Fortified Wine Production

Question 1

How did fortified wines come into being?

Answer 1

Brandy was added to prevent spoilage when traveling long distances.

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 grapes used, when fortification takes place, and the ageing regimen after fortification.

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

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 6

mutage.

Question 7

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

Answer 7

18 - 20%

Question 8

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

Answer 8

True

Question 9

List 5 sweet style fortified wines from France:

Answer 9

Banyuls, Maury, Muscat de Baumes de Venise, Muscat de Rivesaltes, Rasteau

Question 10

List 4 sweet style fortified wines from Portugal:

Answer 10

Madeira (sweeter style), Madeira (drier style), Port, Setubal

Question 11

Name a sweet style fortified wine from Spain:

Answer 11

Malaga

Question 12

Name a sweet style fortified wine from Italy

Answer 12

Marsala

Question 13

Name a sweet style fortified wine from Australia

Answer 13

Rutherglen Muscat

Question 14

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

Answer 14

8 - 12%

Question 15

List the steps for production of sweet style fortified wine:

Answer 15

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

Question 16

Dry style fortified wines are fortified during or after fermentation?

Answer 16

After

Question 17

The most well know dry style fortified wine is

Answer 17

Sherry

Question 18

List two dry style fortified wines from Spain?

Answer 18

Sherry and Montilla-Moriles region

Question 19

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

Answer 19

Palomino and Pedro Ximenz

Question 20

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

Answer 20

Sercial and Verdelho

Question 21

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

Answer 21

True.

Question 22

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

Answer 22

Stainless steel tanks, to keep the wine neutral in flavor.

Question 23

What are the two basic types of Sherry?

Answer 23

Fino and Oloroso

Question 24

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

Answer 24

Fino Sherry

Question 25

Flor is a yeast. T or F

Answer 25

True

Question 26

Flor thrives in an alcohol level of

Answer 26

15%

Question 27

Characteristic flor aromas are

Answer 27

nutty, bruised apple

Question 28

What is a criadera?

Answer 28

The rows of American oak butts above the solera level in a solera system.

Question 29

What is “running the scales”?

Answer 29

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.

Question 30

Which style of Sherry experiences oxidative ageing?

Answer 30

Oloroso Sherry (no flor to protect the wine)

Question 31

What is a vin doux naturels?

Answer 31

Lightly fortified sweet French wines from the South of France.

Question 32

Grape must that is fortified before fermentation or just after and is used as a sweetening agent in other, more traditional fortified wines are called:

Answer 32

vins de liquer, or mistelle, mistella and sifone