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WSET 2 > Factors Influencing Wine Production > Flashcards

Factors Influencing Wine Production Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the 3 parts of a grape and what characteristics do they contribute to the making of wine?

A
  • Skin: color - tannins - flavors
  • Pulp: water - sugar - acids - flavors
  • Stems and Seeds: tannins
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2
Q

What 5 ingredients does a grape vine need to thrive?

A
  • Carbon dioxide
  • Sunlight
  • Warmth
  • Water
  • Nutrients
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3
Q

What are the 4 stages of grape formation and ripening?

A
  • flowering
  • fruit set – flowers become grapes
  • véraison
  • ripe grapes
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4
Q

Name the 3 types of Climate and Temperatures for wine production and their Results.

A

• Cool climate - 16.5°C (62°F) or below
- less alcohol - lighter body - less tannin - more acidity

• Moderate climate - 16.5°C (62°F) to 18.5°C (65°F)

• Warm climate - 18.5°C (65°F) to 21°C (70°F)
- more alcohol - fuller body - more tannin - less acidity

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5
Q

Name 5 vineyard activities for growing grapes.

A
  • training and pruning
  • spraying
  • yield
  • irrigation
  • harvesting
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6
Q

Name 6 weather influences on the grape growing environment.

A
  • Temperature
  • Sunlight
  • Drought
  • Rain
  • Hail
  • Frost
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7
Q

Name 9 environmental influences on the grape growing

A
  • rivers, slopes and aspect
  • cloud, fog and mist
  • mountains, soils and air
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8
Q

Between what latitudes are best for growing grapes?

A

Between 30 degrees and 50 degrees

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9
Q

The equation for Photosynthesis grape growing is….

A

water + carbon dioxide + sunlight = sugar

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10
Q

What are the 3 necessary conditions for botrytis/noble rot?

A
  • ripe grapes
  • damp, misty mornings
  • warm, dry afternoons
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11
Q

What are the 3 steps for producing Icewine/Eiswein?

A
  • grapes freeze on vine (winter)
  • picked while frozen
  • pressed while frozen
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12
Q

The growing season begins for a vine in ___.

A

spring

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13
Q

The growing season ends for a vine in ___.

A

autumn

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14
Q

During which season are vines dormant?

A

winter

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15
Q

Are most wines in the world made with European or North American vine species?

What is the name of the vine species used?

A

Most are made using a European vine species named Vitis vinifera.

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16
Q

Name some commonly found Vitis Vinifera varieties (8).

A
  • Sauvignon Blanc
  • Pinot Grigio
  • Riesling
  • Chardonnay
  • Syrah
  • Grenache
  • Merlot
  • Cabernet Sauvigon
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17
Q

What flavor do tannins produce?

A

Bitterness

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18
Q

How many years can a vine live?

A

If it’s in a healthy environment, a vine can live more than 50 years and upwards of 100 years.

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19
Q

List a vine’s annual cycle.

A
  • Flowering: spring
  • Fruit set: early summer
  • Véraison: summer
  • Ripening time: summer/late summer
  • Harvest: late summer/early autumn
  • Dormancy: winter
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20
Q

How are the flowers of grape vines pollinated?

A

Vine’s flowers are pollinated by the wind.

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21
Q

Before ripening, grapes are high in ___ and low in ___.

A

Before ripening, grapes are high in acid and low in sugar.

22
Q

As grapes ripen, acidity levels ___ and sugar levels ___.

A

As grapes ripen, acidity levels decrease and sugar levels increase.

It is during this ripening period that a grape’s aromatics will develop as well.

23
Q

If grapes remain on the vine after the time they’re usually harvested, what happens to them?

A

The grapes will develop “extra-ripeness”, meaning that the levels of both aromas and sugars will magnify and concentrate.

24
Q

What happens to grapes if they are left to raisinate on the vine?

A
  • Water in the grapes evaporates thereby concentrating acids and sugars;
  • Aromas in the grape change from ripe/fresh to dried/dimpled.
25
Q

Botrytis/noble rot:

what is it?
what does it do to the grapes?
what are the optimal conditions for it to form?

A

What it is:
• Botrytis is a fungus that grows on the outside of grapes that can cause noble rot.

What it does:
• The fungus punctures the grape skins which allows the water inside the grape to evaporate, thereby concentrating sugars, flavors, and acids.

Conditions:
• In order for noble rot to form, the Botrytis fungus requires misty mornings or humid conditions followed by warm, dry afternoons (the dry afternoons slow the growth of Botrytis and prevent it from completely rotting the grapes).

26
Q

List 3 ways to concentrate grape sugars to make sweet wine.

A
  • Extra-ripeness
  • Botrytis
  • Frozen grapes
27
Q

Give a classic example of a wine whose grapes are affected by Botrytis.

A
  • Sauternes (Bordeaux, France)

* Aszú (Tokaj, Hungary)

28
Q

What is the difference between training and pruning?

A

Training
• How the vine is supported and arranged to optimize sunlight and productivity

Pruning
• Removal of plant parts to control size and form of the vine, optimize production potential, and achieve balance between vegetative growth (the leaves) and fruit

29
Q

How are most vines trained?

A

On trellises

30
Q

During which season are vines usually pruned?

Why do farmers prune their vines?

A

Vines are usually pruned in the winter when they’re dormant.

Farmers prune their vines to:
• Help maintain their shape
• Balance fruit production and shoot growth

31
Q

Name 3 ways farmers can irrigate their vines.

A
  • Drip irrigation
  • Flood irrigation
  • Sprinklers
32
Q

What are some of the things that can cause problems in vineyards?

A
  • Insects
  • Fungi
  • Weeds
  • Birds
  • Deer
33
Q

Pesticides kill ___.

Fungicides kill ___.

Herbicides kill ___.

A
  • Pesticides kill insects
  • Fungicides kill fungi
  • Herbicides kill weeds
34
Q

What exactly is yield?

A

Yield is the amount of grapes produced in an acre (or hectare).

An average yield is 40-60 hectoliters per hectare

35
Q

What happens to grape flavors if a vineyard’s yields are too high?

And what if the yields are too low?

A

Yield that’s too high:
• Grapes could potentially have low sugar and/or loss of flavor (due to overproduction)

Yield that’s too low:
• Insufficient amount of grapes to make enough wine for the market

36
Q

What is the growing season for the northern hemisphere? And for the southern hemisphere?

A

Growing season for:

Northern hemisphere: April - October
Southern hemisphere: October - April

37
Q

What does it mean when a region has a “cool vintage”?

A

A cool vintage means the average temperature of the growing season was lower, or cooler, than what is normal for that region.

Usually, cooler vintages yield grapes that are higher in acidity and tarter in fruit flavors because the grapes struggled to ripen.

38
Q

What does it mean when a region has a “hot vintage”?

A

A hot vintage means the average temperature of the growing season was higher, or hotter, than what is normal for that region.

Hotter vintages can overripen grapes leading to dried-fruit flavors. If there is too much sun, the grapes can also sunburn.

39
Q

What is the biggest threat to a vine during a hot vintage?

A

Shortage of water

When it’s hotter than usual, vines get thirsty and need more water. If the ground the vines are in is too dry and the vine cannot find water, it will literally shut down and go into survival mode – it won’t even ripen its grapes.

40
Q

Why would excessive rain be a problem for vines?

A
  • Fungal diseases can develop and spread

* If right before harvest, the extra rain can bloat the grapes and dilute their flavors

41
Q

What time of year is a vine’s risk of frost at its greatest?

A

Springtime

Frost threatens flowering and fruit set, and the freezing temperatures can damage new growth.

42
Q

How does altitude affect temperature?

A

Temperatures drop as altitude increases, no matter at what latitude the region is situated.

The cooler temperatures of a higher altitude vineyard generally allow for a longer growing season.

43
Q

What effect do large bodies of water, such as oceans and seas, have on growing regions?

A

Large bodies of water help moderate the temperature of a region.

44
Q

What are some ways that rivers can affect a region?

A
  • Reflect sunlight, which helps protect against frost
  • Provide air circulation, which helps prevent disease
  • Extend the growing season due to the heat it accumulated over the summertime
45
Q

Where can cool/cold air come from and how does it affect grape-growing areas?

A

Cool/cold air can come from oceans and seas or mountains.

Cool/cold air reduces temperatures in hot vineyards, allowing grapes to ripen more slowly.

46
Q

How do clouds affect a vineyard?

A

Clouds block sunlight, and it’s sunlight a vine needs to photosynthesize. So if photosynthesis is slowed, ripening is delayed.

47
Q

What sort of influence does fog have on a vineyard?

A

Fog, which hovers at ground level, cools down vineyards and moderates heat.

Areas known for fog include Barolo, coastal California, and coastal Chile.

48
Q

How can mist influence a vineyard?

A

Mist encourages Botrytis/noble rot.

49
Q

How do mountains affect grape-growing regions?

A

Mountains act as a barricade to protect vineyards from cold air and bad weather.

These vineyards will have sunny summers, low rainfall, and dry autumns.

50
Q

Vineyards closer to the equator see ___ heat and sunlight.

Vineyards farther away from the equator see ___ heat and sunlight.

A
  • Closer see more heat and sunlight

* Farther away see less heat and sunlight

51
Q

Why are slopes and vineyard aspect (which way a vineyard faces) important?

A

Vineyards on slopes facing the equator will receive more direct heat and sunlight than vineyards facing away from the equator.

A vineyard’s aspect - whether it’s on flat land, a gentle slope, or a steep hillside - also affects a vine’s ability to ripen its grapes.

52
Q

How can soil affect the temperature of a vineyard?

A

Rocks and large stones on the soil’s surface will absorb the day’s heat and increase the vineyard’s temperature; this added heat helps ripen grapes.

Stones are especially important in areas at more northern latitudes.

WSET 2 (14 decks)

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