Faults/Packaging/Hygiene/Transportation Flashcards
List the different faults that can be present in wines
Cloudiness and hazes
Tartrates
Re-fermentation in bottle
Cork taint
Oxidation
Volatile acidity
Reduction
Light Strike
Brettanomyces
How do you deal with cloudiness and hazes in wines
Better hygiene in winery
Pre-bottling chemical analysis
Filtering wine to remove yeast and bacteria before bottling
What unattractive aromas are a result of cork taint
Mouldy, wet cardboard smell
Reduces fruit character
Shortens finish of wines
What is the effect of oxidation on wine
Prematurely brown colour
Loss of primary fruit
Vinegary smell
What is the effect of volatile acidity on wine
Excessive amounts give pungent smell of nail varnish and/or vinegar
What causes volatile acidity in wine
Activity of acetic acid bacteria
Inadequate SO2 levels
Excess exposure to oxygen
How can the threat of volatile acidity be reduced in wine
Sorting fruit to exclude damaged grapes
Scrupulous hygiene in winery
Keep vessels topped up
Careful racking (avoid excessive exposure to oxygen)
Maintain adequate SO2 levels
What odours are associated with reduction
Onion, rotten eggs - at higher concentrations
Struck match, smoke - at lower concentrations
What causes the sulfur-like odours of reduction
Smells caused by high level of volatile, reductive sulfur compounds
Sulfur compounds produced by yeast under stress (low nitrogen levels) in winemaking
Near complete exclusion of oxygen during ageing in closed vessels, especially when lees ageing
Sometimes evolve with impermeable type of screw cap
What causes light strike
Caused by UV radiation and certain wavelengths of visible light reacting with some compounds in the wine to form volatile sulfur compounds
Wines left in direct sunlight
Wines placed near fluorescent lighting
What odours dues light strike give
Dirty drains
How do you prevent light strike
Choice of packaging - dark green or brown glass
What causes the fault Brettanomyces
Activity of Brettanomyces yeast produce a range of off-aromas
Difficult to eradicate
Wood hosts the organism - difficult to clean
Can be present in new or old barrels
What odours does Brettanomyces cause in wine
Animal, spicy or farmyard smells
Bandaid
What are the key ways to avoid Brettanomyces
Excellent hygiene
Maintain effective SO2 levels
Keep pH levels low
Keep period between end of fermentation and MLC as short as possible so SO2 can be added as soon as possible
How do you treat wine affected by Brettanomyces
Treated by filtration
DMDC (dimethyl dicarbonate - Velcorin) before bottling - inactivates Brettanomyces
List packaging options for wines
Glass
Plastic (PET)
Bag-in-box
Brick
Pouch
Can
Advantages of glass for packaging wine
Inert and conveys no taint on wine
Bottles delivered to wineries in near sterile condition - shrink-wrapped when hot
Inexpensive to manufacture
Range of colours
Recyclable - some colours less easy to recycle
Best packaging option for ageing of wine - impermeable to oxygen
Disadvantages of glass for packaging wine
High carbon footprint - heat needed to manufacture
Heavy to transport - contributes to carbon footprint
Fragile
Rigid - once partly drunk, air fills the head space - rapid oxidation
Clear bottles - risk of light strike
What are the ideal closure properties
Protect wine from rapid oxidation
Inert so it does not affect quality of wine
Easy to remove and re-insert
Cheap
Recyclable
Free from faults
What closure options are available to winemakers
Natural cork
Technical cork
Synthetic closures
Screwcap
Glass stoppers
What approaches can be used to reduce/eliminate incidence of cork taint
Clean corks with steam extraction - Amorin
Create closures from recomposed cork particles that have been cleaned and reconstituted with plastic
Rigorous quality control
High-tech gas chromatography
Inexpensive polymer barrier between cork and wine
What are the 3 procedures for hygiene and give a brief description
Cleaning - removal of surface dirt
Sanitation - reduce unwanted organisms to acceptably low levels - water and detergent, sanitizing agent and/or steam
Sterilization - eliminate unwanted organisms - high strength alcohol or steam
What is the definition of quality control
Set of practices by which the company ensures a consistently good quality product
What is the definition of quality assurance
Broader concept that includes quality control.
Complete way a business organizes itself to deliver a good product consistently and to protect itself from legal challenge
Includes planning, management systems and monitoring
What does HACCP stand for
Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Points
What is the HACCP approach?
Common approach to quality assurance regarding significant threats to the safety of consumers and the reputation of the wine company.
Process where company identifies all possible hazards that could affect final wine quality - everything that could go wrong
For each hazard, the HACCP document will state how serious it is, how it can be prevented and how it can be corrected
Why would a winery have a formal system for traceability?
Respond to and investigate complaints about its wine
Improve its practice so similar problems do not occur in the future
What are the main options for transporting wine today
Glass bottles
Large containers (in bulk)
What are the advantages of shipping wine in bottle
Entire product - wine, bottling, labelling, external packaging - is controlled by producer
What are the disadvantages of shipping wine in bottle
Smaller amount of wine shipped in 1 container - higher cost
Financial/environmental cost of shipping the weight of glass and wine
Potential damage to wine - fluctuating temps in transit, spoilage of labels/packaging
Shorter shelf life on inexpensive wines - bottled earlier
What are the advantages of shipping wine in bulk
More environmentally friendly
One container holds 32,000 bottles rather than 12,000-13,000 filled bottles
Reduces carbon footprint
Cheaper
Greater thermal inertia - less temp fluctuations
Strict quality control - key parameters can be measured upon filling and emptying
Shelf life extended
What are the disadvantages of shipping wine in bulk
Loss of direct relationship with producer
Transfer of business and employment opportunities from producers country to country close to market
