Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

WSET ® Level 2 Wine > Grape Growing, Viticulture & Terminology > Flashcards

Grape Growing, Viticulture & Terminology Flashcards

Anatomy of the vine, vine species, grape species, vineyard management, and diseases.

1
Q

Fill in the blank:

The growing season for a vine begins in which season?

A

spring

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Fill in the blank:

The growing season ends for a vine in ______.

A

autumn

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Why do vines grow grapes?

A

So animals that eat the fruit will spread the grapes’ seeds.

Animals that eat grapes include deer and birds.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

During which season are vines dormant?

A

Winter

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Are most wines in the world made with European or North American vine species and what is the name of this species?

A

European vine species named Vitis vinifera.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Name some commonly found Vitis Vinifera varieties.

A
  • Sauvignon Blanc
  • Pinot Grigio
  • Riesling
  • Chardonnay
  • Syrah
  • Grenache
  • Merlot
  • Cabernet Sauvigon
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Name the 4 major parts of a grape.

A
  1. Pulp
  2. Skin
  3. Seeds
  4. Stems
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Which 3 parts of the grape produce tannins?

A
  1. Skins
  2. Seeds
  3. Stems
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What flavor do tannins produce?

A

bitterness

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is the pulp of a grape mostly made up of?

A

water

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Where does the sugar in grape juice come from?

A

pulp

The pulp is also composed of acids and flavor compounds.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What part of the grape do most red wines get their color from?

A

The skins of grapes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

How many years can a vine live?

A

If it’s in a healthy environment, a vine can live more than 60 years and upwards of 100 years.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What are the 5 things a vine needs to remain alive and flourish?

A
  1. Sunlight
  2. Warmth
  3. Carbon dioxide
  4. Water
  5. Nutrients
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is the name of the process when a vine’s leaves take in CO2 gas from the air and its roots take up water and nutrients from the ground to produce sugar, or energy, for the vine to grow and ripen its grape?

A

photosynthesis

Photosynthesis cannot happen without sunlight.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

List a vine’s annual cycle.

A
  1. Flowering: spring
  2. Fruit set: early summer
  3. Véraison: summer
  4. Ripening time: summer/late summer
  5. Harvest: late summer/early autumn
  6. Dormancy: winter
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

In which months does flowering happen in the northern and southern hemispheres?

A
  • Northern hemisphere: May/June
  • Southern hemisphere: November/December

Essentially, flowering happens in each hemisphere’s spring.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

How are the flowers of grape vines pollinated?

A

Vines rely on the wind to pollinate their flowers

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

For flowers to turn into grapes, does each flower need to be pollinated or can just one flower in the cluster be pollinated?

A

Each flower must be pollinated in order to change into a grape.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

When does fruit set happen and what happens during this process?

A
  • Fruit set happens after pollination
  • Once pollinated a flower develops seeds and starts to grow; it looks like a tiny green berry
  • These berries will develop and turn into grapes
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What is véraison and when does it occur?

A

Véraison is the onset of ripening which occurs mid-summer.

Red varieties turn from green to purple or black, and sugars increase while acidity levels decrease.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Fill in the blank:

Before ripening, grapes are high in _____ and low in _____.

A

high in acid, low in sugar

23
Q

Fill in the blank:

As grapes ripen, acidity levels _____ and sugar levels _____.

A

acidity levels decrease, sugar levels increase

It is during this ripening period that a grape’s aromatics will develop as well.

24
Q

What chemical compound develops in black grapes during ripening?

A

tannins

Tannins are chemical compounds that augment the mouthfeel of a wine, adding texture and astringency (tannins dry out your mouth).

Tannins primarily come from the skins of grapes, but they also can come from the seeds and stems.

25
Q

If grapes remain on the vine after the time they’re usually harvested, what happens to them?

A

The grapes will develop “extra-ripeness”

This means that the levels of both aromas and sugars will magnify and concentrate.

26
Q

What happens to grapes if they are left to raisinate on the vine?

A
  • Water in the grapes evaporates thereby concentrating acids and sugars;
  • Aromas in the grape change from ripe/fresh to dried/dimpled.

Raisinated grapes are most often used to make sweet wines, not dry wines.

27
Q

List 3 ways to concentrate grape sugars to make sweet wine.

A
  1. Extra-ripeness
  2. Botrytis
  3. Frozen grapes
28
Q

What is Botrytis/noble rot?

A

Botrytis is a fungus that grows on the outside of grapes that can cause noble rot.

29
Q

What does Botrytis/noble rot do to the grapes after it punctures the grape skins?

A

It causes the water inside the grape to evaporate, thereby concentrating sugars, flavors, and acids.

30
Q

What are the optimal conditions for Botrytis/noble rot to form?

A

Botrytis fungus requires misty mornings or humid conditions followed by warm, dry afternoons.

The dry afternoons slow the growth of Botrytis and prevent it from completely rotting the grapes.

31
Q

What style of wine is usually made with grapes affected by Botrytis?

A

Dessert wine

32
Q

Fill in the blank:

Botrytis-affected grapes are almost always used to make ____ wines.

A

sweet

33
Q

Give a classic example of a wine whose grapes are affected by Botrytis.

A
  • Sauternes (Bordeaux, France)
  • Aszú (Tokaj, Hungary)
34
Q

What happens to healthy grapes when they are left on the vine to freeze and they’re picked when frozen?

A
  1. The water inside the grapes freezes
  2. The grapes are then pressed and separated from the sugary liquid
  3. This sugary liquid is fermented to make the sweet wine Icewine/Eiswein

The sugary liquid is intensely high in acids, flavor, and sugar.

35
Q

What is the difference between training and pruning?

A
  • Training: How the vine is supported and arranged to optimize sunlight and productivity.
  • Pruning: Removal of plant parts to control size and form of the vine, optimize production potential, and achieve balance between vegetative growth (the leaves) and fruit.
36
Q

How are most vines trained?

A

On trellises

37
Q

During which season are vines usually pruned?

A

Vines are usually pruned in the winter when they’re dormant.

38
Q

Why do farmers prune their vines?

A
  • Help maintain their shape
  • Balance fruit production and shoot growth
39
Q

Name 2 ways farmers can irrigate their vines.

A
  1. Drip irrigation
  2. Flood irrigation
40
Q

What are some of the things that can sabotage a healthy vineyard?

A
  • Insects
  • Fungi
  • Weeds
  • Birds
  • Deer
41
Q

From which 2 things does netting protect vines?

A
  1. Birds and other pests that eat the berries
  2. Hail that can damage the berries and vine
42
Q

Fill in the blank:

Pesticides kill _____, fungicides kill _____, and herbicides kill _____.

A

insects, fungi, weeds

43
Q

What exactly is yield?

A

Yield is the amount of grapes produced per planted vineyard area (acre or hectare).

Typically yield is given in hl/ha (hectoliters per hectare).

An average yield is 40-60 hectoliters per hectare

44
Q

What happens to grape flavors if a vineyard’s yields are too high?

A

Grapes could have low sugar and/or loss of flavor due to overproduction.

45
Q

If too few grapes are grown (read: if a crop is too small), what might that mean for that given vintage?

A

That year’s crop might be too small to be commercially viable.

46
Q

Name 2 ways how grapes are harvested.

A
  1. By hand
  2. Machine
47
Q

What kind of terrain is machine harvesting best used on?

A

Flat land

It’s nearly impossible to use machine harvesters on slopes.

48
Q

What attributes will grapes have if they’re harvested early?

A
  • Higher acidity
  • Lower sugar
  • Under-developed/under-ripe fruit flavors
  • More grassy and herbaceous flavors
49
Q

What attributes will grapes have if they’re harvested later than normal?

A
  • Lower acidity
  • Higher sugar
  • Riper fruit flavors
50
Q

Besides the producer, appellation, and vintage, what are some common labeling terms found on wine bottles?

A
  • Old Vine/Vieilles Vignes
  • Late Harvest/Vendanges Tardives
  • Icewine/Eiswein
  • Botrytis
51
Q

What does the term Old Vine or Vieilles Vignes indicate on a bottle of wine?

A

That the vines are older and, assumingly, grow grapes that express higher flavor concentration.

To achieve the distinction of Old Vine/Vieilles Vignes, a vine usually has to be at least 35 years old but there is no legally defined age minimum.

52
Q

If you have two bottles with the same vintage but they’re from different hemispheres, which wine will be older: the one from the northern hemisphere or the one from the southern hemisphere?

A

southern hemisphere

The southern hemisphere harvests their grapes about 6 months before the northern hemisphere does, so the wine techincally is older than the one from the northern hemisphere.

53
Q

True or False:

Wines labeled Late Harvest are always sweet.

A

False

Late Harvest wines can be dry, off-dry, medium-sweet or sweet.

They are fuller in body and more concentrated in sugars and flavors than wines made from grapes harvested at the regular time.

WSET ® Level 2 Wine (29 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions