Chapter 3

Question 1

Which grape variety would be most consistently used for premium wines rather than jug wines?

a. Chenin Blanc
b. Sylvaner
c. Grey Riesling
d. Gewurztraminer
e. French Colombard

Answer 1

Gewurztraminer

Question 2

T/F: Weather refers to the generally prevailing weather conditions in a region–temperature, wind speed, rainfall, etc.–averaged over a series of years

Answer 2

false, CLIMATE refers to the generally prevailing weather conditions in a region–temperature,wind speed, rainfall,etc.–averaged over a series of years.

Question 3

The climate of the vineyard is called a

Answer 3

mesoclimate

Question 4

T/F: the degree to which a grapevine’s foliage and fruit are exposed to light can determine the amount of distinctive flavor compounds in a grape

Answer 4

true

Question 5

T/F: If the amounts of the chemicals responsible for the celery/fresh vegetable, herbaceous, or grassy character of Sauvignon Blanc are reduced, fruity flavors of grapefruit, pineapple, melon, and fig emerge

Answer 5

true

Question 6

According to the grape growers surveyed, which vineyard factor below does NOT promote grassiness in Sauvignon Blanc?

a. dense canopy
b. heavy soil
c. less fertilization
d. more irrigation water
e. rich soils

Answer 6

less fertilization

Question 7

T/F:When grapes ripen, they get bigger and softer, their green color fades, aromatic compounds increase, sugars increase, and both total acid concentration and acid strength increas

Answer 7

False, both total acid concentration and acid strength decrease.

Question 8

T/F: For winemaking the most important sugar in grape juice is sucrose

Answer 8

FAlse, The most important sugars in grape juice are glucose and fructose

Question 9

T/F: The amount of sugar in grape juice is estimated by measuring its density in units called “degrees Brix”, which correspond to the percentage by weight of sugar in the juice

Answer 9

True

Question 10

If you were buying Chardonnay grapes for your windery, what composition listed would you like them to have?

a. 22.9 deg Brix, .80 total acid
b. 22.9 deg Brix, 8.0 total acid
c. 2.29 deg Brixd, .80 total acid
d. 13.9 deg Brix, .80 total acid
e. 17.9 deg Brix, 2.80 total acid

Answer 10

22.9 degrees Brix, .80 total acid

Question 11

Why can grapes from two vineyards with the same hot daytime temperatures have different acid compositions?

Answer 11

On cool nights the grape need less energy and use up less malic acid. Locations with cooler nighttime temperatures produce fruit that is higher in malic acid than that produced in sites were it stays warm all night

Question 12

T/F: The weakening of acid strength during ripening is more important for wine quality than is the decrease in the total amount of acid, because wines with stronger acid strengths have brighter colors, require smaller amounts of sulfur dioxide to protect them, and more easily resist spoilage

Answer 12

True

Question 13

T/F: Refractormeters are used to estimate degrees Brix of a properly collected vineyard sample and can also be used to measure the disappearance of sugars during fermentation

Answer 13

False, Hydrometers can do both of these measurements

Question 14

This winemaking step ideally involves only breaking the skins of the grape berries to allow the juice to flow out without any damage to the seeds or stems.

Answer 14

Crushing

Question 15

The mixture of skins, seeds, stems, juice, and pulp produced when the skin of the grape is broken and the juice flows out is called__

Answer 15

Must

Question 16

T/F: Sulfur dioxide is added at the crusher to slow down the growth of microbes that can spoil wines and to protect the juice from reactions with oxygen that can lead to both browning of pigments and deterioration of aroma and flavor

Answer 16

True

Question 17

A typical sulfur dioxide in wine would be:

a. 0 ppm
b. 35-125 ppm
c. 1000+ ppm

Answer 17

35-125 parts per million

Question 18

T/F: Sulfur dioxide is only added once during winemaking, at the cursher-stemmer

Answer 18

False, sulfur dioxide levels are monitored throughout winemaking and small amounts are added whenever they are needed.

Question 19

T/F: For premium white varietal wine production skin contact means that the chilled must is pumped into a tank to sit for several hours

Answer 19

True

Question 20

T/F:Free-run juice has more sugar and less acid and tannins than press-run juice because press juice is extracted at highet pressures from must containing a higher proportion of stems, skins, and seeds

Answer 20

True

Question 21

T/F: Grappa can be produced when press juice is fermented and then distilled

Answer 21

True

Question 22

T/F: Modern premium winemaking equipment allows the extraction of about 125-185 gallons of juice per ton of grapes. This is made up of about 3 times as much press-run juice as free-run juice

Answer 22

False. It’s (about) three times more free-run than press-run

Question 23

T/F: The grape solids in the must are called pomace

Answer 23

True

Question 24

T/F: A juice with about 20 degrees Brix will yield a wine with about 10% alcohol through fermentation by yeasts, primarily from the genus Saccharomyces

Answer 24

True

Question 25

T/F: Because carbon dioxide gas is produced during fermentation, fermentation tanks are equipped with one-way valves that allow CO2 to escape while preventing air from entering

Answer 25

True

Question 26

T/F: Wild yeasts are not used by most wineries because they can produce off odors and typically will stop fermenting at around 6-9% alcohol

Answer 26

True

Question 27

Why does the degrees Brix not drop much during the early stages of a white wine fermentation?

Answer 27

The degrees Brix does not drop because at this stage; while the yeast cells are metabolizing with the aid of the dissolved oxygen in the grape juice and increasing in number, they have not consumed enough glucose to change the density of the juice.

Question 28

What additional evidence of yeast growth and metabolism besides the drop in degrees Brix do wineries measure during the active stage of fermentation?

Answer 28

Another indication of the increased fermentation activity of the yeasts in addition to the rapid drop in degrees Brix is the warming of the fermenting juice

Question 29

T/F: A stuck fermentation is one that cannot be started

Answer 29

False. It’s one that stops by itself before all the glucose has been used up.

Question 30

Which procedure would you not expect to be done before fermentation of Chardonnay?

a. Skin contact
b. Cold stabilization
c. Juice clarification with a centrifuge
d. Adjust total acid
e. Inoculation with pure yeast cultures

Answer 30

Cold stabilization

Question 31

A probable fermentation temperature for premium quality white table wines would be about __degrees F.

a. 35
b. 42
c. 55
d. 75
e. 85

Answer 31

55

Question 32

T/F: Wines of 2-3% residual sugar can be made by slowing down their fermentations before all the sugar has been used up by chilling them at about 4-8 degrees Brix and then centrifuging to remove the cold-inactivated yeast

Answer 32

true

Question 33

T/F: Sediments in wine tanks are called lees.

Answer 33

true

Question 34

You are having dinner at a friend’s house and drinking a delicious bottle of white wine. You pick it up and notice that the label says “CALLAWAY Vineyard and Winery 1990 ‘CALLA-LEES’ Chardonnay. ‘IN THE CLASSIC SUR LIE STYLE.’” Your friend asks you what “the classic sur lie style” means. You explain ___

Answer 34

If you were quoting Chapter 3 directly, you would say, “In some cases, most commonly for Chardonnay, the winemaker may want to add a yeast character similar to champagne bouquet to the wine and will allow the wine to remain in contact with the yeast for weeks of months; this is called sur lie aging”

Question 35

T/F: The malolactic fermentation reduces the acidity in the fermenting grape juice and finished wine because it converts the malic acid from the grape juice to lactic acid, which is less tart

Answer 35

True

Question 36

What additional changes (Besides those mentioned above (“themalolactic fermentation reduces the acidity in the fermenting grape juice and finished wine because it converts the malic acid from the grape juice to lactic acid, which is less tart)) occur in wines that undergo the malolactic fermentation?

Answer 36

In addition to reducing acidity, the MLF causes other organoleptic changes: it produces gas and causes the wines to be less fruity and to have transient cheesy off odors, but it also allows them to develop greater complexity–including a buttery flavor–with aging.

Question 37

T/F: The malolactic fermentation is most often used to reduce the acidity of warm-region or warm-to-hot-season grape juices

Answer 37

False, the MLF is used in cool-regions or cool-seasons

Question 38

T/F: It is critical for winemakers to control the timing of the MLF to be sure that it is completed before bottling

Answer 38

True

Question 39

T/F: Because most of the world’s white table wines emphasize the aroma of the grapes and the MLF reduces fruitiness, most winemakers take precautions to PREVENT the MLF altogether in these wines.

Answer 39

True

Question 40

The process of tranferring wine from one vat containing lees to another vat which is clean is called_____

Answer 40

racking

Question 41

If wine can be made perfectly clear simply with settling and racking, why do few wineries rely on these methods?

Answer 41

Wineries do not use theses slower, “natural” methods because the wine would be too old fro contemporary tastes by the time it reached the market

Question 42

T/F: In filtering, the wine is forced through media that vary in “tightness” from those that trap and remove just the very largest particles (chunks of grape skins) to those that take out tiny malolactic bacteria.

Answer 42

True

Question 43

T/F: Fining is a clarification process that is used as much to alter other important organoleptic properties of wines as to clarify them

Answer 43

True

Question 44

T/F: Fining agents (such as gelatin and egg albumen) react with the specific wine components (tannins in this case) that are to be removed and form particles that can be removed

Answer 44

True

Question 45

T/F: A wine is neither heat- nor cold-stable if it becomes cloudy when exposed to high temperatures and it forms crystals when subjected to temperatures around 32 degrees F.

Answer 45

True

Question 46

T/F: Making sure wines are microbiologically stable is designed to prevent gassiness and the development of off odors and flavors from bacteria and yeast growth during barrel aging

Answer 46

False, Microbiological stability is designed to prevent cloudiness as well and alsoto avoid undesirable changes other than off odoro and flavor such as drop in the acidity of a hot-region wine It is also very (more, actually) important to prevent changes in the bottle than in the barrels. Problems that occur when the wine is in the barrels can be fixed. After the wine is bottled, they cannot be remedied.

Question 47

T/F: Sterile filtration followed by aseptic bottling are key strategies in creating microbiological stability

Answer 47

True, even when other measures are taken as well.

Question 48

T/F: Because vinegar bacteria can spoil wine only lin in the presence of oxygen, winemakers minimize air contact with wines in bulk storage.

Answer 48

True

Question 49

T/F: Because nearly all white table wines are valued principally for their youthful, fruity characteristics, the vast majority of white wines are aged in neutral containers only for as long as it takes to clarify and stabilize them. Only a tiny minority of the world’s white wines are candidates for aging in oak containers.

Answer 49

True

Question 50

What three things happen when wines age in oak barrels?

Answer 50

Three things happen: alcohol and water evaporate through the sides of the container, concentrating the wine; some oxygen dissolves n the wine, allowing oxygen-dependent maturation reactions to occur slowly; and substances–color, odor, and flavor components and tannins–from the wood are extracted into the wine.

Question 51

Why has oak become the traditional aging container for wines?

Answer 51

Oak has become the traditional wood for aging premium wines because the trees are large enough to make wine containers of useful sizes, the wood is tight-grained, strong, and resilient and can be worked into the curved shapes needed for barrels, and the flavors extracted are desirable in wines

Question 52

T/F: American oak barrels will impart more oak or vanilla flavor to wines than will European oak barrels.

Answer 52

True

Question 53

T/F: For winemaking, oak from the forests of France is all pretty much the same.

Answer 53

False, Winemakers find significant differences in oak from various forests in France: the trees in teh warmer Limousin forest produce a more open-grained wood that contributes oak extract to wines relatively quickly, while slower-growing trees in the more central forests of Nevers and Roncais produce tight-grained woods that give up their flavor and tannins to wines more gradually

Question 54

T/F: Larger barrels will impart more oak character to wines than smaller barrels.

Answer 54

False, Smaller barrels give wines more oak flavor

Question 55

Under which aging conditions will the components of the wine in a barrel become concentrated?

a. the barrels are stored in a relatively dry environment such as an above-ground warehouse in California
b. in humid conditions such as the aging tunnels
c. the environment for storage doesn’t matter
d. oak shavings are mixed into the wine in the barrels
e. the barrels are covered with electric blankets set on “warm”

Answer 55

The barrels are stored in a relatively dry environment such as an above-ground warehouse in California

Question 56

Describe the aging regime you would use for White Riesling or other wine to which you want to add very little or no oak flavor

Answer 56

Such wines are either aged in stainless steel tanks or large, typically oval-shaped oak barrels of 500-2000 gallons capacity

Question 57

You are going to make your mark in the wine world by creating a rare style of dry Chenin Blanc with a lot of oak character. What aging regime would you use?

Answer 57

You could begin by fermenting Chenin Blanc juice in oak barrels and add more oak by aging the wine for several months in a new 60-gallon American oak barrels. A note of caution: you and your family may have to drink it all if you add too much oak flavor

Question 58

T/F: Many California wineries have found that oak chips or oak structures added to wines in stainless steel tanks can satisfactorily duplicate all aspects of the barrel aging process and are much cheaper.

Answer 58

False, Even thoughthese alternatives add oak character to wines, they cannot have the same effect on a wine’s other senesory properties because they will not be concentrated by the evaporation of water the way they can be in wooden cooperage.

Question 59

T/F: There are certain conventions based on flavor and structural compatibility that are followed by many producers when making varietal blends. For example, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc are often blended

Answer 59

False, Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc are more often blended

Question 60

T/F: The bottle shape and color are chosen for a particular wine based on the traditional shapes and colors used in the European wine. Clear Bordeaux bottles are often used for Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon varietal wines.

Answer 60

True

Question 61

T/F: Corks come from the bark of an oak, Quercus suber.

Answer 61

True

Question 62

T/F: The date that bottles in the case were filled is stamped on the box. This is useful for estimating the approximate drinkability of wines without vintage dates.

Answer 62

True

Question 63

You have been hired by Chateau Prestigious Wine Cellars to project their cash flows in the first year of operation. Based on your extensive knowledge of the white wine making process, you calculate that the first income from the sale of their oak-aged Chardonnay wines could come at about ___ months after the harvest.

Answer 63

12-18

Question 64

You lost your job when Chateau Prestigious Wine Cellars folded because its first year cash flows were gobbled up by the owner’s high-living son-in-law. Luckily, you have been hired by the neighboring wine cellar, Chateau Very Ordinary, and asked to project their cash flows. Based on your extensive knowledge of the white wine making process, you calculate that they could expect to first earn income from the sale of their Jus’ Plan Mountain Chablis wines about ___ months after harvest.

Answer 64

3-5

Question 65

T/F: Blends are typically made the same day as the wines are bottled.

Answer 65

False, Blends are made well in advance of their bottling dates to allow flavors to marry and to provide time to correct any unforeseen problems

Question 66

T/F: California’s coastal wineries store bottled wines an average of four months at the winery until they are released for sale.

Answer 66

True

Question 67

Which item on the list is not part of “the best possible aging conditions” for bottled wines?

a. in the dark
b. with constant temperatures
c. cool temperatures (55-68 deg F)
d. no vibrations
e. underground

Answer 67

underground

Question 68

T/F: The best wines will improve indefinitely after bottling if kept under the proper conditions.

Answer 68

False, Sadly, all wines will imrpove only up to a certain point and then deteriorate–except for the publicity that they can bring their buyers

Question 69

Pick the worst bet on this wine list for bottle aging: Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Fume Blanc, White Zinfandel, Pinot Blanc, Gewurztraminer, and White Riesling

Answer 69

White Zinfandel

Question 70

T/F: For premim white varietal grapes grown in California, cooler growing regions produce wines with greater aging potential.

Answer 70

True–and for all other areas too, not just California

Question 71

What changes would you expect when white wine ages in the bottle?

Answer 71

You can expect increased complexity and moderated tartness

Question 72

T/F: California wineries use sensory evaluation in quality control and the average tasting situation involves five tasters examining no more than 10 to 30 wines per day.

Answer 72

False. The average tasting situation involves five tasters who examine 30 wines per day in one to three sessions

Question 73

Which components of white table wines 1. originate from the grapes; 2. are fermentation end products and 3. are developed during aging?

Answer 73

1. color, sugar, acidity, varietal aroma and flavor; 2. alcohol and carbon dioxide; 3. malolactic fermentation and/or oak barrel and/or sur lie aging flavors

Question 74

What winemaking steps would you use to make a very ordinary white table wine?

Answer 74

1. Envision type and style: simple fruity slightly sweet not tart, drink as son as released–no bottle aging potential
2. Grape variety: high yielding, neutral–French Colombard of Thompson Seedless
3. Climate: warmest OK 4. Example of cultural practices: irrigate for maximum yields 5. grape ripening: follow sugar, total acid, pH, weather, & vine health 6. Ripe at 20-21 degrees Brix 7 Remove the juice: crush, add So2, press, clarify juice, correct acidity 8. Alcoholic fermentation: inoculate, ferment at 80deg F for 4 days in 60,000 gallon stainless steel tanks, remove from yeast lees immediately 9. Stabilize and clarify: prevent the MLF, filter, fine, and stabilize quickly 10. Age in bulk: hold in large stainless steel tanks during step 9 11. Blend and finish: blend in 4%Muscat sweet reserve, verify stability 12. Bottle: sterile filtration and aseptic bottling 13. Age bottled wineL hold minimum time necessary for quality control 14. release for sale: 1-2 mo after crush

Question 75

What winemaking steps would you use to make a Sauvignon Blanc without grassiness?

Answer 75

Harvest at 22 degrees Brix of above, no skin contact, ferment in barrels and at warmer temperatures, age in oak sur lie, and blend with Semillon or Chardonnay

Question 76

T/F: In 1990, white table wines, roses, and blush varietals constituted 53% of the shipments from California wineries to domestic markets.

Answer 76

False, They made up 85% of the shipments