Day Eight Theory - Wine and Cognac Flashcards
When does the art of winemaking date back to?
6000BC
What are the two categories of wine grape?
Blue (red) and Green (white)
How is Rose wine made?
When making rose wine, blue skinned grapes are crushed and allowed to remain in contact with the juice for a much shorter time than in the case of red wine
What two things that relate to climate does wine production require?
10-20 degrees C and a lot of sun
What is unusual about the soil used for growing wine grapevines?
It is unsuitable for other crops; e.g. pinot noir likes calcareous clay soil, while cabernet sauvignon likes gravely soils.
What is wine production also known as?
Vinification
What are the 3 biggest wine producing countries?
France, Italy and Spain
What are the three parts to the french classification system?
Wine without geographical indication
Wine with geographical indication
Appelation d’Origine Protegee - quality wine
Name the wine growing regions of france
Bordeaux Burgundy Rhone Loire Alsace
Name the wine growing regions in italy
Piedmont
Toscana
Veneto
What are the two most famous wine districts in Italy (Tosacana) and what grape do they produce?
Chianti and Bruenllo di Montalcino produce Sangiovese grapes
Name the wine growing regions of Spain
Rioja
Ribera del Duero
Priorat
Name the wine growing region in Portugal
Douro
What does tannin give to wine?
Astringency
Name some new world wine producing countries
germany? USA California Australia New Zealand South Africa Argentina Chile
Name 4 blue grape varieties
Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Pinot Noir
Malbec
Name 3 green grape varieties
Chardonnay
Riesling
Savignon Blanc
What are the 3 most famous sparkling wines?
Prosecco, Cava and Champagne
What is the CO2 pressure of a sparkling wine? (minimum and average)
Minimum: 3.5 atmospheres
Average 5-6 atmospheres
Name 3 examples of fortified wine
Port
Maderia
Sherry
What are the two ways of fortifying wine?
Vin Doux Natural - grape spirits are added early in the fermentation process, yielding a sweet libation, such as port
Late fortification - grape spirits are added after fermentation, yielding a dry libation, such as fino sherry
What are the two reasons for decanting wine?
Remove the sediment that occurs in older wines by gentling pouring the wine into a decanter.
To aerate young, closed wines that have not yet fully attained suppleness, aromas and notes that a few years of age will bring
What temperatures should wines be served at?
Sparkling wines, 8-10 degrees C
White wine, 8-10 / 10-12 degrees C
Red wines 16 / 18 degrees C
Where with the word for brandy come from?
Old dutch word for burned wine (Brandewijn)
How is brandy made?
It is a spirit produced from distilling wine
Where was the first brandy produced and when?
La Rochelle (Cognac region) in 1549
What bacteria caused a plague that killed grape vines?
Phylloxera
How did the french react and solve the issue caused by Phylloxera?
Switched to using American vines known as ugni Blanc. Ugni Blanc has a high resilience to wind, weather and parasites
How many times is cognac distilled?
twice
What still is used for the production of cognac?
Alambic Charantaise (pot still)
What is cognac divide into after the first distillation, before the second? (three parts with french names)
Tetes (Head)
Le Cour (Heart)
Secondes (Tails)
What is the eau de vie matured in to make cognac?
Only blond Oak casks
What is the ‘bottling strength’ for cognac?
40-45% ABV
What are the geographical classifications of the cognac regions?
- Grande Champagne
- Petite Champagne
- Borderies
- Fins Bois
- Bons Bois
- Bois a Terroir (Bois Ordinaires)
What blend of cognac regions creates a brandy known as ‘fine champagne’?
50%+ grand champagne
the rest must come from Petite champagne
What are the three quality classifications of cognac?
VS (Very Special) - Matured for at least 2 years
VSOP (Very Superior Old Pale) - Matured for at least 4 years
XO (Extra Old) - matured for at least 6 years
Name 4 classic brands of brandy
Courvoisier
Hennessey
Remy Martin
Martell
