General Vinification for Sparkling Wine Flashcards
In what style of sparkling wine is whole bunch pressing preferred?
-traditional method premium champagne
What is the advantage of whole bunch pressing?
- it is gentle and therefore less extraction of phenolics (tannin and anthocyanin) and solids
- stems act as a drainage channel for juices to run thus minimising pressure needed in the press
What is the disadvantage of whole bunch pressing?
Which presses are commonly used in whole bunch pressing?
- basket presses and pneumatic presses
Give a disadvantage to the basket press
-less juice extracted in order to avoid risk of extracting low molecular weight solids from the seeds
What effect in terms of sensation does low molecular weight phenolics contribute?
-bitterness and coarse mouthfeel
What is the priority in pressing black grapes for sparkling wine?
-speed to decrease maceration and extraction from skins
-
What are press fractions?
-parts of the pressed juice differentiated by the pressure at which they were pressed from the grapes
(extra info: the first press fraction has the intermediate zone of the pulp , the next is the central zone close to the seeds and the last is the primary zone next to the skin - hardest to press as attached to skin so releases the most phenolics from the skin)
What is free run juice?
-the 60-70% of juice which runs out of the grape when it is crushed (ie. split)
Which has highest phenolics, free run or press juice?
Press juice is highest in phenolics
Why separate press fractions?
For Blending Options
For SHORT MATURATION wine for early consumption, what is the dominant juice?
-Press Juice as it is faster maturing
Are all solids removed before fermentation and why?
-no, they aren’ because some solid is required for both primary and secondary fermentation
What process happens between pressing and first fermentation ?
Clarification
What can be used to removed excessive tannin or color before fermentation?
- casein
- PPV (powdered plastic removing browning and astringency) from
- gelatin (fining agents)
What is used to remove larger solids from the grape must?
- racking to removed the juice from settled sediment
- centrifugation
- flotation using an inert gas
Why is it a good idea to chill your juice during clarification?
To avoid oxidation
At what temperature range does the first fermentation take place?
14oC to 20oC
What fermentation vessel is usually used in first fermentation?
stainless steel
why is the principle vessel used for 1st fermentation
temperature control
Easy cleaning
Large format
what does the temperature of the 1st fermentation encourage?
- maintenance of the delicate primary flavors
- yeast activity
What is a low pH environment like for yeast?
-stressful
What must a winemaker consider when selecting yeast strain?
- if it can remain active in low pH and alcoholic high stress environments in the ferments
- if it promotes aromatics like thiols and esters (good for fruity non-autolytic wines)
Is it common to use the same yeast for first and second fermentation?
yes. The yeast same yeast is usually used for both
At what % alcohol does most yeast tend to stop fermenting?
10 %abv and above
What are 4 challenges for yeast during the second fermentation?
- low pH
- low fermentation temperatures
- high pressure
- low nutrient availability
What is one of the most widely commercially available yeast used in sparkling wine making?
Prise de Mousse Lalvin EC1118
What are 6 commercial claims for Prise de Mousse?
- neutral aroma
- inhibits natural yeasts
- tolerates abv up to 18%
- fast ferment
- low foam
- fast flocculation (clumping of yeasts)
Name a rival yeast approved by the CICV in Epernay a
Lalvin DV10
What 6 advantages do Lalvin DV10 claim?
- works under high stress conditions (high SO2, low temp, low pH)
- low foaming
- low VA
- neutral aromatics
Is oak used between 1st and second fermentation?
Some winemakers use oak to mature base wines on or off the lees
Is new oak used to mature base wines?
Very little. Mostly seasoned barrels used
what flavors arise after oak maturation ?
toast , vanilla, spice
why is very little new oak used in maturation?
effervescence will enhance the aromas anyway
Place the following in the correct order in winemaking
- malolactic fermentation
- oak maturation
- pressing
- second fermentation
- crushing
- clarification
- harvesting
- first fermentation
harvesting crushing pressing clarification first fermentation malolactic fermentation oak maturation second fermentation
When would one not use oak maturation?
if making a fruity style of wine like a Prosecco or Asti
Why would MLF be used in making sparkling wine?
reduce acidity and increase creamy texture
Does MLF cause a buttery aroma?
not in the final wine. The diacytl is metabolised by the yeast in 2nd fermentation
What can a winemaker do to prevent MLF occurring in the base wine?
Sterile filter the lactic acid bacteria out of the wine
Why mature the base wine?
Reduce primary aromas and encourage tertiary ones such as nuts
What happens if MLF happens in the 2nd fermentation?
It makes the wine hazy and there is little that can be done to correct it once it is in bottle
What is the size of the holes in a sterile filter mesh and why?
Less than 0.2 micrometers to trap yeast and bacteria (main culprits of spoilage)
Does assemblage matter in sparkling wines and why?
It is critical. Assemblage or blending is done to influence the following: "balls slip cos very few people catch right" B- balance S- style C-complexity V-volume F-faults P- price C- consistency R- rosé
What balance might a winemaker seek to make using assemblage?
-perhaps a chardonnay from a vineyard with a warmer climate would add body whilst a chardonnay from a cooler climate would increase acidity
What style might a winemaker seek to make using assemblage?
- early drinking style might need riper fruit and less acidity
- wines for longevity might need more concentrated and higher acidity
How might complexity be increased by a winemaker through assemblage?
a greater range of aromas might be achieved by blending different grapes, different vineyard sites and different vintages
How might assemblage aid volume in winemaking?
a more viable volume of wine might be made if one has smaller vineyard holdings, if one blends wine from different vineyards or blending current vintage with reserve wines
How does assemblage assist with wine faults?
small faults might be diluted with healthy wine with more desirable traits
How can one use assemblage to affect price?
- a winemaker might create an inexpensive/mid-priced wine from blending a cheaper grape (eg Meunier) with a more expensive varietal such as Pinot Noir
- cheaper wines might use more press juice
How might a winemaker use assemblage to achieve consistency?
Some producers make Non Vintage wines and certainly among the large houses , these are expected to taste the same from year to year. This will be achieved through blending reserve wines to achieve a consistent house style
What is the significance of assemblage and rosés?
Some rosés are made by blending white base wines with red base wines
After blending, what happens before the second fermentation?
- stabilisation of tartrates and protein (eg via cold stabilization for a few weeks makes potassium bitartrate precipitate out)
- CLARIFICATION must happen for all sparkling wines after first ferment
TRAD METHOD 2nd FERMENTATION:
In the Traditional Method, where does 2nd fermentation take place?
In the bottle in which the wine is to be sold
Name 4 ingredients in a liqueur de tirage?
a blend of
- sugar
- selected yeasts
- clarifying agents eg seaweed extract to assist in remuage or bentonite
- yeast nutrients
Where and why is ilqueur de tirage added to the wine?
Added before the second fermentation to kick start sugar to alcohol conversion and the production of the critical carbon dioxide byproduct
Amount of sugar in the LDT depends upon what?
the amount of effervescence or pressure required in the wine
Most sparkling wines provides how much sugar per litre?
24g/l
What type of sugar is in the LDT?
Sucrose
How much abv does 24g/L of sucrose add to a bottle?
1.5% abv
What other than alcohol does the sucrose add to the wine in the second fermentation?
carbon dioxide
What pressure does one typically have in a bottle after the wine is fully fermented?
6 atmospheres (ie. 6.08 bars)
Why does the sucrose in the LDT not add sweetness to the final wine?
the sucrose is fermented to dryness
What is the alternative name of the 2nd fermentation?
Prise de Mousse (capturing the sparkle)
Name 5 of the aptitudes a yeast must have to be selected for the 2nd fermentation
It must withstand -fermentation temperatures of about 16oC -high pressure at the end of fermentation -pH of less than 3 -alcohol of 9.5-11% And flocculate well to assist in ridding
What does the crown cap hold for the collection of yeast?
a small plastic pot
How is the bottle stored during 2nd ferment?
Horizontally
What does Sur Latte mean?
on the lees
What temperature are bottles stored at Sur Latte?
10-12oC
What does a constant fermentation temperature provide for the yeast?
less stress and more viability to carry out the fermentation process
What do winemakers claim occurs at lower fermentation temperatures?
greater complexity in the final wine
What is the usual length of time over which fermentation occurs and what influences the time?
- 4 to 6 weeks
- the temperature influences its length
What is the min. duration of maturation of the lees for cava?
9 months on the lees
How long are wines stored sur latte where one can easily discern the flavors of autolysis in the final wine?
15-18 months
The duration of Sur Latte Ageing depends on several factors. Name 4?
- region regulations
- whether a fruity or autolytic style is desired
- ability to afford longer lees ageing
- price sort for the finished product
What complex flavors does autolysis add?
-biscuit
some say acacia
What ‘fault’ might yeast protect the wine from?
oxidation
Is yeast removed directly after the end of autolysis?
In some but not all sparkling wines
The longer the wine is kept on its lees after autolysis, the ………… the evolution of the finished wine
the FASTER the evolution of the finished wine
The older a sparkling wine, the ……. shock of ……… during disgorgement it can withstand
the LESS shock of OXYGEN during disgorgement it can withstand
Give an example of a champagne that is released for almost immediate consumption upon its release
Bollinger R.D. (recently disgorged) $$$$$
What happens after maturation sur latte and before disgorgement?
bottles are moved to pupitres for riddling by hand or to gyropalettes for riddling by machine
What does the turning in riddling encourage?
flocculation of the yeast
What does inclining the bottle to the vertical encourage in riddling?
delivers the clumped yeast to the plastic cup under the crown cap
What is sur pointe?
on the tip - how bottles are stored after riddling and disgorgement
What is the temp to which bottle is chilled before dipping neck in frozen brine?
7oC to increase solubility of CO2 so less gushes out when bottle is opened
What does disgorgement entail?
after chilling, the bottle is turned right way up, the crown cap removed, liqueur de expédition added and the cork, cage and capsule added
what is in the liqueur de expédition?
- wine to mitigate any loss of fluid on opening the bottle
- Rectified Concentrated Grape Must or dosage to determine the sweetness of the final wine
Why add sugar to the final sparkling wine?
to balance the acidity…especially in young wines (older wines have rounder acidity and can bare less dosage)
Brut Nature is growing but still rare, why?
difficult to get good balance, texture and complexity at that level of dryness
What is the Maillard reaction?
-the sugar from the LDE reacts with the amino acids released during autolysis promotes brioche and toasted vanilla flavors
How does one integrate Maillard reaction flavors into wine?
Store the bottle for a few months before market release
How does one know how sweet a sparkling wine is in the EU?
most are marked with EU labelling terms
Transfer Method:
Why was it developed?
avoid high costs of riddling in the 1940s
Transfer Method:
the method is identical that of the traditional method up to which point?
Until the adding of LDT (no clarifying agent is added as no riddling therefore no flocculation needed
Transfer Method:
Wines undertake their 2nd fermentation in what type of vessel?
The bottle
Transfer Method:
What happens immediately after lees ageing?
-the wine is chilled to 0oC and mechanically transferred to a pressurised tank
Transfer Method:
What 2 things were added and one activity administered in the wine in the pressurised tank?
-RCGM,SO2 added and sterile-filtration of wine before bottling
Transfer Method:
What labelling is found on a bottle which uses the transfer method?
Fermented in bottle
Transfer Method:
What type of wine uses the transfer method?
irregular sized bottles which are too difficult to riddle (splits and jeroboam)
Traditional Method:
What types of wine have little to no Maillard reaction characteristics?
Zero dosage wines
Ancestral Method:
When and where was the ancestral method created?
1531 in St Hilaire monastery outside Limoux
Ancestral Method:
Which department and region does Limoux lie?
Aude department in the Languedoc region
Ancestral Method:
What extant wine was crafted by the monks at the St Hilarie Abbey?
Blanquette de Limoux
Ancestral Method:
What makes Limoux’s climate cooler than one would expect for the region?
It is at high elevation
Ancestral Method:
Name other wines produced using the ancestral method
- Galiiac (SW France)
- Die (S. Rhone)
- Bugey (S. Jura)
Ancestral Method:
What did the St Hilaire monks take advantage of in nearby Catalunya?
Cork from the cork forests in the area
Ancestral Method:
How does 1st fermentation happen (in what vessel and full or partial)
- First fermentation may happen in a range of vessels
- Fermentation stops either when the winemaker lowers the temperature of the PARTIALLY fermented juice or the Winter arrives causing the juice to drop beneath 10oC
Ancestral Method:
How does one calculate the amount of pressure that will be in the final wine?
By measuring the sugar in the partially fermented juice
Ancestral Method:
How and in what vessel does the rest of the 1st fermentation take place?
- the partially fermented juice is transferred into a bottle
- when the temperature is manually or naturally increases, the fermentation resumes
Ancestral Method:
what stops the final fermentation?
increase in pressure within the bottle
Ancestral Method:
What major differences are there between this and the traditional method?
The ancestral method has no…
- liqueur de tirage
- riddling (if no disgorgement is to be attempted)
- disgorgement (though some modern producers use some form of this to produce a clearer wine)
- liqueur de expédition
Ancestral Method:
The ancestral method is undergoing a resurgence, what is the method widely called these days?
pétillant natural
Ancestral Method:
In terms of alcohol, appearance, sweetness and flavors, describe a ‘pet nat’ wine
low alcohol, slightly cloudy, dry to off dry with unconventional flavors (tastes a bit like cider)
Ancestral Method:
The wines are bottle without the addition of SO2 what risks does this carry?
The lightly filtered wine may spoil and so is intended for early drinking
Charmat Method:
What are some alternative names for the Charmat method?
- tank method
- Martinotti method
- cuve close
Ancestral Method:
Give a description of a contemporary form of the method used in Blanquette de Limoux Ancestrale
- the fermentation happens in a closed tank to ensure the effervescence isnt lost to the atmosphere
- the temperature is reduced to halt fermentation
- transfer partially fermented must to the bottle
- liqueur de tirage is added to give a consistent second ferment
- temperature is increased and the ferment continues
- when ferment is finished to the satisfaction of the desired style, the bottles are opened, contents filtered (making a clear clean looking wine) and returned to bottle with no dosage
Charmat Method:
What are the charmat method’s advantages over the traditional method?
- inexpensive (low labor costs and storage costs)
- no riddling
- no disgorgement
- no dosage
- faster and simpler to make
- produced in bulk so greater control of the end product
Charmat Method:
What is the main difference in style between charmat and traditional methods and why?
charmat wines have primary fruit aromas at the fore without the brioche flavors of traditional method wines
-charmat spends no time ageing on the lees and therefore no bready aromas
Charmat Method:
What grapes are best suited to the charmat method
aromatic (eg muscat) and semi aromatic (eg glera) grapes
Charmat Method:
the first fermentation happens in which vessel?
closed tank is used
Charmat Method:
How does the first fermentation progress in order to maintain the fresh primary flavors?
Slow and Low (temperature)
Charmat Method:
Does liqueur de tirage need to be added in the tank method?
yes it is added to kick start the second fermentation
Charmat Method:
What is the main difference between the traditional and tank method?
- no riddling
- no disgorgement
- all activities occur in tanks until the final bottling before shipping
Charmat Method:
How is first fermentation arrested?
By lowering the temperature to 2 to 4oC
Charmat Method:
The second fermentation takes place in what vessel ?
-reinforced steel tank
Charmat Method:
What is cold stabilisation and how is it used after the second fermentation?
-tartaric acid tends to combine with potassium or occasionally calcium to form potassium bitrate or calcium bitrate (harmless but unsightly). Cooling the wine to -2oC for 8 days before bottling makes them less soluble, they form crystals and are easy to filter out.
Charmat Method:
Does lees ageing ever occur in charmat method wine and when does it occur?
yes. after the second fermentation. The wine is agitated with a paddle to increase contact of lees with the wine. It is unusual as the styles wanted in this method are usually fruity
Charmat Method:
To what temperature is the wine chilled to halt the secondary fermentation?
2-4oC
Charmat Method:
At what temperature is the tank held during any lees ageing?
2-4oC
Charmat Method:
What advantages are lost during the lees ageing?
-expensive pressurised tanks are tied up for long periods which incurs extra cost…more like the traditional method
Charmat Method:
After 2nd fermentation (or lees ageing) and cold stabilisation ,how are the tartrates and yeast removed?
-centrifugation or filtration
Charmat Method:
What happens between the yeast removal and sterile filtration? What is checked and adjusted?
-sugar levels and SO2
Charmat Method:
Why is the wine temperature reduced to -2oC before bottling?
- To reduced effervescence and therefore loss of CO2 from the wine
- To stabilise the wine
Charmat Method:
Bottles are filled with CO2 and then the wine is introduced to the bottle. What is this procedure and why is it used?
- Counter Pressure Filling
- Stops the entrance of oxygen to the bottle and decreases the loss of CO2 from the wine
Asti Method:
How many fermentations does the method require?
-one
Asti Method:
Does the sugar that ferments causing the CO2 come from tirage?
-no, from the must itself
Asti Method:
The must is fermented in the same type of vessel as the Charmat Method. What is the vessel?
pressurised tank
Asti Method:
What happens through the first stage of fermentation and how does it differ to the Charmat method?
tank valve is open allowing the carbon dioxide to escape
Asti Method:
What happens in the second stage of fermentation?
the valve is closed and so CO2 can no longer escape the tank
Asti Method:
What happens to sugar levels as pressure rises in the tank?
sugar levels fall as pressure continues to rise
Asti Method:
When is the fermentation halted?
when desired sugar and pressure levels are reached
Asti Method:
What happens rapidly to stop fermentation?
the wine is chilled
Asti Method:
What happens after the wine is chilled and before bottling?
the wine is filtered
Carbonation:
What is carbonation in wine?
Carbon dioxide is injected into the base wine
Carbonation:
What is the carbonation methods key disadvantages?
- the bubbles in fully carbonated wine are short lived
- it is the least prestigious method of producing sparkling wines and so cannot command a high price
Carbonation:
What is the carbonation methods key advantages?
- it does not affect the aromatics of the base wine so great for fruity wines
- bubbles persist long enough for pétillant wines
What does sparkling wine do to wine faults?
accentuates them by bringing them quickly up to the nose so HEALTHY FRUIT must be used
