General Knowledge Flashcards
What type of control does blending of the base wine offer for sparkling wine producers?
The amount of fruit flavor (from the varieties involved) and the level of acidity in the wine can be controlled without other adjustments.
What is RCGM?
Rectified Concentrated Grape Must, an odorless, colorless, and tasteless liquid with neutral acidity and near-zero SO2 that results from the removal of all non-sugar components of grape must.
What are the EU labelling terms for sweetness in sparkling wines?
Brut Nature/Bruto Naturel/Naturherb/Zéro Dosage
Extra Brut/Extra Bruto/Extra Herb
Brut/Bruto/Herb
Extra-Sec/Extra-Dry/Extra Trocken
Sec/Secco/Seco/Dry/Trocken
Demi-Sec/Semi-Seco/Medium Dry/Abboccato/Halbtrocken
Doux/Dulce/Sweet/Mild
What is the level of residual sugar permitted in Brut Nature sparkling wines?
0-3 g/L
What is the level of residual sugar permitted in Extra Brut sparkling wines?
0-6 g/L
What is the level of residual sugar permitted in Brut sparkling wines?
0-12 g/L
What is the level of residual sugar permitted in Extra-Sec sparkling wines?
12-17 g/L
What is the level of residual sugar permitted in Sec sparkling wines?
17-32 g/L
What is the level of residual sugar permitted in Demi-Sec sparkling wines?
32-50 g/L
What is the level of residual sugar permitted in Doux sparkling wines?
50+ g/L
What is the advantage to using the tank method?
Large volumes of sparkling wine can be produced and released quickly, lowering costs and prices
What are the major sparkling wines of Italy?
Prosecco, Franciacorta, Lambrusco, Asti, and Trentodoc
What factor has made Italy a major producer of sparkling wine?
Worldwide demand for Prosecco
What country is the largest exporter of sparkling wine by value?
France
What country is the largest exporter of sparkling wine by volume?
Italy
What are the two methods of sparkling wine that comprise the vast majority of production? What percentages of production do they comprise?
Tank method: 96%
Bottle ferment: 4%
What percentage of sparkling wine in Italy is made by the tank method? How much of that is Prosecco?
96% of all Italian sparkling wine is tank method
Half of that is Prosecco
What are the two principle DOCs that produce bottle fermented sparkling wine in Italy?
Franciacorta and Trentodoc
How much bottle fermented sparkling wine is produced in Italy (Franciacorta and Prosecco, especially) compared to Champagne?
Roughly .1%, or one-tenth of Champagne’s volume
What type of soil is considered to be beneficial for producing high quality Chardonnay?
Chalk
Fromenteau is a synonym for which grape(s)? Where is this synonym most likely to be used?
Pinot Gris and Roussanne, though it is often used in Champagne for Pinot Gris
What are the eight regions permitted to create wines labelled Crémant?
Alsace Bourgogne Bordeaux Die Jura Limoux Loire Savoie
What is Crémant?
A traditional method wine made from one of eight French regions not named Champagne
What was the historical style of Crémant? Is it the same today?
Crémant was formerly a semi-sparkling style within Champagne. This was changed when the EU banned the term ‘methode champenoise’ as a labeling term in 1985.
What are the requirements for Crémant?
Whole bunch pressing
Maximum press yield of 100 liters per 150 kg of grapes
Minimum 12 months maturation between tirage and release with minimum 9 months lees aging in the bottle
Maximum 13% ABV
Minimum 4 atm pressure
What are the two largest and most important French regions for Crémant? How do they each compare in production to Champagne?
Alsace and the Loire. Each are only 10% of Champagne’s output.
Why do Crémant producers declare which vines will be used for sparkling wine production every summer?
As a quality control method from the appellation to ensure that bad crops aren’t put toward sparkling wine production in in poor vintages.
What is a gluconic acid value? How does this affect sparkling winemaking?
It is an indicator of Botrytis infection in grapes. Botrytis can affect the second fermentation in wines by impairing the yeast and adding off aromas.
