Ch 12 Approaches to Winemaking

Question 1

Approaches to Winemaking

What is conventional winemaking?
What q/s/p level used for?

Answer 1

○ Scientific understanding of winemaking which converts grape must into wine; started with Pasteur in 1860s
○ Goal - produce stable wines that show fruit char and have no faults
○ Used for all quality levels, styles and price points

Question 2

Approaches to Winemaking

What are the 4 approaches to winemaking?

Answer 2

Conventional winemaking
Organic winemaking
Biodynamic winemaking
Natural winemaking

Question 3

Approaches to Winemaking

What are 3 key components of conventional winemaking?
What are examples/how they effect the process?

Answer 3

○ Temp control - cold soaking, control ferm temps for specific outcomes, temp control in mat phase
○ Additives/processing aids - sugar to inc pot alc or sweeten final wine, S02 additions to protect wine, use of cultured yeasts and fining agents
○ Manipulations - from simple like pressing approaches and filtration, to high-tech like reverse osmosis

Question 4

Approaches to Winemaking

What factors affect whether additives/manipulations are used or not in conventional winemaking?

Answer 4

○ Style/quality and price - just because avail, not necessarily used
○ Health and ripeness of grapes
○ Beliefs/prefs of winemaker

Question 5

Approaches to Winemaking

What is organic winemaking?
What is certification org?
What is/isn’t allowed?

Answer 5

○ Making wine with organically grown grapes and following rules of OV
○ Allowed to use many common additives and processes in conv winemaking - cultured yeast, yeast nutrients,
adding tannins
○ Ecocert is agency that defines what is/isn’t allowed (use organic ingredients, de-alcoholization not allowed)
○ Rules for S02 - vary by country
§ EU allows regulated amts
§ US does not allow added S02 and req natural S02 to be <10mg/L; also has a category for wine made from
organic grapes = no added S02
○ Certification can be by associations (NZ) or at country level (USDA)
○ Cert adds a small cost; wines are sold at all quality levels

Question 6

Approaches to Winemaking

What is biodynamic winemaking?
What is certification approach?
What are rules and examples by country?

UK, US

Answer 6

○ Certified biodynamic wine must be made from biodynamically grown grapes
○ Rules depend on certifying body; Demeter - main int’l certifying body -> sets global standards, their certifiers in
each country det specific standards
○ UK - natural yeasts encouraged, but organic/commercial allowed if not avail; ban measures to inc alc by
concentrating entire must
○ US - natural yeast req, but certain commercial allowed for stuck ferm on a case-by-case basis; many additives
banned - e.g., adding tannin, certain fining agents like isinglass
○ Adds small cost -> typically mid-priced and above and usually small scale prod

Question 7

Approaches to Winemaking

What is natural winemaking?
What is the goal?
What are typical practices?
Rules and example by country?

Answer 7

○ Reject many modern interventions, take artisanal approach
○ No formally agreed definition - goal is “nothing added/nothing removed” and fewest possible manipulations
(aka low intervention winemaking)
○ Typical practices - ferm by ambient yeast, no or absolute min S02, most winemaker argue for OV or BV grapes
○ First recognized certification - Vin methode nature (france); other associations also publish guidelines
○ Min pricing impact -> saving on equipment offset by cost of small batch winemaking and certification
○ Usually small batch and mid- to prem-priced