ch 1 part 1

Question 1

List the Natural Factors - what is the ideal climate condition for making sparkling wine?

Answer 1

• Cool climates
• Regions of greater latitudes
• cooling influences
• In regions where grapes would otherwise not achieve the concentration and or ripeness needed for good quality still wines

Question 2

Natural factors- What is the ideal ripening conditoin for the grapes

Answer 2

• where grapes struggle to ripen- ideal
• just ripe in flavor
• sugar accumulates slowly – ABV of 9-11% 2^nd ferm adds 1-2% abv

Question 3

Natural factors – how does a warm region affect the harvested grape?

Answer 3

-grapes have riper flavors

= good from short, aged wines- tank method/ short time on lees -transfer, traditional method

-where fruit is dominate

Question 4

Natural factors – how does a cooler region affect the harvested grape?

Answer 4

-grapes with less ripe flavors

=good for long lees aged sparkling wines

-less intense fruit flavors

Question 5

Natural factors – what are the place’s cooling influence for vineyards for sparking production?

Answer 5

Higher latitude: Champagne, England, Tasmania

Higher elevation: Trentodoc

Near the coast – Sonoma

Question 6

Natural factors- less expensive sparkling wines - where grown? what result?

Answer 6

-grown in cheaper land & easier to machine cultivate -flat

-Fertile plains -where fruit would on achieve the concentration and/or ripeness needed for good quality still wines.

-sparkling wines are grown where it is less suitable for still wines

Question 7

Most common grape varieties from making premium and super premium sparkling wine?

Answer 7

Chardonnay and Pinot Noir

Question 8

What are the characteristics that make Chardonnay well suited for sparkling wine?

Answer 8

• autolytic styles (aged on lees)
• subtle apple and citrus complement biscuity aroma
• early budding & ripening in cooler climates
• retains high levels of acidity and low level of alcohol
• avoids underripe flavors
• yields can be high without loosing quality

Question 9

What are the hazards of Chardonnay when making sparkling wine?

Answer 9

• early budding -vulnerable to spring frost
• prone to coulure and millerandage
• susceptible to powdery mildew, grapevine yellows, botrytis

Question 10

What are the characteristics that make Pinot Noir well suited for sparkling wine?

Answer 10

-early budding and early ripening

-yield more moderate

Question 11

What are the hazards of Pinot Noir when making sparkling wine?

Answer 11

• quality will drop if yield is too high
• hazard of spring frost
• thin skinned
• disease prone- downy mildew, powdery mildew, botrytis, fan leaf, and leaf roll

Question 12

Factors within the grape variety that can influence the style of the wine are:

Answer 12

• intensity of aromas (aromatic or neutral grape variety)
• ability to retain acidity while ripening
• how the base wine responds to autolysis where applicable, for example, Chardonnay becomes creamy, whereas Xarel-lo becomes toasty and smoky.

Question 13

At harvest, the characteristics of the grapes and of the harvest?

Answer 13

• often grown at higher yields
• achieve high acid
• low potential alcohol level
• delicate flavors
• avoid off flavors which are enhanced by the effervescence in wine
• avoid any botrytis infected berries that can cause oxidation

Question 14

When would harvesting occur if producing sparkling wines?

Answer 14

-occurs earlier than still wines would in order to keep high acidity, low alcohol profile

-early picking means avoiding fall rains- reducing risk of fungal disease

-low potential alcohol and high acidity is desirable

-avoid unripe flavors that become more prominent as wine matures

Question 15

Hand harvesting positive and negative reasons to do so?

Answer 15

P= permits sorting at picking and post-harvest selection -avoid disease infections

P= -small creates minimize splitting, crushing, oxidation, pigment and tannin extraction

N= harvest is slow, labor intensive, expensive

Question 16

Machine harvest= postive and negative reasons to do so?

Answer 16

N= rupture skin- phenolic extraction & oxidation

-diseases/ damaged grapes can be removed by hand prior for a degree of selection (increases cost)

P=faster cheaper, permits nighttime harvest (cooler grapes)

-cooler oxidation is slowed, result in fresher wines

Question 17

What wine is whole bunch pressing used for and how is it done?

Answer 17

• done from premium traditional and method sparkling wine
• pneumatic and basked presses commonly used because most gentle
• stems create channel the juice easily flows therefore need less pressure
• bunches take longer to process than crushed grapes

Question 18

Why is minimizing the amount of phenolic compounds especially important in making sparkling wine?

Answer 18

-gentle pneumatic press produces delicate juice, low in solids and phenolics compounds (tannin, and the anthocyanins that provide color)

Skins bring unwanted color and tannin which would make the wine taste bitter and feel coarse amplified by the efflorescence

Question 19

Fractions - What are the charactristics of the each progressive fraction?

Answer 19

Some regions there is a max amount of press juice that can be used is controlled

• juice is progressively higher in phenolics, solids, and pH
• the more pressed are faster maturing, immediate consumption

Question 20

When is fractioned juice clarified?

Answer 20

juice is ____ before 1^st ferm and can use any method available for still white wines

for all methods of producing sparking wine, base wine should be clarified before 2^st fermentation

Using varied methods

Question 21

If it is determined, before 1^st fermentation, that the juice has too much color or tannin, what can be done?

Answer 21

Fining can be done to amend juice color by:

Casein

Gelatin

PVPP

Question 22

Gelatin– fining agent does what?

Answer 22

Agent that removes phenolics that contributes to undesirable color and bitterness

=protein collagen extracted from pork that aids clarification

• removes bitterness and astringency in red & browning in white
• can easily over fine which strips flavor & character
• creating risk of protein haze later
• not suitable for vegetarian wine

Question 23

Casein– fining agent to does what?

Answer 23

Agent that removes phenolics that contributes to undesirable color and bitterness

• milk derived protein that removes browning from white wine
• allergen on label in some territories

Question 24

PVPP Polyvinylpolypyrrolidone – fining agent to does what?

Answer 24

Agent that removes phenolics that contributes to undesirable color and bitterness

Insoluble plastic in powder from

-removed browning & astringency from oxidized white wine

Gentler than using charcoal

• rarely used on red
• can reduce astringency and brightening the color

Question 25

When chosing the yeast strain for primary fermention, what should be considered?

Answer 25

14-20C (57-68F) – retain fruit flavors -large volume stainless steel

• the Low pH is stressful for yeast
• some yeast strains can produce thiols (sulfur, or sauv blanc -grapefruit or passion fruit aromas due to lack of oxygen) or esters (formed as enzyme or during fermentation banana & pineapple)
• intense primary flavors may not be wanted in autolytic style wine

Question 26

When choosing a yeast for 2nd fermentaion wines, what are the considerations?

Answer 26

• common to use same cultured yeast for 2^nd fermentation
• choose stain that can ferment in 10% ABV, low pH and continue through low temperature, high pressure with poor nutrients

Prise de Mousse -EC1118 common cultured strain used

Question 27

Thought on malolactic conversion in sparking wines?

Answer 27

Used to reduce acidity & enhance texture

• intend creamier texture vs. tartaric acid- create butter flavor
• not typically desired for sparkling wines
• risk could take place during 2^nd ferm- problem for traditional method
• need sterile filter to prevent

Question 28

what are options winemakers choose to impose on base wine prior to second fermentation?

Answer 28

1 Traditional method choices:

mature base wine in oak - note of vanilla, toast, spice are magnified in sparking wine

Leave wine on lees

2 Tank Method prosecco or Asti no oak used

Question 29

Blending wine options?

Answer 29

different vineyards sites

varieties vintages

treatment

Question 30

The purpose of blending wine?

Answer 30

B C C S M V P

B- Balance M- Minimize Faults

C- Complexity V- Varity

C- Consistency P- Price

S- Style

Question 31

Blending for balance? (noble grapes for tradional sparkling)

Answer 31

PN adds body and structure PM adds fruity

Chad add acidity

____ warmer and cooler vineyard site with same varietal

Question 32

Blending for Consistency? Why would that be important?

Answer 32

producer who make NV blend

goal to have same product year after year is important

Question 33

Blending for style?

Answer 33

when goal is least expensive may choose an approachable early drinking ____ that will not age using ripe fruit and less acidity

when goal is refined wine, then may choose base wine on and off lees for more concentrated flavors with higher acidity

Question 34

Blending for Rose?

Answer 34

__ of red and white

__ defines the style

Question 35

Blending for Complexity?

Answer 35

To increase the range of flavors that may be aggrigated when blending different grapes

-varieties, sites, vintages, treatments

Question 36

Blending to minimize faults?

Answer 36

minor ___ wine can be rescued if ____ in with a large volume of sound wine

Question 37

Blending for Volume?

Answer 37

small vineyards ___ with other vineyards to produce viable ___ of certain wines

____ can also be from previous vintages to increase ___

Question 38

Blending for Price?

Answer 38

looking for serve a ___ audience might require ___ to produce an expensive wine

use a less expensive varietal or use the higher # fractions

Question 39

If, when, and how should a winemaker stabilize?

Answer 39

after blending and before 2^nd fermentation

done to remove tartrates and proteins