Grape-growing and related labelling terms Flashcards
What species of vines is predominantly used for winemaking?
European vines
What are the vine’s needs? (5)
Warmth
Sunlight
Carbon dioxide
Water
Nutrients
Through which process does the vine produce sugar?
Photosynthesis
What is the formula for photosynthesis?
water + carbon dioxide + sunlight => sugar
What elements are found in the skins of the grape? (3)
Colour
Tannins
Flavours
Other than in the skins, where else are tannins found? (2)
Seeds
Stems
What elements are found in the pulp of the grape? (4)
Water
Sugar
Acid
Flavours
Explain what “fruit set” is.
Once the vines’ flowers have been pollinated, they start to grow seeds, begin to swell and become grapes. These grapes are small, hard and green.
What stage of the vine cycle, during which grapes change colour, marks the beginning of ripening?
Véraison
What happens to the water content in the grapes during ripening?
The grapes swell with water and become soft and fleshy.
What happens to the acidity in the grapes during ripening?
The acidity drops.
What happens to the sugar in the grapes during ripening?
The sugar increases.
What happens to the flavours of the grapes during ripening?
Herbaceous flavours decrease and the signature flavours of the grape develop.
White grapes: green fruit to stone fruit to tropical
Black grapes: fresh to cooked fruit
What happens to the wine if the tannins of the grapes are unripe when harvested?
The wine can taste bitter.
What happens to the tannins in black grapes during ripening? (2)
- They develop
- They ripen
What happens to the grapes during the early stages of extra ripening?
The grapes develop exaggerated aromas and develop higher levels of sugar.
What happens to the grapes in the later stages of extra ripening?
The grapes turn into raisins because the water content evaporates.
This concentrates the acids and sugars in the grape.
Dried fruit aromas develop.
What style of wine is commonly made from extra ripe grapes which have been raisined on the vine during extra ripening?
Sweet wines.
What is botrytis?
A fungus that can grow on ripe grapes causing noble rot.
What happens to the contents of the grape when it’s affected by botrytis?
The water inside the grape evaporates which concentrates the acids, sugars and flavours of the grape.
What are the ideal conditions for the development of noble rot?
- Grapes need to be ripe
- Damp misty mornings followed by warm, dry afternoons
What style of wine is produced from frozen grapes?
Sweet wines with concentrated and pure varietal characteristics and high acidity.
Between which months does the growing season run in:
-the northern hemisphere?
the southern hemisphere?
- April to October in the Northern hemisphere
- October to April in the Southern hemisphere-
What are the 3 growing climate categories?
- Cool (avg growing season temperatures 16.5˚C or below)
- Moderate (avg growing season temperatures 16.5˚C to 18.5˚C)
- Warm (avg growing season temperatures 18.5˚C to 21˚C)
Why is temperature so important? What are the 2 things it helps to determine?
- Which varieties can grow successfully
- The flavour characteristics that can develop
At which latitudes north and south of the equator are most vineyards located? Why?
Between 30 and 50˚
If located outside of this range it is likely to be too hot (when closer to the equator) or too cold (when further away from the equator)
What happens to the temperature as the altitude increases?
The temperature drops.
How can warm regions benefit from being close to the sea? Example?
The sea can bring a moderating influence due to cool ocean currents.
For example, cold ocean currents from the South Pole in South Africa
How do ocean currents help grape ripening in the vineyards of Europe?
Warm ocean currents from the Caribbean warm the growing environment.