Learning outcome 1 Flashcards
Key stages in grape growing & winemaking
The pulp of the grape contains…
Water, sugar, and acid.
What colour is the skin of white grapes?
Golden
How do tannins feel on your palate?
Dry and astringent.
What do black grape skins contain?
Tannin As well as color and flavor compounds.
What needs to be present for fermentation to occur?
Yeast and sugar
How is the juice released
Grapes are crushed
What are the two dominant types of grapes for making wine?
White grapes and black grapes
The pulp of the grape contains what?
Acid
Which part of the grape gives red wine its colour?
Skin
When a grape ripens what happens to the levels of sugar and acidity?
Sugar increases and acidity decreases
T/F: Cooler climates typically produce higher acid in wines
True
During fermentation, yeast converts
Sugar into alcohol
During fermentation, a wine will become
Higher in alcohol and lower in sugar
What are the products of alcoholic fermentation?
Alcohol and carbon dioxide
T/F: In red wine production, grapes are pressed before fermentation
False
What is the correct order for white wine production?
crushing, pressing, fermentation, maturation, bottling
What does ABV stand for?
Alcohol By Volume - This is the measure of how much alcohol is in a wine, expressed as a percentage.
What are the by-products of fermentation?
Alcohol (ethanol) and Carbon Dioxide (CO2).
At what percentage does alcoholic fermentation usually stop?
15% - Most yeast cannot survive at a percentage higher than this.
CRUSH - PRESS - FERMENT DESCRIBES
White wine production
What are the microscopic organisms responsible for fermentation?
Yeast
As grapes ripen, what changes occur?
The grapes swell with water, The sugar level in the grapes increases, Acidity falls, Flavors become more ripe, The color deepens
How long can a grape vine live?
Several decades or more
How often will a grape vine produce fruit?
In non-tropical climates, grape vines produce fruit once a year.
Describe flowering for a grape vine.
Each flower will become an individual grape, and many flowers make up a cluster.
What is the color of a grape when it first forms?
Green
As they mature, describe the color change of black grapes…
They start as green grapes and turn purple once fully ripe.
Between which latitudes do grapes grow best?
The best latitudes for grapes are 30° to 50° in both the northern and southern hemispheres.
T/F: Cool climate regions are closer to the equator.
False
Cool climates are closer to the poles, and farther away from the equator.
THE AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL IN A PERSON’S BLOOD IS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS…
BAC
Which grapes are more commonly found in cooler climates? And which are found in warmer climates?
White wine grapes are more common in cooler regions, and black grapes in warmer regions.
Having said that, there are cool climate red grapes (e.g. pinot noir) and warm climate white grapes (e.g. chenin blanc), so this is not an exclusive rule.
What effect does a cool climate have on the characteristics of grapes…
Cool climates typically produce grapes (and therefore wines) with lower levels of sugar and higher acidity.
(And in warmer climates, sugars are often higher and acids lower.)
Sunlight is more intense in which type of climate?
Typically in warmer climate regions.
GRAPES LIKE TO GROW BETWEEN THESE LATITUDES
30 and 50 degrees
What is the act or process of growing grapes called?
Viticulture
The process of making wine is called…
Vinification
What is the process called for releasing the juice from freshly-picked grapes?
Crushing.
For white wines this is one of the very first steps in the winemaking process.
What happens with black grapes after they are crushed and the juice is released?
Typically they would then go to the fermentation vessel.
What happens with white grapes after they are crushed and the juice is released?
Typically, white grapes and juice would then go to the press, where the remaining juice would be pressed off or released from the skins.
For red grapes, what is done to maximize extraction of color and tannins?
The skins are mixed thoroughly with the juice
There are a number of ways to do this: punch-down the skins into the juice, pump the juice over the skins, mix the tank with paddles, or roll the tank.
For red wines, when is the juice drained off the skins?
Usually after fermentation has completed, although some producers may leave the skins in the juice for longer to get more color and tannins into the wine.
What types of vessels can wine be matured in?
Stainless steel tanks and oak barrels.
When making rosé wine, how long is the juice in contact with the skins?
Only a few hours
In terms of skin contact, what is the difference between making white wine and red wine?
White wines usually have little or no skin contact, while red wines often have an extended period of skin contact, either before or after fermentation.
Rosé wines only have a few hours of skin contact.
T/F: White wines can be made from black grapes
True.
There are many examples of black grapes being used to make white wines - the most famous is perhaps Champagne.
List the steps in the white winemaking process
The steps to make white wine:
- Crushing,
- Pressing,
- Fermentation,
- Maturation, and
- Bottling.
List the steps in the red winemaking process
The steps to make red wine:
- Crushing,
- Fermentation,
- Draining,
- Pressing,
- Maturation, and
- Bottling.
List the steps in the rosé winemaking process:
The steps to make rosé wine:
- Crushing
- Fermentation
- Draining (after just a few hours)
- Maturation
- Bottling
