Full course revision flashcards
This deck of flashcards will help you revise the content of the WSET Level 1 in Wines textbook.
Name the 2 key elements found in the skin of the grape.
Colour
Tannins
Is the colour of the pulp of the grape different in white and black grapes?
No. The pulp is the same in both (colourless)
Name the 3 key elements found in the pulp of the grape.
Water
Sugar
Acid
For alcoholic fermentation to take place, what 2 elements are needed?
Sugar
Yeast
Other than alcohol, what else is created during alcoholic fermentation?
Carbon dioxide
What happens to the water content in the grapes at the beginning of ripening?
The small, hard green grapes swell with water
What happens to the sugar levels in the grapes during ripening?
Sugar levels rise
What happens to the acid levels in the grapes during ripening?
Acid levels fall
What happens to the flavours of the grapes during ripening?
Flavours become riper
What happens to the colour of the grapes during ripening?
-white grapes?
-black grapes?
-White grapes change in colour from green to golden
-Black grapes change in colour from green to purple
True or false: each individual flower on a vine in spring has the potential of becoming a grape.
True.
Grapes are hard and green at this stage.
Between which latitudes do grape vines grow best?
30-50 degrees north and south
In what climate are average temperatures low and sunlight weaker?
Cool climate
In what climate can grapes sometimes struggle to ripen?
Cool climate
In what climate is average temperature high and sunlight more intense?
Warm climate
Which climate will produce wines with lower levels of acidity?
Warm climate
Which climate will produce wines with riper fruit flavours?
Warm climate
Which climate will produce wines with potentially lower levels of alcohol?
Cool climate (because the grapes will have less sugar, which means less sugar to be converted to alcohol)
Can white wine be made from black grapes? Explain.
Yes. The colour is found in the skin of the grape. If black grapes are pressed very gently before fermentation, the juice will be suitable for white wine production.
Place these words in the correct order for the production of white wines:
-Fermentation
-Pressing
-Maturation
-Crushing
-Bottling
-Crushing
-Pressing
-Fermentation
-Maturation
-Bottling
Place these words in the correct order for the production of red wines:
-Pressing
-Fermentation
-Draining
-Crushing
-Bottling
-Maturation
-Crushing
-Fermentation
-Draining
-Pressing
-Maturation
-Bottling
True or false: In rose wine production, the juice is drained from the skins after only a few hours and fermentation continues without the skins.
True
True or false: for red wines, the black grapes are crushed and then pressed before fermentation.
False. The skins of the black grapes are needed during fermentation (colour, tannins). The grapes are crushed and both the juice and skins are placed in the fermentation vessel.
Can fermentation take place in oak barrels or is oak only for the maturation stage?
Yes, wine can be fermented in oak barrels.
What makes a sparkling wine fizzy?
Carbon dioxide created during fermentation which is trapped in the wine.
True or false: sparkling wines are only made in France.
False. Sparkling wines are made all over the world. (However, a sparkling wine can only be called Champagne if it comes form the Champagne region in France).
What gets added to wine to make it a fortified wine?
Alcohol
What is the alcohol range for fortified wines?
a. 8% to 15%
b. 11.5% to 14%
c. 15% to 22%
c. 15% to 22%
True or false: red wine can be made using white grapes.
False. Red wines need black grapes to provide colour (which is found in the skins).
What is a dry wine? And how is it made?
A wine with no or very low levels of sugar.
The yeast convert all of the sugar in the grape juice into alcohol.
Name some examples of dry white wines from France.
Chablis
Sancerre
Burgundy (white)
Name an example of dry red wine from Spain.
Rioja
What are the 2 ways of making a wine with medium levels of sweetness?
-yeast removed before all the sugar is converted into alcohol
-unfermented grape juice is added to the wine
Name 2 examples of wines with medium levels of sweetness.
White Zinfandel
German Riesling (some)
What are the 2 key ways of making a sweet wine?
-The grapes are so high in sugar that the yeast stop fermenting before all the sugar is consumed
-Yeast are killed by the addition of high-strenght distilled spirit (fortified wines) before they have consumed all the sugar
Name an example of a sweet wine from France.
Sauternes
Name an example of a fortified wine which is always sweet.
Port
(Sherry isn’t always sweet, it can also be dry)
What element of wine gives it a refreshing characteristic and makes your mouth water?
Acidity