D4 | Sparkling Wines Flashcards
What is the desired alc level for the basewine when making high quality sparkling wines?
Around 9-11%
This is necessary because the second fermentation used in many methods of making sparkling wine wines produces an additional 1-2%.
Name the most important region(s) and their appellation for sparkling wine in France.
- Champagne (AOC Champagne)
- Alsace (AOC crémant d’Alsace)
- Bourgogne (AOC crémant de Bourgogne)
- Loire valley (AOC crémant de Loire, AOC Saumur mousseux and AOC Vouvray mousseux)
Name the most important region(s) with their appellation for sparkling wine in Spain.
- Penèdes (DO cava)
Name the most important region(s) and their appellation for sparkling wine in Italy.
- Prosecco (Prosecco DOC and Conegliano Valdobbiadene - Prosecco DOCG)
- Emilia-Romagna (Lambrusco DOC and IGT)
- Piedmont (Asti DOCG and Moscato d’Asti DOCG)
- Lombardy (Franciacorta DOCG)
- Trentino (Trento DOC)
Name the most important sparkling wine(s) in Germany.
- Sekt
- Deutscher Sekt
- Deutscher Sekt bA
- Winzersekt
- Perlwein
Name the most important region(s) and their appellation for sparkling wine in England and Wales.
- Sparkling PDO and PGI
Name the 3 most important region(s) and their appellation for sparkling wine in the US.
- Anderson Valley AVA (Mendocino County)
- Russian River Valley AVA (Sonoma County)
- Carneros AVA (Sonoma and Napa Counties)
Name the most important producers (in volume) of sparkling wine in Chile.
- Valdivieso (1/3)
- Viña Mar
- Undurruga
- Concha y Toro
- Aguirre
- La Rosa
- Cono Sur
- Miquel Torres
From which regions comes the higher quality sparkling wine in Chile?
Sub-regions as Luján de Cuyo and Uco Valley due to the extreme high altitude.
Name the most important region(s) and their district for making sparkling wines in South-Africa.
- Coastel Region:
Swartland
Stellenbosch
Paarl - Cape South Coast Region:
Elgin
Walker Bay - Breede River Valley Region
Robertson
Worcester
Name the most important region for sparkling wines in Australia.
Tasmania
Where do the grapes for high quality sparkling wines in New-Zealand come from?
Southern Island of NZ, like Malrborough.
Which grape varieties are the most common in premium and super-premium sparkling wine production?
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
What is the advantage of Chardonnay grown for sparkling wines?
- subtle fruit flavours; apple and citrus
- early ripening
- retains good acidity
- has low alcohol levels
- yields can be high in the best years without loss of quality.
What is the dis-advantage of Chardonnay grown for sparkling wines?
- prone to spring frosts
- prone to coulure
- prone to millerandage
- susceptible to powdery mildew
- susceptible to grapevine yellows
- susceptible tobotrytis bunch rot in wet periods before harvest.
What are the advantages of growing Pinot Noir for sparkling wines?
- early budding
- lends body to the blend
- subtle fruit flavours
- low tannin
What are the dis-advantages of growing Pinot Noir for sparkling wines?
- prone to spring frosts
- prone to coulure
- moderate yields
- quality drops if yields are too high
- thin skinned therefore prone to powdery mildew, botrytis bunch rot, fan leaf and leaf roll
In terms of grape growing, what yields levels would be desirable for sparkling wines and why?
High yields because, this will lead to high acid levels, low potential alc, and delicate not complex flavours.
What would be the advantages of whole-bunch pressing for premium sparkling wines traditional method?
- Gentle, providing a delicate juice that is low in solids and phenolics. (Including tannins and anthocyanins)
- the stems help to create channels for the flow of the juice.
Which yeast is one the most common commercially-available?
‘Prise de mousse’ (EC1118)
Liqueur de tirage is a mixture of:
- Sugar
- Selected yeast
- Yeast nutrients
- Clarifying agent (such as bentonite and/or alginate)(seaweed extract to facilitate riddling)
Define ‘autolysis’
The enzymatic breakdown of dead yeast cells. It adds a biscuity complexity.
What name is given to the wines that are stored after riddling and before disgorgement?
Sur pointe, upside-down in the necks so the yeast stays in the neck.
What is the purpose of blending the basewine?
- balance
- consistency
- style
- rosé wines
- complexity
- faults
- volume
- price
What is the role of dosage?
To create balance with the acidity.
After how many months comes the effect of autolysis detectable?
15-18 months
Explain the Maillard reaction in sparkling wines
This takes place when the liqueur de expedition is added. The sugar in the LDE reacts with compounds formed during yeast autolysis in a process called Maillard reaction. Which has notes of roasted, toasted vanilla.
Name the 13 steps of traditional method from grapes that are pressed at the winery until the final wine sold
- Grapes with high acid, low potential alc, delicate flavours are gently pressed whole bunch and the fractions are kept separate.
- Juice is clarified and yeast is added
- First fermentation at 14-20*C with neutral yeasts (MLF, if not the wine may be sterile filtered)
- Blending
- Base wine is stabilised
- Liqueur de tirage and inoculation is added
- Second fermentation in bottle (10-12)
- Lees ageing with autolysis
- Riddling
- Disgorgement
- Liqueur d’expedition (wine and sugar or RCGM)
- New Cork sealed with wire muzzle and metal capsule
- Sold
Name the 15 steps of the Transfer Method from type of grapes used up to bottled wine
- Grapes with high acid, low potential alc, delicate flavours
- Pressing
- Juice is clarified
- First fermentation at 14-20*C
- MLF if desired
- Blending
- Base wine is stabilised
- Liqueur de tirage is added
- Second fermentation in bottle
- Lees ageing with autolysis
- The wine is chilled to 0*C
- Discharged and poured into pressurised tanks
- Usually sweetened and SO2 added
- Sterile filtered
- Bottled under pressure
What are the different names for the Tank Method?
Cuve Close, Charmat and Martinotti
Describe the Tank Method in 8 steps
- Clarification and stabilisation
- First slow, cool fermentation to retain fresh fruit aromas and flavours.
- Sugar and yeast is added and wine ferments in reinforced tanks.
- Fermentation is arrested by cooling to -5*C
- Lees ageing or removed from the lees
- Cold stabilisation (-2*C)
- Yeast removed by centrifugation or filtration and SO2 and sugar checked
- Bottled with counter-pressure filler
The 6 common features far ALL the Crémant wines are:
- Whole-bunch pressing (hand harvested)
- Max yield 100 liters per 150kg grapes
- Min 9 months on the lees in bottle
- Min 12 months maturation between tirage and release
- Max 13% abv
- Min 4 bar pressure
Which variety is the most important for Crémant d’ Alsace?
Pinot Blanc (20% of total)
Which grape is used for Asti?
Muscat blanc a petit grains (Moscato Bianco)
Describe the Ancestral method
Partly fermented must is putted into bottles and the remaining sugar is converted into alcohol and pressure is retained. Wine is disgorged or not. If not, a sediment will be visible. There is NO dosage. Intended for early drinking. Also called PETNAT ~(pétillant nature)
Describe the asti method in 5 steps
- After soft pressing the juice is settled, filtered and refrigerated to 2-3 *C to retain freshness up to 12 months when not needed directly
- Must is fermented in pressure resistant tanks at 16-18 ˚C until 6%abv, the release of CO2 is controlled by a valve in the tank and this valve is closed for the last 1-1,5 % to keep the CO2. (3 bar) (no malo)
- Then the wine is chilled to stop fermentation and to retain the desired sugar level.
- Filtered to remove the yeast.
- Bottled under pressure. Residual sugar ranges from Extra Dry level to sweet, 12 g/l and above
Name the advantages and disadvantages of carbonation method
Advantage:
Cheap
Leaving the aroma’s and flavors of the base wine intact, this suitable for aromatic varieties
Disadvantages:
Bubbles wil die quickly
Base wine may not contain any faults, bubbles will accentuate faults
Name the (EU) level of residual sugar for BRUT NATURE
0-3 g/l
dosage cannot be added; any slight residual sugar present remains naturally after fermentation
Name the (EU) level of residual sugar for EXTRA BRUT
0-6 g/l
Name the (EU) level of residual sugar for BRUT
0-12 g/l
Name the (EU) level of residual sugar for EXTRA-SEC/EXTRA DRY/EXTRA TROCKEN
12-17 g/l
Name the (EU) level of residual sugar for SEC/SECCO/DRY/TROCKEN
17-32 g/l
Name the (EU) level of residual sugar for DEMI-SEC/MEDIUM-DRY/HALBTROCKEN
32-50 g/l
Name the (EU) level of residual sugar for DOUX/DULCE/SWEET/MILD
50+ g/l
RM in Champagne stands for?
récoltant manipulant
Makes and markets on their own label using own vineyards and property
NM in Champagne stands for?
Négiociant Manipulant
Buys grapes, must or base wine to make Champagne on their own property and market it under own label. (All big houses are in this category)
CM in Champagne stands for?
Coopérative de Manipulation
A cooperative that markets Champagne under its own label from grapes sourced from the members.
Describe a typically PinotBlanc-based Crémant d’ Alsace
Med intensity, ripe apple and pear fruit Med + to high acid Light to med body Longer lees ageing wines have med intens biscuit, autolytic notes Brut in style
Describe the climate of Alsace
The Vosges protect the vineyards prevailing westerlies
Climate is sunny, semi-continental. Rather dry and hot during growing season.
Which 2 varieties are not permitted in Crémant d’ Alsace?
Gewürztraminer and Muscat
Which grape is permitted for Crémant d’ Alsace rosé?
Pinot Noir
What is the maximum yield in
hl/ha for Champagne?
65-75 hl/ha
What is the maximum yield in
hl/ha for Crémant d’ Alsace?
80 hl/ha
What is the aim of whole bunch pressing for sparkling wines?
Producing high-quality juice with low phenolic content
Explain Crémant d’ Alsace Emotion
A prestige category with min 75% PB, CH, PN separate or together. 24 months lees.
Name the large cooperative from Maconnais
Cave de Lugny
Who is the largest producer of Crémant de Bourgogne?
Veuve Ambal, with 250 ha of vineyards the biggest self-producing Crémant specialist. Only Crémant.
Explain Crémant de bourgogne Eminent
Additional lees ageing of 24 months
Explain Crémant de Bourgogne Grand Eminent
PN & CH only For Rosé: only 20% Gamay Vintage optional, commonly used Min 36 m lees + 3 m bottle before release Brut only
Explain Prestige de Loire
Min. 24 m lees
Vintage
Less than 12 g/l
Sustainable viticulture
What is the biggest difference between Crémant de Loire and Vouvray/Saumur Mousseux
The higher yields that are allowed for Vouvray and Saumur
Which black variaties are Permitted for Rosé Cava?
Garnacha Tinta
Trepat
Pinot Noir
Monastrell