Fortified Wine Production

Question 1

How did fortified wines come into being?

Answer 1

Brandy was added to prevent spoilage when traveling long distances.
-between the 16th and 20th century

Question 2

How does fortification preserve wine?

Answer 2

It raises the alcohol level so that yeast and bacteria cannot survive.

Question 3

The differences in the various fortified wines are:

Answer 3

• the grape varieties used
• timing of fortification
• aging regimen applied after fermentation

Question 4

The classic fortified wines are:

Answer 4

Port, Sherry and Madeira

Question 5

Wines fortified during fermentation are sweet or dry?

Answer 5

Sweet, such as Port

Question 6

Wines that are fortified after fermentation are found to be ____

Answer 6

dry such as fino Sherries

Question 7

Fermentation will stop when the fortified wine’s alcohol level reaches

Answer 7

18 - 20%

timing depends on regional style and producer’s goals

Question 8

The practice of making a sweet wine by adding alcohol before or during fermentation while the wine still has a significant amount of sugar in it is called

Answer 8

mutage.

Question 9

Examples of fortified wines that are produced in both sweet and dry stiles include?

Answer 9

Madeira

Marsala

Question 10

The majority of fortified wines are fortified during fermentation. T or F

Answer 10

True

Question 11

List 5 sweet style fortified wines from France:

Answer 11

Banyuls — Grenache -SE Roussiollon
Maury —- Grenache = vin doux naturel- Roussillon
Muscat de Rivesaltes —- muscat- Roussillon

Muscat de Baumes de Venise — muscat -S Rhone
Rasteau– Grenache - S Rhone

Question 12

List 4 styles of fortified wines from Portugal:

Answer 12

Madeira (sweeter style) – Malvasia, Boal, Tinta Negra
Madeira (drier style)— Sercial, Verdelho, Tinta Negra
Port- Touriga National
Setubal- Moscatl/ muscat

Question 13

Name a sweet style fortified wine from Spain: (not sherry)

Answer 13

Malaga– Pedro Zimenez, Muscat

Question 14

Name a sweet style fortified wine from Italy

Answer 14

Marsala– Grillo, Catarrotto, Inzolia, and others

Question 15

Name a sweet style fortified wine from Australia

Answer 15

Rutherglen Muscat- Muscat, Topaque (muscadelle)

Question 16

Fortification for sweet style wines typically takes place when the sugar levels have fallen to

Answer 16

8 - 12%

Question 17

List the steps for production of sweet style fortified wine:

Answer 17

Base wine, fortify during fermentation, age in barrels or vats, blending, bottling.

Question 18

Describe the characteristics of the base wine grapes when producing sweet fortified wines?

Answer 18

• made from many varieties, both red and white
• high sugar level
• typically grown in hot climates -so as to have high levels of sugar
• some are late harvested
• other allowed to dry

Question 19

Dry style fortified wines are fortified during or after fermentation?

Answer 19

After

Question 20

The most well know dry style fortified wine is

Answer 20

Sherry from Jerez

Question 21

List two dry style fortified wines from Spain?

Answer 21

Sherry and Montilla-Moriles

Question 22

The neutral grapes used in the base wine production of Sherry are:

Answer 22

Palomino and Pedro Ximenz

Question 23

The neutral grapes used in the base wine production of Madeira’s dry version of fortified wines are:

Answer 23

Sercial and Verdelho

Question 24

Dry style fortified wines do not want grape flavors or phenolics in their base wines. T or F

Answer 24

True.

Question 25

What is the typical fermentation vessel used for the base wine for dry fortified wines?

Answer 25

Stainless steel tanks, to keep the wine neutral in flavor. | -after pressing, fermentation at warm temp to evaporate fruit and florals but not so high as to causes "cooked" flavors.

Question 26

What are the two basic types of Sherry?

Answer 26

Fino and Oloroso

Question 27

The fortified wine that is pale in color and light bodied, and requires flor yeast in the aging process is called

Answer 27

Fino Sherry

Question 28

Flor is a yeast. T or F

Answer 28

True

Question 29

Flor thrives in an alcohol level of

Answer 29

15%

Question 30

Characteristic flor aromas are

Answer 30

nutty, bruised apple

Question 31

What is a criadera?

Answer 31

The rows of American oak butts above the solera level in a solera system. 1st ____ holds the next oldest wine

Question 32

What is "running the scales"?

Answer 32

It is a fractional blending system where the youngest vintage tops off the youngest criadera and all the wine moves down eventually into the solera level. no more than 40% removed

Question 33

Which style of Sherry experiences oxidative ageing?

Answer 33

Oloroso Sherry (no flor to protect the wine)

Question 34

What is a vin doux naturels?

Answer 34

Lightly fortified sweet French wines from the South of France.

Question 35

Name the styles of fortified wine where the grape must is fortified before fermentation or just slightly into starting fermentation

Answer 35

France: mistelle Spain: mistele (when must is unfermented) Spain: vino licor (must has small amount fermented) Italy: sifone (version is used to sweeten some styles of marsala

Question 36

describe the spirts used to fortified wines?

Answer 36

- can be neutral or may introduce aromas and flavors | - may be sweet itself, raising the overall sugar level

Question 37

Ageing requirements for fortified wines?

Answer 37

- most are aged in some kind of container to thoroughly integrate flavors - wooden vessels benefit= slow, small degree of oxidation that further stabilizes wines

Question 38

List styles of wines intentionally left to bake in hot sun above ground?

Answer 38

Madeira Rutherglen Muscat -removes any heat-unstability compounds from the wines makes it nearly indestructible.

Question 39

explain what goals may be achieved by blending wines?

Answer 39

recreate a specific, consistent flavor profile for a branded wine - may incorporate older vintages - may be aged for a time in bottle (after blending) before release

Question 40

What is the defining characteristic in the base wine for dry stile fermented wine?

Answer 40

dominant aroma and flavor comes from the production process rather than grapes - use neutral white grapes for production - need to avoid extracting phenolics- handle berries very delicately

Question 41

describe Biological aging

Answer 41

Fino Sherries -- light bodied - requires Flor yeast to develop on the surface to create a thick blanket on top of maturing wine - changes in the wine are largely due to the actions of living organisms - results in lower acid and alcohol levels and higher acetaldehyde - protects from oxidation, preventing darkening of color - best batches will have old wine mixed into younger wines

Question 42

How does flor survive in an alcoholic environment?

Answer 42

- needs oxygen, eats any remaining sugar and glycerol in wine and small amount of alcohol - feeds on acetic acid, thereby lowering the acid level in wine

Question 43

Describe Oloroso sherries?

Answer 43

base wine is not of high quality or delicately made into fino - wine fortified to 17-18 % -too high for flor - direct exposure to air in barrel that are partially filled

Question 44

Define Oxidative aging?

Answer 44

direct exposure to air in partially filled barrels -alcohol and acid levels increase because water evaporates ABV can rise to 24% color deepens- fuller bodied, darker wine -dominated by oxidative and caramelized aromas

Question 45

Flor, in a solera system, can be maintained for how many years?

Answer 45

6 to 7 years- provided periodically add new wine to maintain nutrition levles 2 years minimum for law and most commercial