Key Choices Affecting style, etc.

Question 1

How are the styles of Sherry Pale Cream, Medium and Cream are made?

Answer 1

By fermenting the wine to dryness and then adding sweetening component.
E.g. Cream Sherry = a dry Oloroso + PX , combining the characteristics oder aged, dry Palomino with raisined PX.

Question 2

What are the key choices/factors affecting the style, quality and price in FW?

Answer 2

1) Grape variety
2) Vineyard site
3) Time of harvest
4) Skin contact and extraction
5) Timing of fotification
6) Fortifiying spirit
7) Maturation
8) Blending

Question 3

What product are Port wines fortified with?

Answer 3

With a grape spirit of 77% abv (+/– 0.5%).

It is more characterful and contributes more of its own aroma and flavour characteristics to the blend.

Also due to its lower strength, a significant volume of spirit is required to bring the partially-fermented must up to its required alcoholic strength of 19–22% abv

Meaning that the style and quality of the spirit has an important influence of the style and quality of the final wine.

Question 4

What influences the final alcohol level of a fortified wine?

Answer 4

The strength and volume of the fortifying spirit added to the wine.

Question 5

Why is less extraction is desirable in basic Tawny and Rosé Ports?

Answer 5

To create wines with a paler appearance.

Question 6

Which FW has high acidity?

Answer 6

Meideira (Sercial & Verdelho)

Question 7

Which FW has low acidity?

Answer 7

Fino & Manzanilla Sherries (Palomino)

Question 8

What are the structural components in the grape variety that are important for FW?

Answer 8

Acidity
Colour, in black grape varieties
tannins

Question 9

High levels of tannis in early drinking styles of red wine such as Ruby Port or Maury Grenat…

Answer 9

are not required nor desirable.

Question 10

Low altitude vineyards vs. high-altitude sites?

Answer 10

Low-Altitude: Muscat de Frontignan in the Languedoc produces slightly fuller wines with riper flavours
High-altitude: Muscat de St-Jean-de-Minervois

Question 11

When does the fruit will be picked for some styles?

Answer 11

For some styles, fruit will be picked when it reaches or goes just beyond the minimum level of potential alcohol required by law.

Question 12

Are unripe fruit flavours desireble?

Answer 12

Unripe fruit flavours will be avoided.

Question 13

How are some FW (VDNs, Ruby and Rosé Ports & and some White Ports) stored/matured before release.

Answer 13

They are stored in stainless steel or concrete and are protected from oxygen  show youthful, primary flavours.

Question 14

How are some FW such as Vintage & (LBV) Ports stored/matured?

Answer 14

Stored for a few years in large oak vessels before bottling
Are designed to age in bottle, they will with high levels of tannins on release
After a number of years in bottle, the fresh fruit develops to dried fruit and the tannins soften and integrate.

Question 15

What are the key aims of blending?

Answer 15

1) Balance
2) Consistency
3) Style
4) Complexity
5) Volume
6) Price

Question 15

How are Fino and Manzanilla Sherries aged?

Answer 15

Biological ageed.
Aged under a veil of flor yeast that protects the wine from oxidation, while lowering levels of glycerol (and hence body) and contributing aromas of hay, apple skin, bread dough and nuts

Question 15

How are other FW such as premium Tawny Ports, Madeiras, Rutherglen Muscats & some styles of VDNs & Sherries stored/aged?

Answer 15

Aged oxidatively, often for extended periods of time
o Their maturation is usually carried out in relatively small wooden vessels to encourage oxygen exposure
o The small size also increases the rate of evaporation from the vessel and leads to ullage
o It is a choice of the winemaker how often to top-up the vessels and whether to fill them completely to the top as part of managing exposure to oxygen
o A number of these wines are also matured in warm or heated conditions, which further speeds up oxidation, evaporation and general maturation
oxidative ageing tends to develop aromas of nuts, caramel and dried fruits.

Question 15

What are the benefits of maturation in warm or heated conditions?

Answer 15

Speeding up oxidation, evaporation and general maturation.