Fortified Wine Flashcards
What styles of Fortified Wine are designed for long-term aging and maturation?
Vintage Ports, Single Quinta Ports, Crusted Ports, Rare Bottle-Aged Sherries, and Frasqueira Madeira.
Grapes grown on what soil type produce the finest fino and manzanilla sherries? Describe this soil type.
Albariza. White, chalky looking soil with a high limestone content (around 40%) with the rest being clay and sand. It dries without caking and can slowly release moisture to the vines during the growing season.
What is an almacenista and how do they operate?
A sherry stockholder who sells wine to shippers. It has been used as a marketing term by Lustau, who buy in and bottle wines from almacenistas.
In essence what is an aged Fino Sherry called?
Fino Pasado
What is the minimum alcohol for an Amontillado? Why?
min 16%; because this is the alcoholic limit at which Flor cannot exist thus contributing the Fino wine to the oxidative aging it needs to become an Amontillado.
What are the 6 unofficial first growth port houses?
Taylor Fonseca Graham Warre Dow Quinta do Noval
What is the name for Malvasia on Madeira?
Boal/Bual or Malmsey
What was sherry called in the 16th century by the British?
Sack
“Camara de Lobos” or “Cama de Lobos” would most likely be found a bottle of what?
Ancient Madeira as it is a wine district west of Funchal on the south coast of the island associated with noble vine varieties and fine wine.
What are the different aging requirements for Colheita Port vs Colheita Madeira?
Colheita Port must be aged for a minimum of 7 years in wood prior to release. (7 years)
Colheita Madeira must be aged prior to bottling until October 31 of the fifth year following harvest. (5 years)
Theoretically speaking, Madeira meant to become Frasqueira is technically what style until it reaches 20 years of age?
Colheita.
What are the aging requirements for standard Madeira?
Aged until October 31 of the second year following harvest. (2 years)
What are the aging requirements for Vinho de Canteiro?
Aged for a minimum of 3 years following fortification and for at least 2 years in wood.
What are the aging requirements for Vinho de Estufagem?
Aged for a minimum 12 months from the conclusion of the Estufagem process
What are the aging requirements for Vinho de Canteiro vs Vinho de Estufagem?
Vinho de Canteiro must be aged for a minimum of 3 years including at least 2 years in wood.
Vinho de Estufagem must be aged for at least 12 months from the conclusion of the estufagem process.
What are the aging requirements for Frasqueira Madeira?
Aged for a minimum 20 years in wood.
What does “passagem” refer to in regards to Madeira production? What process does this follow and what happens following it?
Passagem refers to racking following the estagio (resting) process. The wine is usually pumped so that it falls from a height into a trough in order to pass air through the wine.
Following passagem, madeira is then stored in casks of a solera system where it will be used for blending or put into vacant casks to become potentially a vintage Madeira.
What are the traditional trough presses in Madeira called?
Lagares
Regarding Madeira production, what is “impesa” refer to? What follows this?
Impesa refers to the first treading of grapes in lagares (wooden troughs) to start the flow of the mosto.
Following the impesa is the repisa, or the retreading/second treading
In regards to Madeira production, what is the “vinho da corda”?
Vinho da corda translates to “rope wine” and is essentially press wine extracted from the skins and pulp remaining in the lagar following traditional foot treading.
What is agua pé?
A drink for the vineyard workers that is essentially the product of blending of water and marc following a pressing for Madeira that has been strained.
Agua pé translates to “foot wine”
What is a Poncha?
Traditional cocktail of Madeira composed of Aguardiente (sugar cane brandy), honey, sugar, and lemon juice.
What is a Cream Sherry?
A style of Vino Generoso de Licor produced by blending of Vino Generoso Sherry, typically Amontillado or Oloroso, or blend of the two with sweet Pedro Ximinez (PX) to a RS level between 115-140g/L
What is Pale Cream Sherry?
Pale Cream is essentially either Cream sherry that has had the color removed by charcoal filtration or other methods
-or-
Can be a Fino, Amontillado, or blend that has been sweetened to a lesser extent typically between 45-115g/L
What style of Sherry is the Port House Croft credited with innovating?
Pale Cream Sherry
What is Crusted Port?
A multivintage blend of Ports designed to emulate the quality of vintage port but that is accessible at an earlier age. It is often aged in cask for 2-4 years but must be aged in bottle for at least 3 years before released. Crusted Port is bottled unfiltered and thus throws a sediment which after a decade can become crusty, similar to what you would find in Vintage Port with age, thus both the name and the similarity to the style its meant to emulate.
What does the date on a bottle of Crusted Port indicate?
Indicates the bottling date, not the harvest date.
What is a Ducellier?
Special fermenation vat designed to extract maximum color and tannin even during the shortest fermentation periods and used to produce Port.
What does “en rama” indicate?
En rama literally means “raw” and is in theory the closest thing you can get to a manzanilla or fino sherry that is bottled straight from the cask. Typically very lightly filtered and has a more intense flavor.
What is the Sercial grape in Madeira known as in Portugal’s mainland?
Esgana Cão
Why do bodegas in Jerez sprinkle water on the ground around barrels?
To combat the low humidity to ensure that the flor in barrels does not die due to increasing alcohol levels resulting from evaporation in the dry climate.
What sort of vintages will produce wines of higher extract?
Wines produced in cooler and/or wetter vintages where acid levels are naturally higher.
What is the single quinta produced by Taylor Fladgate?
Quinta de Vargellas
What quinta has long produced the backbone for the vintage ports produced by Croft?
Quinta da Roèda
What is the name for the Vin de Liqueur produced by adding young Armagnac to arrest fermentation?
Floc de Goscogne
What are the styles and aging requirements for Floc de Gascogne?
Blanc and Rosé; may not be released until March 15th of the year following the harvest.
Between what abv % of alcohol does Flor typically thrive? What happens when levels are below this? What happens when they’re above?
Between 14.5-16%; below 14% the wine would typically become vinegar and above 16% the Flor would completely die out and the sherry would become Oloroso in style.
Why must manzanilla and fino sherries be produced in wood?
Because the flor yeasts metabolize so much alcohol the wine would become watery in stainless steel and acetify. Because a certain amount of evaporation occurs in the low humidity cellars of Jerez, preferential evaporation occurs balancing out the loss of alcohol.
What are three other DO in Spain where flor is used to produce wine outside of Jerez?
Montilla DO
Rueda DO
Condado de Huelva DO
What were the original purposes for fortification?
To stabilize the wine and prevent spoilage by yeast and bacteria as they are impotent when alcohol levels reach more than 16-18%
What is a mistelle?
A vin de liqueur wine where unfermented grape juice or just slightly fermented must has been fortified with a brandy or spirit.
What is the general abv% of Port? What about for Vin de Liqueur wines?
18-20% for Port; 15-16% in most vins doux naturels.
Why are spirits used for mutage usually distilled in continuous stills?
Because they tend to produce spirits with the least amount of flavor congeners and thus are more neutral in flavor. This allows the character of the wine to shine through.
What is Jerepigo?
Vin de liqueur wine produced in South Africa from Muscat grapes.
What is arrope used for? What is the difference between this and sancocho?
Arrope is a syrupy reduction of grape must to 1/5 its original volume. It is a form of Vino de Color produced principally from Palomino grapes and used to adjust the sweetness and the color of some blended sherries.
When reduced to 1/3 of its volume it is known as Sancocho.
What does the “liberdade” refer to in the production of Port?
The point in time following hours of treading on grapes in a lagar for Port production where the color and flavor compounds have sufficiently been “freed” from the skins. This follows hours of treading known as the “corte”
What step of production does “encuba” refer to in regards to Port production?
The running off of fermenting must from skins when approximately 5-6% of alcohol has been produced. This must will be mixed with aguardiente and fortified to between 19-22% abv
What step of port production does the “corte” refer to?
The corte, or the cut refers to the treading on grapes in lagar to release the juice from the grapes and encourage extraction of color and flavor compounds from the skins prior to fermentation. This takes place the night harvest is completed and can last for hours.
In regards to Port production, what is the manta and what are macacos?
The manta refers to the cap or chapeau of grape skins and stalks that rise to the top of the vat during fermentation.
Macacos, which means monkeys, are the tools used to submerge the cap back into the fermenting must.
What is the name of the traditional boat used for the shipping of Port?
Barco Rabelo
Croft is credited with creating Pale Cream Sherry, but who was credited with creation of the original Cream Sherry?
Harveys of Bristol
What are two pagos located in the Jerez de la Frontera?
Macharnudo
Carrascal
Anina
Miro & Yzaguirre are producers of what?
Spanish Vermouth
What is passification as it applies to Sherry production?
Raisining of the grapes during the soleo process.
What are two Sherry producers in Sanlucar de Barrameda?
La Cigarera
La Guita
Hidalgo
Barbadillo
For how long is must for Port production traditionally fermented?
2-3 days
Why is Port fermented for such a short period of time?
To achieve an ideal balance of extraction of color and flavor while also preserving natural residual sugar.
Which scores better in regards to a Beneficio rating, vineyards at lower or higher altitudes?
Lower altitudes
For how long are Madeira Special Reserve wines aged?
Between 10-15 years
What does the “lei do terço” entail?
Port producers may only sell 1/3 of their annual inventory. This also known as the Law of the Third.
What style of Port is labeled “Lagrima”?
Sweet white Port
How would you describe the flavor profile of Tawny ports?
Smooth, rich mellow flavor, sublime complex aromas of caramel, chocolate, dried fruit, and nuts becoming increasingly concentrated and complex with age.
Why are the ceilings of Port Warehouses often black?
This is a growth of fungus that feeds on the Angel’s Share from the aging Port.
What is “beeswing” as it applies to Port?
These are transluscent flakes of sediment that forms in the bottle of aging Vintage Port or unfiltered port wine.
What is beneficio as it applies to Port production?
Benificio refers to the total volume of grape juice that is allowed to be made into port in a given year. Port houses with a higher classification grade will be granted a larger beneficio or proportion of their total produce to be allowed to be produced into Port.
When asked “Do you know the Bishop of Norwich?” you are likely drinking what? Why would you be asked this question?
Port
Likely asked this as a polite reminder to please keep passing the port to the next person and that the bottle is likely next to you.
What is the volume of a Tappit-hen and what wine is this bottle a traditional bottle for?
3 standard bottles or 2.25L; traditionally used for Port
What is the Portuguese name for the brandy used for the fortification of Port wine?
Aguardiente vínica
What event in the 1780s led to the development of the Douro Superior as a quality region for Port and Douro table wine?
The destruction of the Cachão da Valeira clearing the way for boats to safely travel upstream into the area which was previously blocked by massive rock outcrops.
Why do some bottles of Port have a white chalk mark on them?
This is to reference the side of the bottle opposite from which the sediment is located aiding in the practice of decanting to ensure minimal sediment when decanting Vintage Port or unfiltered bottles of Port.
What style of port is considered the tawny version of Vintage Port?
Colheita
How is Crusted Port similar to Vintage Port? How is it different?
Like Vintage Port, Crusted Port is also high in quality, full-bodied, concentrated, and will throw sediment.
Unlike Vintage Port, Crusted Port is most commonly a blend of multiple vintages.
Why are tawny ports typically free of sediment?
Due to their aging in casks sediment usually settles in the cask and the wine is racked off of this and often filtered prior to bottling.
When do Port Houses declare vintages?
In the spring of the second year following the harvest.
What is Douro Bake?
Douro bake is the character often associated with wines that have been exposed to excessive heat which can often be seen in Douro. This accelerates oxidation giving wines a high level of nuttiness of both aroma and flavor and sometimes be accompanied by high levels of volatile acidity.
What was Marquis of Pombal’s major contribution to Port?
He drew up the initial boundaries of the Douro Demarcated Region in 1756. No vines outside of this region may produce fruit that can qualify for Port production.
For how long may wood-aged ports last once opened?
Several weeks
What is Dry White Port and how is it different than most styles of Port? Who first created this style?
Dry White Port is produced from must that is allowed to ferment longer having about 1/3 of the RS than most ports.
Taylor was the first to create and market this.
What is the Factory House as it applies to the Port Wine Trade?
Neo-classical buildings in Oporto that used to house British firms for Port trading.
Today no business is practiced here and instead this space is largely used for the entertainment of the guests of Port Houses.
What does “Feitoria” indicate in regards to Port?
This is considered the top grade for the classification of Port vineyards and stone pillars known as Marcos de Feitoria were placed at the boundaries of vineyards that qualified for this designation.
Vineyards classified with feitoria status were allowed to sell their wines to the British Market and fetched the highest prices.
What is the rough proportion of aguardiente to fermenting must used in the production of Port wine?
1:4
What is a Geropiga? What is the white style called? What is the red style called?
This is typically Port that has been fortified earlier during fermentation than normal to preserve a much higher amount of residual sweetness.
White: Geropiga branca
Red: Geropiga loira
What is lágrima or lácrima as it applies to Port?
Indicates a sweet white Port style.
