Chapter 8 - White and Sweet Winemaking Flashcards
Why would a white wine maker reduce skincontact?
Seperating the juice and skins as fast as possible reduced the risk of too much contact with oxigen.
Why is skincontact sometimes used in white wines?
For flavour intensity and structure.
Why is white wine often clarified before fermentation?
Freshly pressed juice contains fragments of cells from the grape skins and pulp.
This can lead to unpleasant aroma’s and stop fermentation.
Why would a white wine NOT be fully clarified before fermentation?
It can add complexity and texture. And some believe it helps fight oxidation later on in the process.
What is the optimum temperature for white wine fermentation?
Between 12 and 22 degrees.
What does very cold fermentation to for a white wine?
Can give peardrop aroma’s and fail to capture variatal aroma’s.
What does fermentation at higher temperatures do for white wines?
Instill more complex, non-fruit, aroma’s. But can also lead to loss of varietal characteristics.
How can temperature be controlled during fermentation?
Fermenting in stainless steel vessels that allow for temperature control
What are some choices a winemaker faces AFTER fermentation (3).
The use of oak during maturation (wether it be oak vessels, chips or staves)
Lees contact
MLF
Name 5 aromatic grape varieties
Riesling Muscat Sauvignon Blanc Gewurztraminer Torrontés
Describe sauvignon blanc as a variety (3)
Highly aromatic
High acidity
Early ripening
What are the 2 most famous regions for Sauvignon Blanc?
Loire valley and Marlborough
What is the difference between Marlborough and Loir valley Sauvignon Blanc?
L: green apple and asparagus, wet pebbles
M: gooseberry, elderflower, grapefruit and passionfruit
Both are cool climate, but M has longer sun hours
Name 2 regions producing fresh and fruity sauvignon blancs
South Africa and Chile
Name 2 regions producing more fuller bodies styles of Sauvignon Blanc
Margaret River and Pessac Leognan.
They often blend with Sémillion and often even mature (a part) on oak
Why is Sauvignon Blanc sometimes blended with Sémillion?
To lend body to the wine
Describe Riesling as a variety
Tolerant to cold winters
Late budding (so protected from spring frost)
Mid- to late ripening
Cool climate: green fruit, floral
Warmer climates: richer flavour with citrus and stone fruit, loss of delicacy
Why is riesling so perfect for making wines in a range of sweetness styles?
It retains a lot of acidity, even if left on the vine for a longer time
How does Riesling age
It can stay alive and fresh for decades
Flavours of honey and toast
Still high levels of acidity
Gout de petrol
What are main growing places for Riesling? And in what styles?
Germany: riesling-homeland. Range of sweetness styles, always with high acidity. Concentrated and refreshing.
Austria: mostly dry or very sweet
Alsace: mostly dry
Australia (Clare and Eden Valley): bone dry, high acidity, notes of lemon
Washington State: dry
New Zealand and Finger Lakes AVA: fruity and off-dry
What are the usual winemaking choices for aromatic wines?
To keep fruit and floral notes, it must be treated delicately:
- monitor SO2 levels against oxidation
- little to no skin contact (often whole bunch pressing)
- clean juice through gentle clarification
- inert vessels for fermentation (no flavour imprint and temperature control). Sometimes large, used foudres for micro oxidation, just to give some structure
- little to no post fermentation winemaking
- no MLF by using SO2
Is Riesling sometimes matured in oak?
Yes, in Alsace and Germany. In large, old, oak vessels for up to a year.
What is Fumé Blanc?
A spicy and creamy style of Sauvignon Blanc from California.
Barrel fermented Ambient yeasts Lees MLF New oak
Why are Chardonnay and Pinot Gris interesting varieties for winemakers?
They are more neutral in flavours and aroma’s, so the winemaker can play a bigger role in the final product
Describe Chardonnay as a variety
Easily grown in a wide variety of climates
Early budding (spring frosts are a risk)
Cool climate: green fruit and citrus
Moderate climate: fleshy fruits such as peach and melon
Warm climates: tropical fruit such as banana and pineapple
Name 3 styles of Burgundy Chardonnay
Chablis: citrus, green apple, stone and slate
Côte d’Or: stone fruit and creamy oak
Maconnais: ripe and round, toasty oak. MLF and extended lees contact
Name 7 regions other than Birgundy, famous for chardonnay
Russian River Valley
Los Carneros
Adelaide Hills
Geelong
Mornington Peninsula
Gisborne
Marlborough
Cassablanca Valley
Describe Pinot Grigio as a variety
Early budding
Early ripenint
Accumulates a lot of sugar in warm climates, but also loses accidity
Describe Pinot Gris as an Alsacian variety
Dry or off dry
Oily texture
Ripe tropical fruit and ginger
Deep colour in skin. Golden in the glass
Describe Pinot Gris as a New Zealand variety
Similar to Alsace (hence the labellint with Pinot Gris)
Same viscocity and medium accidity
More pure fruit aroma’s and slightly more resisual sugar
What are main Italian regions for high quality Pinot Grigio?
Alto Adige, Trentino and Friuli Venezia Giulia
Describe the Pinot Grigio clones used in Italy?
North, high quality: pinot gris clones from france and germany, small berries, great flavour concentration
Veneto: pale skin, fleshy pulp, fairly neutral
Why do non aromatic varieties have a greater range of post-fermentation options in wine-making?
Their primary fruit aroma’s and possible florality are at less of a risk.
Secundary and tertiary aroma’s are more desireable in non aromatic varieties
What are the 3 main ways of achieving a sweet wine?
Stopping fermentation
Adding a sweetening component
Concentrating grape sugars
Explain how stopping fermentation works in sweet wine making
By fortification (adding grape spirit), adding SO2 or chilling the wine, the fermentation stops, resulting in some sugars that have not been converted into alcohol.
The last two methods often result in low alcohol wines.
Technique is often used in germany for Kabinett or spatlase
What are 4 ways of ensuring high sugar content in grapes, in order to achieve sweet wines in the end?
Noble Rot
Drying grapes on the vine
Drying grapes after picking
Freezing grapes on the vine
Explain Noble Rot
Caused by Botrytis Cinerea (same as grey rot)
Under the right conditions it causes Noble Rot.
Grapes must be fully ripe. Region must have humid and misty mornings and sunny and dry afternoons.
The fungus grows in the morning. Puncturing the skin of the grapes. After which, in the afternoon, water evapirates from the grape.
It leaves a distinct aroma and flavour in the wine. Honey, apricot, citrus and dried fruit
What is passerillage?
The drying of grapes on the vine for sweet wine making.
After grapes are fully ripe, they start to dehydrate and turn to raisins.
Warm and dry automns are required for this, or grey rot will develop
Overripe fruit character and richly textured mouthfeel
Explain the process of making Eiswein (icewine)
Healthy grapes are left hanging on the vine, left to freeze over.
The frozen grapes are picked and pressed, leaving the frozen water in the grapes and pressing out sugary liquid
Very pure varietal character
