D1: approaches to winemaking

Question 1

Conventional winemaking builds on a scientific understanding of the process which convert grape must into wine. the foundational discover was Louis Pasteurs’s work in 1860 indentifying bacteria and yeasts.

Answer 1

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Question 2

Conventional winemaking now includes:

Answer 2

1) temp control (cold soaking): the ability to control fermentation temperatures with particular outcomes in mind (eg fruity style) and temp control in the maturation phase
2) use of aditives and or processing aids of many types : examples include adding sugar to increase potential alc or sweeten the final wine adding SO2 to protect wine, use of cultured yeast, fining agents
3) manipulations: from simple pressing and filtration to high technology such as reverse osmosis
* the aim is to produce stable wines which reliably show their fruit character and have no faults

Question 3

Just because manipulations are possible or additives are available does not mean they are used in every case.

Answer 3

The options employed are dictated by many factors including the style and price point required, the health and ripeness of the grapes and the particular believes of the winemaker

eg:
1) sterile filtring of wines with residual suger is usually desirable as the sugar makes them prone to microbial spoilage
2) by contrast a number of producers of premium dry wines choose not to filter, believing it may remove some texture and or flavours from the wine

Question 4

Organic winemaking refers to making wine with certified organically grown grapes and complying (naleven) with rules that restrict certain practices from being performed during the winemaking process. these rules allow many common additives and processes used in conventional winemaking, including:

Answer 4

1) cultured yeast
2) yeast nutrients
3) adding tannins

• • the certification agency Ecocert issues a full list of allowable additives and processes
• — it indicates where organic raw materials should be used if possible (eg organic egg white albumin for fining)
• — it also has a short list of excluded practices: eg partial dealcoholisation of wines

Question 5

The rules for organic wine vary across countries with regard to addition of so2:

Answer 5

1) the EU allows addition of regulated (gereglementeerde) of so2
2) in USA excludes addition of so2 and requires naturally occurring So2 (produced in fermentation) to be less than 10 mg/l

— in USA there is also a category of ‘wine made from organic grapes’ that allow the add of so2

Question 6

Certified organic status can be issued either by associations (eg organic winegrowers New Zealand or is determined by country level.

Answer 6

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Question 7

Certification adds a small cost element to organic wines:

Answer 7

• • The wines are sold at every price level
• – whether consumers are willing to pay a premium for organic wines compared to non organic equivalents (depends very much on the specific market

Question 8

Certified biodynamic wines must be made of certified biodynamically grown grapes.

Answer 8

true

Question 9

What is Demeter international ?

Answer 9

1) it is the man certifying association
2) Demeter certifiers in each country determine the specification
eg:
- - demeter in UK: Natural yeast are encouraged, but organic or if unavailable, commercial yeasts can be used
- - other stipulations ban the use of measures such as increasing alcohol levels by concentration of the entire must
- - Demeter in USA: natural yeast must be used
- — but certain classes of commercial yeast can be used if a ferment has stuck and only on a case by case basis

– many products are not permitted (eg adding tannins or certain fining agents such as isinglass

3) Winemakers claim that biodynamic wines are more expressive of terroir
4) certification adds a small cost element to biodynamic wines
- - the wines are sold at every price level

Question 10

Natural winemakers reject many modern interventions in favour of artisan practices from the past:

Answer 10

1) the overall aim is ‘nothing added, nothing removed)
2) there is no agreed definition for natural wine
- - in practice it usually refers to wine made with the fewest possible manipulations, fermentation by ambient yeasts and an absolute minimum of added so2 (typically only at bottling) or with no added so2

3) natural wine can be made from conventionally or sustainably grown grapes, though many natural winemakers would argue that organic or biodynamic grapes should be used

4) there is no certifying body for natural winemaking
- - therefore any winery can claim that any of their wines are natural

• • however there are associations that publish their own approach and or standards
    ex: include viniveri in italy and l’Association des vins naturels in france

5) The investment in price is less, because it is small batch winemaking
- - the wines are typically small batch (kleine productie) and mid to premium priced

6) winemakers of natural wines often claim that their wines are more expressive of terroir than those made by conventional winemaking
* by contrast, other winemakers feel that some level of intervention or addition (eg so2) is benefical to ensure their wines show at their best