seal from air

218
Q

What have trials shown about screw caps?

A

They preserve fruit flavour in wine longer than cork

219
Q

How has the disadvantage of screw caps as a closure been countered by some producers?

A

Some screw caps have been designed to have some oxygen permeability

220
Q

Within what time are the majority of wines best consumed?

A

One year

221
Q

What happens to wines not intended for ageing when kept in bottle for more than a year?

A

They lose their primary fruit flavours

222
Q

Give examples of wine styles which can mature in bottle for several years and are no at their best immediately after bottling

A

Vintage Port
The finest German Rieslings
Bordeaux Crus Classés

223
Q

Most winery oak vessels are made from either _______ oak or _______ oak

A

European or American

224
Q

What is the difference between pressing and fermentation for white and red wines?

A
  • For white wines, pressing happens before the start of fermentation
  • For red wines, pressing happens after fermentation
225
Q

Is adjustment to the major components of grape juice or wine legally permitted in all regions?

A

No, it varies from region to region.

226
Q

Why a winemaker need to add RCGM to the juice?

A

there may be insufficient sugar in the grapes to give the wine a satisfactory level of alcohol.

227
Q

deacdification is more common in _____ climate region

A

cooler

228
Q

Give an example of a inexpensive wine which is only matured for a short time, in inert vessels before bottling

A

Californian White Zinfandel

229
Q

To survive medium - or long-term aging, wines need sufficient levels of _____, _____ and/or ______.

A

tannin, acidity and/or alcohol.

230
Q

Does blending limited to single grape variety wine?

A

No, virtually everyone wine.

231
Q

Example of wine that have heavy deposit for helping stabilisation

A

mature Vintage Port

232
Q

The closure is a winemaking choice specific to _________ and _______ the winemaker wants to achieve.

A

… the particular wine and the flavour profile ….

233
Q

Is synthetic corks only suitable for wines to be consumed within a year?

A

No, there are now several premium versions that allow longer term storage.

234
Q

How the wines should be stored for any ageing time?

A
  • undisturbed in a cool dark place
  • constant temperature, 10-15C
  • constant humidity
  • if sealed with cork, the bottles should be lying on their side.

Micky WSET Lv3 (46 decks)

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