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WSET Level 2 Wine Award > Grape Growing and Related Labelling Terms > Flashcards

Grape Growing and Related Labelling Terms Flashcards

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1
Q

How long can vines live for?

A

60 years or more.

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2
Q

How do vines grow?

A

The growing season starts in spring. The vines produce flowers. The flowers which are pollinated turn into small hard grapes. The grapes then start to become larger and softer. By mid-summer the grapes have grown larger enough to start ripening. Ripening begins with véraison, when the grapes start to lose their dark-green colour. White grapes become golden and black grapes become first red and then purple.

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3
Q

What are the five things a vine needs to grow grapes?

A

Light, warmth, water, nutrients and carbon dioxide.

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4
Q

What are the parts of a grape?

A

Skin, stem & seeds, pulp.

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5
Q

What does the skin of a grape contain?

A

Tannins, flavours, colour.

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6
Q

What do the seeds and stems contain?

A

Tannins.

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7
Q

What does the pulp contain?

A

Water, sugar, acids, flavours. The pulp of white and black grapes is the same colour.

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8
Q

What is véraison?

A

The point at which grapes start to ripen and lose their dark green colour.

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9
Q

What happens to the acidity levels of grapes as they ripen?

A

The grapes become less acidic over time.

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10
Q

What happens to the sugar levels in grapes as they ripen?

A

The sugar content of the grapes increases over time.

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11
Q

What happens in the skins of black grapes as they ripen?

A

Tannins develop.

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12
Q

Do tannins develop in the skins of white grapes?

A

No (not to any significant extent). Tannins are at much higher levels in the skins of black grapes.

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13
Q

What is the effect of tannins in red wines?

A

They contribute to the mouthfeel of red wines.

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14
Q

What happens if grapes are allowed to become extra-ripe?

A

Their sugar levels increase still further and they develop exaggerated ripe aromas. Eventually they turn into raisins.

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15
Q

What sort of wines are extra-ripe grapes typically used for?

A

Sweet wines.

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16
Q

What is the technical term for noble rot?

A

Botrytis.

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17
Q

What is noble rot/botrytis?

A

A fungus that grows on ripe grapes, creating small holes in the skins which allows water to escape, concentrating the acids, sugar and flavours in the grapes.

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18
Q

What conditions are required for botrytis to be beneficial?

A

It must grow on ripe grapes. The ideal climatic conditions are cool misty mornings followed by warm dry afternoons (which prevent the fungus from growing too quickly and destroying the grapes).

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19
Q

How is ice wine /Eiswein made?

A

Grapes are left on the wine through autumn and winter. When the temperature drops they freeze. The grapes are picked whilst they are frozen and pressed before they thaw. The ice crystals and the skins are then separated from the unfrozen liquid. The unfrozen liquid is ice wine and contains high concentrations of sugar, acid and flavours.

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20
Q

What kind of wine are grapes which have been affected by noble rot typically used to make?

A

Sweet wines.

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21
Q

What are the characteristics of an ice wine?

A

It is sweet and will have concentrated varietal characteristics.

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22
Q

Where are the wine growing regions of the world located in terms of lines of latitute?

A

Between 30 and 50 degrees north or south of the equator.

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23
Q

When is the growing season in the northern hemisphere?

A

Between April and October.

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24
Q

When is the growing season in the southern hemisphere?

A

Between October and April.

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25
Q

What is the temperature of a cool wine growing region?

A

16.5C or below.

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26
Q

What is the temperature of a moderate wine growing region?

A

Between 16.5C to 18.5C.

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27
Q

What is the temperature of a warm wine growing region?

A

Between 18.5C to 21C.

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28
Q

What is the effect of altitude on climate?

A

Temperature drops as altitude increases.

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29
Q

What is the effect of seas on grape growing?

A

They carry ocean currents which can have a moderating (as in South Africa, cooled by the South Pole) or warming (as in northern Europe, warmed by the Caribbean) effect on the climate.

30
Q

What is the effect of rivers on grape growing?

A

Rivers stay warm in Autumn and so can keep vineyards warm after the temperature above ground has dropped, which helps extend the growing season. They can also help vines ripen by reflecting sunlight.

31
Q

What is the effect of air/wind on grape growing?

A

Warm coastal areas can benefit from cooling wind from the sea, and vice versa. Cool air can come down from mountains and cool warmer valleys.

32
Q

What is the effect of cloud, fog and mist on grape growing (and what countries do they particularly affect)?

A

Clouds block sunlight, meaning the grapes can take longer to ripen. This is particularly important in some warmer Australian regions.
Fog forms at ground level and cools down the vineyard. This is particularly important in coastal regions of California and Chile.
Mist is a less dense form of fog. Mists which form near rivers in the mornings of autumn are essential for the formation of noble rot (botrytis).

33
Q

What is the effect of mountains on grape growing?

A

Mountains act as a barrier, sheltering vineyards from clouds, rain and cold winds. This results in an extended growing season with sunny summers and dry autumns.

34
Q

What is the effect of slope and aspect on grape growing?

A

A vineyard on a slope facing the equator will receive more heat and light than a slope facing away from the equator. Such vineyards therefore produce riper grapes than vineyards on flat land or land sloping away from the equator.

35
Q

What is the effect of soil on grape growing?

A

Soil provides water and nutrients. The soil can also affect the temperature of the vineyard. If there are lots of stones in the soil, they absorb heat and warm up the vineyard. This can help with grape-ripening.

36
Q

What is the difference between climate and weather?

A

Climate describes the average levels of temperature, sunlight and rainfall that a region can typically expect. Weather describes what actually happens in a region on a day to day basis. Weather extremes can cause problems for grape growing.

37
Q

What are the characteristics of cool vintages?

A

High acidity, low sugar.

38
Q

What are the characteristics of hot vintages?

A

Dried fruit aromas. The grapes can be damaged by sunburn, the vines can struggle to ripen the grapes, and in some circumstances the vines may shut off the ripening process or even die.

39
Q

What is the impact of drought on grape-growing?

A

The vines will be unable to ripen the grapes and may die. Drought may be overcome using irrigation systems (such as drip irrigation which waters individual vines), but often this is not possible because water is not available.

40
Q

What is the impact of high levels of rain on grape-growing?

A

High levels of moisture can spread fungal disease. If there is excessive rainfall close to harvest, the water in the soil can cause the grapes to swell, diluting their flavours.

41
Q

What is the impact of hail on grape-growing?

A

Hail can seriously damage grapes and can wipe out an entire annual crop in a single heavy storm. Netting can be used to protect vines from hail damage.

42
Q

What is the impact of frost on grape-growing?

A

Frost is a risk in spring and can kill damage and kill a vine’s new growth, reducing the number of grapes that will be grown that year.

43
Q

Onto what are vines typically trained when they are being grown?

A

Trellises.

44
Q

At what time of year are vines typically pruned, and why?

A

In winter, because this is when they are dormant.

45
Q

What is the purpose of pruning vines?

A

It ensures that they retain their required shape.

46
Q

What methods of irrigation are there?

A

Flooding the fields and drip irrigation (watering individual vines).

47
Q

How is fungal disease in vines combated?

A

Chemical sprays can be used. Fungicides are used to kill fungi. Pesticides are used to kill pests such as insects. Herbicides are used to kill weeds.

48
Q

If a wine is certified as organic, what does this tell you?

A

The grapes are grown without the use of synthetic chemicals such as fungicides, pesticides and herbicides (though some sprays are still permitted to keep the worst of the fungal diseases under control).

49
Q

What is the yield of a vineyard?

A

The yield is the measure of the number of grapes produced per unit of area.

50
Q

What might be the result of the yield in a vineyard being too high?

A

The grapes could have diluted flavours and lower levels of sugar.

51
Q

What impact will harvesting grapes early have versus harvesting them late?

A

Grapes harvested early will have higher acidity, lower sugar and more herbaceous flavours than grapes harvested later. Grapes harvested very late may have started to shrivel and to develop dried fruit flavours.

52
Q

What is a Geographical Indication (GI)?

A

A legally defined vineyard area within a country. Some are very large (e.g. Bordeaux) and some are very small (e.g. a single vineyard). Not all wines come from a GI, though some statement of origin is legally required.

53
Q

What do GIs outside the EU indicate?

A

Where the grapes were grown. There are minimal restrictions on what a grape grower or winemaker can do. The styles of wine from a GI can therefore be very varied, and consumers need to look at other information, such as the grape variety, in order to predict the style of wine they are likely to get in the bottle.

54
Q

What do GIs inside the EU indicate?

A

Inside the EU, a GI indicates not only where the grapes are grown, but also what kind of grapes of grown and how the wine should be made. Consumers can therefore tell from an EU GI what style of wine they are getting in the bottle.

55
Q

What are the two kinds of GIs within the EU?

A

Protection Designation of Origin (PDO) and PGI (Protected Geographical Indication).

56
Q

What are the characteristics of a PDO?

A

A PDO will cover a relatively small area of the EU and will be subject to tightly defined regulations. Many of Europe’s finest wines are classified as a PDO.

57
Q

What are the characteristics of a PGI?

A

A PGI may cover a relatively wide area of the EU and will have regulations which are less strict than those which apply to PDOs.

58
Q

What does vielles vignes mean and why does it matter?

A

Vielles vignes means old vines. Old vines typically produce small numbers of concentrated grapes, which can result in higher quality wines. However the term vielles vignes is not legally defined.

59
Q

What is vintage and why does it matter?

A

Vintage refers to the year in which the grapes were harvested. Consumers can use the vintage of a wine to decide when it is best to consume a wine. Most wines are best drunk young. However some wines benefit from an extended period of bottle ageing. In such cases the vintage can be used to ascertain when the wine is likely to be fully developed and at its best.

60
Q

What is the difference between a northern hemisphere vintage and a southern hemisphere vintage?

A

Southern hemisphere vintages are half a year older than their equivalent northern hemisphere vintages, because the growing season in the southern hemisphere runs from October-April, whereas in the northern hemisphere it runs from April-October.

61
Q

What are the two kinds of PDO in France?

A

Appellation d’origine controlée (AOC) and Appelation d’origine protégée (AOP).

62
Q

What are the two kinds of PGIs in France?

A

Indication géographique protégée (IGP) and vin de pays (VdP)

63
Q

What is the name of the PGI in Germany?

A

Landwein

64
Q

What are the two kinds of PDO in Germany?

A

Qualitatswein and Prädikatswein

65
Q

What is the name of the PGI in Italy?

A

Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT)

66
Q

What are the two kinds of PDO in Italy?

A

Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) and Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG)

67
Q

What are the two kinds of PDO in Spain?

A

Denominación de Origen (DO) and Denominación de Origen Calificado (DOCa)

68
Q

What is the name of the PGI in Spain?

A

Vino de la Tierra

69
Q

What are the characteristics of a late harvest wine?

A

A late harvest wine can be dry, off-dry, medium or sweet. The wine will be fuller bodied and more concentrated than wines made from grapes harvested at the normal time.

70
Q

What are late harvest wines in Alsace called?

A

Vendanges tardives.

WSET Level 2 Wine Award (7 decks)

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