Key Choices: Style, Quality, Price

Question 1

What are the main considerations of choosing a grape variety for fortified wine? (4)

Answer 1

Flavor/Aroma character: Strong or neutral?

Acid: High or Low

Color: Intense or lighter (for meeting visual expectations regarding age)

Tannin: Wine built for aging or younger drinking

Question 2

What 2 examples are given in the reading of how vineyard site affects the regions’ resulting wines?

Answer 2

Port: vineyard sites are scored based on location, aspect, and latitude, informing how much port can be produced from that site

Muscat VdN: Muscat de Frontignan is at a lower altitude that Muscat de St-Jean-de-Minervois and produces riper flavors

Question 3

When is Noble Rot considered beneficial for fortified wine production?

Answer 3

Never. Growers will pick before increased risk of rain in Autumn

Question 4

When do growers for Sherry pick Palomino? Why?

Answer 4

Just at or just after it reaches minimum alcohol level.

Health of fruit and alcohol levels are more important to control than unripe fruit flavors (its a neutral variety anyways)

Question 5

Why do growers of PX, Moscatel, and Rutherglen Muscat allow grapes to hang for longer?

Answer 5

To result in wines with very high levels of residual sugar

Question 6

How long is the maceration period of a typical red fortified wine? Why?

Answer 6

2-3 days.

Fermentation is halted halfway through to preserve sugar. Maceration must be kept short.

Question 7

Which white fortified wines might receive a period of skin maceration? Why?

Answer 7

Madeira, Muscat VdNs, White Port.

It adds body, texture and extracts more flavor compounds.

Question 8

Why do biologically aged sherries not receive skin maceration?

Answer 8

The phenolic compounds can hinder the formation of flor

Question 9

Why does the timing of fortification matter?

Answer 9

It controls the level of RS present in the wine

Question 10

What is the ABV of most fortifying spirits? Why?

Answer 10

95-96% ABV

1. Spirits with that high of an ABV are neutral in flavor and aroma
2. Minimizes the amount of spirit needed to reach desired fortification (less dilution of wine)

Question 11

Aguardente (the spirit used to fortify Port) contains what ABV? Why is this important?

Answer 11

77% (+/-0.5%)

Aguardente will have a stronger flavor/aroma character than a neutral fortifying spirit.

More Aguardente will be needed to fortify than a higher ABV spirit, so its flavor/aroma character is an important consideration for the resulting wine.

Question 12

How would the spirit used to fortify red and rose port differ?

Answer 12

Rose might use a more neutral, subtle spirit that won’t mask its more delicate flavor.

Red Port can handle more aromatic spirits.

Question 13

Why would some fortified wines be released earlier than others?

Answer 13

Preserving primary aromas/flavors (NV ruby/white/rose port, Muscat VdN)

Question 14

What styles of fortified wines are bottled early (a few years of aging) with the intention of aging?

Answer 14

Vintage and LBV Port

Question 15

What styles of wine are aged oxidatively?

Answer 15

Tawny Port, some Sherry, Rutherglen Muscat, some VdN Muscat, Madeira

Question 16

What kinds of vessels are oxidatively aged fortified wines matured in?

Answer 16

Small oak vessels with varying amounts of topping-up

Question 17

What does it mean to age a fortified wine biologically?

Answer 17

Aged under a layer of flor

Question 18

What does flor generally do to a wine?

Answer 18

Protects from oxygen

Lowers levels of glycerol -> less viscous, lighter body

Acetaldehyde contributes flavors of hay, apple skin, bread dough, nuts

Question 19

What is “Maderisation”?

Answer 19

The process of heating and oxidizing wine

Question 20

What does “rancio” mean?

Answer 20

A tasting note used to describe a flavor profile found in some styles of oxidized wine. Leather, wood varnish, strong coffee, nutty and rancid butter.

Comes from a combo of compounds from wood vessels, oxygen and time

Question 21

What are the main reasons blending is so important to the production of fortified wines?

Answer 21

• Balance
• Style
• Complexity
• Consistency
• Volume
• Price

Question 22

How does balance factor into blending?

Answer 22

• High alcohol must be balanced by other factors
• Blending younger and older wines keeps a sense of freshness while having complexity from older flavors

Question 23

In what regions is blending older and younger wine particularly notable?

Answer 23

Sherry and Rutherglen

Question 24

What is “static maturation”?

Answer 24

The practice of maturing wine from different vintages separately

Question 25

Why is style an important consideration in blending fortified wines?

Answer 25

Brands create house styles within many regions of the fortified wine category.

Variances between variety (color, tannin, flavor) and sweetness

Question 26

How does volume relate to blending fortified wines?

Answer 26

• Most vineyard holdings in regions famous for fortified wines are small parcels, and blending between growers is essential
• Maturation in small vessels requires blending for a finished product

Question 27

How does blending relate to price?

Answer 27

Blending a small amount of older wine into medium-inexpensive wine intended for early drinking can add complexity and raise overall quality of the brand

Question 28

What styles of Port WON’T be filtered before bottling?

Answer 28

• Vintage
• Single Quinta
• Crusted
• LBV (sometimes)

Question 29

What does WSET consider “low ABV” for fortified wines?

Answer 29

15-16.4% ABV

Question 30

What does “En Rama” mean?

Answer 30

Specific to Sherry, translates to “from the branch”

Indicates the wine is either lightly fined and filtered or not at all. More complex and pronounced aromas and flavors.

Question 31

What does WSET consider “medium ABV” for fortified wines?

Answer 31

16.5-18.4% ABV

Question 32

What does WSET consider “high ABV” for fortified wines?

Answer 32

18.5% ABV and above