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WSET 4 > D11: Wine Components > Flashcards

D11: Wine Components Flashcards

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1
Q

Name the components which come directly from grapes, from fermentation or are added in during wine making

A 
Water 
Alcohol 
Acids 
Aromatics 
Residual Sugar 
Glycerol 
Phenolics
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2
Q

What percentage of wine is water?

A

85%

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3
Q

What does the % of water depend on?

A

ABV
Level of residual sugar
Other factors

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4
Q

What does alcohol present as in wine?

A

Ethanol

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5
Q

Facts about Ethanol

A
  • formed during fermentation
  • predominant alcohol in wine
  • sweet smell
  • contributes to aromas of wine
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6
Q

What does Ethanol contribute to wine?

A
  • bitterness
  • sweetness
  • oral warmth
  • fullness of body
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7
Q

What do alcohol levels above 14.5% do?

A
  • reduce volatility of wine aromas
  • increase sense of bitterness
  • NEED good fruit concentration to balance out high alcohol
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8
Q

What does acidity contribute to in final wine?

A
  • structure of wine
  • makes it refreshing
  • can make wine seem leaner
  • affects taste
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9
Q

What does acidity need to be balanced with?

A
  • good fruit concentration

- if necessary, residual sugar

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10
Q

wine with too much acidity can taste…

A

tart

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11
Q

wine with not enough acidity can taste…

A

flabby

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12
Q

Give an example of how acidity levels can affect taste

A

German Riesling - very high acidity can make wine with residual sugar (9g/L) taste dry

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13
Q

Name three types of acid

A

Tartartic Acid
Malic Acid
Acetic Acid

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14
Q

Tartaric and Malic Acid

A
  • comes from the grape

- makes up approx 2/3 total acidity in wine

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15
Q

What does volatile acidity mainly refer to?

A

Acetic acid

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16
Q

What smell does Acetic Acid give?

A

Nail varnish remover

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17
Q

Is volatile acidity present in all wines?

A

Yes - in low concentrations

- only becomes a fault when excessive

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18
Q

What is Acetic Acid?

A
  • reacts with alcohol in wines

- becomes Ethyl Acetate

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19
Q

what is the usual pH level of wines with high acidity?

A

low pH

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20
Q

What is ‘Total Acidity’?

A

Sum of all acids present in the wine

- usually expressed in g/L

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21
Q

What is the typical level of total acidity?

A

5.5-5.8 g/L

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22
Q

What is pH?

A

scale of measurement for concentration of effective acidity of a solution

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23
Q

What is the usual pH range for wine?

A

3-4

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24
Q

What does a lower pH mean?

A

lower the number, the more concentrated the acidity so the sharper the wine

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25
Q

What scale is pH on?

A

LOGARITHMIC SCALE

- pH3 is 10x more acidic than pH4

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26
Q

What does a low pH equal?

A
  • increases microbiological stability of wine
  • increases effectiveness of SO2
  • gives red wine bright colour
  • enhances age-ability
27
Q

Do wines contain both AROMATIC and NON-AROMATIC compounds?

A

Yes

28
Q

Where does aromatic complexity come from?

A

both aromatic and non-aromatic compounds and how they interact with each other

29
Q

What are the FOUR sources of aromatics and non-aromatics for wine?

A
  • grapes
  • from aroma precursors present during fermentation
  • originate in fermentation and its by-products
  • other sources (e.g. oak, presence of aromas in vineyards)
30
Q

What aroma compounds come from grapes?

A

Methoxypyrazines

Rotundone

31
Q

What aroma precursors are present during fermentation in the grape must?

A

Thiols

Terpenes

32
Q

What aromas compounds originate in fermentation and its by-products?

A

Esters
Acetaldehyde
Diacetyl
Yeast

33
Q

What are other sources of aroma compounds?

A

Vanillin

Eucalyptol

34
Q

Methoxypyrazines

A
  • from grapes
  • Sauvignon Blanc
  • grassy, peppery aromas
35
Q

Rotundone

A
  • from grapes
  • Syrah
  • Gruner Veltliner
  • peppery aromas
36
Q

Thiols

A
  • from aroma precursors present during fermentation
  • released during fermentation
  • e.g. 4MMP - gives box tree aromas in Sauv Blanc
37
Q

Terpenes

A
  • from aroma precursors present during fermentation
  • give fruity and floral aromas
  • e.g. LINALOOL and GERANIOL which give Muscat grapey aroma/flavour
38
Q

Name 2 Terpenes

A

Linalool
Geraniol
give Muscat grapey aroma/flavour

39
Q

Esters

A
  • formed by reactions of certain acids and alcohols
  • created through action of yeasts in fermentation process
  • responsible for fresh/fruity aromas
  • v imp in young wines
  • ISOAMYL ACETATE: gives banana aroma (e.g. in Beaujolais nouveau)
  • ETHYL ACETATE
  • mostly unstable and breakdown a few months after ferm
40
Q

Name 2 Esters

A 
Isoamyl Acetate (Beaujolais Nouveau) 
Ethyl Acetate
41
Q

Acetaldehyde

A
  • originate in fermentation and its by-products
  • occurs due to oxidation of ethanol
  • AKA ETHANAL
  • masks fresh fruit aromas
  • very stale smell: smells like a fault
  • very imp in smell in FINO sherry
42
Q

Diacetyl

A
  • originate in fermentation and its by-products
  • produced during ferm (esp during MLC)
  • gives buttery aroma
43
Q

Yeast

A
  • originate in fermentation and its by-products
  • in certain conditions, can produce reductive sulfur compounds during ferm and lees ageing
  • can smell like struck match or rotten eggs
44
Q

Vanillin

A
  • comes from another source
  • gives vanilla aromas
  • comes from ageing wine in new oak barrels
45
Q

Eucalyptol

A
  • volatized from eucalyptus trees by heat

- absorbed in waxy layers of skins of grapes in vines so can come through into final must

46
Q

Name the four stages of the Vincente Ferreira Model

A

Common Compounds in all wines
- aromas produced during fermentation e.g. Ethanol, higher alcohols, some acids

Impact Aromas
- specific aromas that can be recognised e.g. 4MMP and Rotundone

Non-volatile wine matrix
- non-volatile compounds that affect the way the aromatic compounds are sensed

Contributory Aromas
- aroma compounds that are below the normal individual perception threshold but make a contribution when they are with other compounds found in wine e.g. vanillin, acetate, ethyl

47
Q

What is the usual level of residual sugar for a dry wine?

A

2-3g/L

48
Q

What is the usual level of residual sugar for Sauternes?

A

150g/L

49
Q

What is the usual level of residual sugar for PX?

A

400g/L

50
Q

What are the four levels of EU classification of sweetness?

A

Dry - Sec - Trocken
Medium dry - demi-sec - halbrocken
medium or medium sweet - moelleux - lieblich
Sweet - doux - suss

51
Q

Dry

A

Dry - Sec - Trocken

up to 4g/L RS

Cannot exceed 9g/L provided that total acidity expressed as grams of tartartic acid per litre is not more than 2g below residual sugar content

EXAMPLE: a wine with 9g/L RS can be labelled SEC if it has 7g/L total acidity

52
Q

What does the EU Sweetness Classification take account of?

A

1) level of residual sugar

2) higher level of residual sugar for wines with higher total acidity

53
Q

Medium dry

A

Medium dry - demi-sec - halbrocken

more than 4g/L and not more than 12g/L

not exceeding 18g/L provided that total acidity expressed as grams of tartaric acid per litre is not more than 10g below RS content

54
Q

Medium or Medium Sweet

A

medium or medium sweet - moelleux - lieblich

more than 12g/L

not exceeding 45g/L RS

55
Q

Sweet

A

Sweet - doux - suss

  • at least 45g/L RS
56
Q

What is the most abundant part of wine after water and alcohol?

A

Glycerol

57
Q

Where is glycerol derived from?

A

Sugar in grapes

58
Q

When are glycerol levels higher?

A

1) botrytis affected grapes

2) wines made through carbonic maceration

59
Q

what does glycerol contribute to?

A

1) smoothness to texture of wine

2) perfection of fullness of body

60
Q

Where are phenolics found?

A

1) skins
2) seeds
3) stems

61
Q

What do phenolics include?

A

Anthocyanins

Tannins

62
Q

What do tannins do?

A

1) bind with proteins in mouth which give a drying sensation on the palate
2) react with other compounds in winemaking and maturation, which changes their composition and how they are perceived

63
Q

What alters the perception of tannins?

A

other compounds in wine e.g. residual sugar, acidity etc

64
Q

Unripe tannins are…

A

Bitter

Undesirable

WSET 4 (17 decks)

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