Fundamentals Flashcards
Botrytis cinerea is also known as…
Noble Rot or Pourriture Noble
What are the three levels of the French Wine Quality Pyramid?
AOC/AOP
IGP
Vins sans IG (Vin de France)
What are basal buds?
On a shoot, basal buds are those closest to the trunk
What is the difference between conventional and sustainable farming practices?
Conventional farming practices rely heavily upon agrochemicals; sustainable farming methods use agrochemicals more discriminately
T or F: Grapes are described as early-to-late ripeners relative to the harvest date of Chasselas
TRUE
Above what temperature would a vine stop photosynthesizing?
95 F / 35 C
Below what temperature would a vine stop photosynthesizing?
50 F / 10 C
T or F: Phylloxera is indigenous to Europe
FALSE. It is indigenous to North America.
Powdery Mildew is also known by what name?
Oidium
Downy Mildew is also known by what name?
Peronospera
A Pét-Nat is made via what production method?
Méthode Ancestrale
What sparkling wine production method involves just one fermentation?
Méthode Ancestrale
Define “oxidative winemaking”
A practice by which a wine is deliberately allowed contact with oxygen
Define “reductive winemaking”
A practice by which a wine’s contact with oxygen is minimized before bottling
Define “passerillage”
A process by which the stalks of the grape clusters are twisted, cutting off the flow of sap and causing the grapes to dessicate on the vine
What is a synonym for Melon de Bourgogne?
Muscadet
Define “monopole”
A vineyard with a single owner
Name the 3 most commonly grown grapes in northeastern France during the Middle Ages
Pinot
Savagnin
Gouais Blanc
The word “meunier” translates as…?
“Miller”. The grape is so named because the underside of the leaves appear as though dusted with flour
Malbec is a natural cross of what two grapes?
Prunelard and Magdeleine Noire des Charentes
What does VDN stand for?
Vin Doux Naturel
Name the process by which neutral grape spirit is added to a fermenting must
Mutage
What French city was home to the coronation of French kings?
Reims
Define “ban des vendages”
The official picking date as prescribed by government officials
What is the longest river in France?
Loire
What climatic event in 1956 drastically changed viticulture in France?
The Great Winter Freeze of 1956
What is the Mistral?
A cold, north wind largely impacting the Rhône Valley and Provence
What is the Tramontane?
A cold, north wind largely impacting Languedoc and Roussilon
The Phocaeans founded what important city in the south of France?
Marseille
What was the traditional language of the Languedoc?
Occitan
Cabernet Sauvignon is a natural cross of what two grapes?
Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc
Syrah is a natural cross of what two grapes?
Mondeuse Blanche and Dureza
What three varieties of Muscat grow in France?
Muscat a Petit Grains
Muscat d’Alexandrie
Muscat Ottonel
Chardonnay is a natural cross of what two grapes?
Pinot and Gouais Blanc
Define “diurnal”
Daily; of each day, e.g. diurnal temperature swing
What river cuts through the vineyards of Champagne, as well as the city of Paris?
The Seine
In French, a river that flows into a body of water like a sea or lake is called what?
A fleuve
In French, a river that flows into another river is called what?
A rivière
Define the Napoleonic Code of Inheritance
A decree that mandated that all inheritable property be evenly divided between each child in the family
What historically important project first connected Toulouse to the Mediterranean?
The Canal de Midi
Define “Bordeaux Mixture”
A copper sulfate solution used to combat fungal diseases
What are the two governing bodies for biodynamic farming practices?
Demeter (founded in Germany)
Biodyvin (founded in France), certifies vineyards only
Define “coulure”
Poor fruit set caused by cloudy, cold, and/or wet weather at flowering
Define “véraison”
The point at which berries change color and soften
Define “marcottage”
Vine propagation by layering
T or F: Guyot is a form of cane training
TRUE
T or F: Cordon is a form of cane training
FALSE: It is a form of spur training
What is the French term for a bush trained vine?
Gobelet
Define “must”
Unfermented grape juice
Define “débourbage”
Juice setting
In the 14th century, the Papacy moved its headquarters from Rome to what French city?
Avignon, in the Rhône Valley
What historical figure first united Gaul under one rule and one religion?
Clovis, King of the Franks
Define “transversage”
Process in which 750 ml bottles of champagne are used to fill larger/smaller bottles after disgorgement
Define “dosage”
A mix of still wine and sugar added to a bottle of sparkling wine after disgorgement; determines final sweetness level
Define “pupitres”
The traditional A-framed structures used in the champagne riddling process
Define “remuage”
The process by which lees are moved to the neck of the sparkling wine bottle in preparation for disgorgement; also known as riddling
Define “prise de mousse”
“The seizing of the foam,” i.e. the second fermentation in traditional method sparkling wine production
Define “sur lattes”
The placement of sparkling wine bottles on their side between lattes, i.e. thin pieces of wood; the second fermentation takes place at this stage
Define “sur lie” aging
The process of aging wine in contact with its dead yeast cells
Define “autolysis”
The decomposition of dead yeast cells
Define “Claret”
British term for the red wines of Bordeaux
A wine display at the Expositional Universelle of 1855 in Paris resulted in what famous document?
The Classification of 1855
Define “graben”
A rift valley created when land sinks between two parallel faults
As a general rule, grapes are picked how many days after vérasion?
45
Define “macération peliculaire”
Skin contact in white wine making
What production method utilizes an anaerobic environment to encourage an enzymatic fermentation?
Carbonic Maceration
What is the name for the process of adding sugar to a must in order to increase the final alcohol level?
Chaptalization
Define “stuck fermentation”
A fermentation that accidentally stops before all of the sugar has been converted to alcohol
Define “lees”
Dead yeast cells
Define “bâtonnage”
Lees stirring
What is the name for the conversion of malic acid to lactic acid?
Malolactic conversion
Bentonite, Casein, and Gelatin are common agents in what process?
Fining
What is the name for the “bleeding method” of rosé production?
Saignée
Why might a winemaker cold stabilize their wine?
To remove tartaric acid before bottling so that it does not precipitate out after bottling
What people introduced formal viticulture to the Celtic tribes of “Gaul”?
Phocaeans, Greeks from Asia Minor
Define “bonbonnes”
Glass demi-johns
Define “pigeage”
Punching down the cap; a cap management technique
Define “délestage”
Rack and return; a cap management technique
Define “rémontage”
Pump over; a cap management technique
Define “vin de goutte”
Free-run juice
