Other II Flashcards
Describe a classic Burgundian Pinot Noir
High acid
Low to medium tannin
Notes of red fruit, that evolve into mushroom and forrest floor with aging
Name three climactic hazards of Burgundy
Lots of rainfall
Spring frost
Summer hail
Name a sweet wine from Southwestern France made via passerillage?
Petit Manseng
Describe Tannat
Deeply colored
High tannin
Need to be aged
What is the most important IGP wine from the Southeast of Bordeaux?
Cotes de Gascogne
Describe Cotes de Gascogne
Dry, light-bodied white wine
What is the most important varietal from Cahors?
Malbec
Describe a Malbec from Cahors
Matures slowly to reveal cedar and earth notes
Dark berry notes
High tannin
Dark color
In the Dordogne, what is the major appelation for red & white?
Bergerac
In the Dordogne, what is the major appellation for sweet wines?
Monbazillac
In Sauternes and Barsac, what grape varietal dominates?
Semillon
Where in Bordeaux do the best sweet wines come from and why?
Sauternes
The Garonne and Ciron rivers create ideal misty autumn conditions for noble rot
Describe a white wine from Graves & Entre-Deux-Mers
Unoaked, using Sauvignon blanc
Name an area in Bordeaux that can only produce premium dry white wines
Entre-Deux-Mers
What is green harvesting?
Around veraison, you can harvest immature grapes so that the vine can concentrate on the remaining grapes. The main risk with doing so is the vine overcompensating and producing really big grapes.
What stages of the vineyard cycle does the following occur in:
- Acid drops
- Sugar rises
- Tannins develop
- Color pigment accumulates
Between veraison and harvest
What is millerandage?
Grapes stay small, form without seeds
What is coulure?
More flowers than normal fail to fertilize during fruit set
What businesses make wine only from grapes that they grow themselves?
Estates
If a GI is stated on a label, what percentage of the grapes must be grown there? What is the exception?
85%; if it is a PDO, 100% must come from that region
What is the labeling term for a PDO in France?
AOC; Appelation D’Origine Controlee OR AOP
What is the labeling term(s) for PGI in France?
VDP, IGP
What is a French wine with no GI?
Vin de France
What are the key black grape varieties of Bordeaux?
Merlot
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Franc
Petit Verdot
What are the key white grape varieties of Bordeux?
Sauvignon Blanc
Semillon
Muscadelle
What kind of climate does Bordeaux have?
Moderate maritime climate
What kind of growing season does Bordeaux have and why?
Extended, due to the Gulf Stream
What are climactic challenges in Bordeaux?
Rot, due to lots of rainfall
What is the most widely planted grape in Bordeaux, and why does it grow successfully here?
Merlot
Merlot can ripen on cooler clay soils in a way that Cabernet Sauvignon cannot
What is the most important varietal for sweet wines in Bordeaux
Semillon
Name two prime regions for premium Sauvignon Blanc
Loire Valley
Marlborough
How does a Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley differ from a Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough?
A Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc is more elegant and restrained with notes of asparagus and green apple, whereas one from Marlborough is more vibrant, with notes of gooseberry and grapefruit
What is the most common adjustment made to inexpensive white wine and why?
Acidification, because the grapes often come from warm regions
If a wine is youthful, what aromas would you detect?
Mostly primary and secondary
If a wine is developing, what aromas would you detect?
Some tertiary in addition to primary and secondary
If a wine is fully developed, what aromas would you detect
Mostly tertiary
What species produces nearly all the grapes used in winemaking?
Vitis Vinifera
What are 3 main ways to make a sweet wine?
Add sugar
Stop fermentation early
Concentrate grape sugars
What are 4 ways to concentrate grape sugars when making a sweet wine?
Freeze grapes on vine
Noble rot
Dry them after picking
Dry grapes on the vine
What are 3 ways to stop fermentation early when making a sweet wine?
Fortification
Add SO2
Chill the fermenting juice
Where is Pinot Gris classically produced?
Alsace
What aromas does a classic Pinot Gris have?
Tropical fruit, ginger, honey
Which is produced in both the dry and off-dry styles: Pinot Gris, or Pinot Grigio?
Pinot Gris
Why is SO2 important in winemaking?
It acts as an antioxidant (protects grapes from oxidation) and an antiseptic (toxic to bad yeast and bacteria in wine)
What is clonal selection?
Vines with positive mutations are selected for further propagation with cutting or layering
What are 3 factors that paint an accurate picture of a region’s climate?
Day to day temperature
Rainfall
Sunlight
What are 4 ways to defend vines against spring frost?
Heaters
Sprinklers
Thoughtful vineyard design
Wind machines
Name 3 environmental factors that influence diurnal range
Lakes
Seas
Cloud cover
How would one characterize a Mediterranean climate?
low continentality
How do wines from a Mediterranean climate compare to wines from a Maritime climate?
Fuller bodies
Riper tannins
Higher alcohol
Lower acid
What is a core way to reduce fungal disease in vines?
Canopy management
3 main irrigation techniques for vines
Flooding
Sprinklers
Drip
What is the most expensive method of irrigation?
Drip
What is the cheapest method of irrigation?
Flood
How would you characterize a continental climate?
Large temp drop in winters, short summers, high continentality
How would you characterize a maritime climate?
Low continentality, grapes can ripen far into autumn
What yeast species is responsible for the majority of fermentation?
Saccharomyces cerevisae
When does blending usually occur in winemaking?
After fermentation or during maturation
How might you increase acid in wine?
Acidification, add tartaric acid
How might you decrease acid in wine
Alkali
What are 3 ways a wine can be made perfectly clear?
Sedimentation
Fining
Filtration
What are two ways for a grower to preserve the unique qualities of a grape variety?
Cutting and layering
Describe cutting
A section of a vine shoot is replanted, a new plant grows
How might you reduce the risk of oxidation?
Keep SO2 at a reasonable level
What wines are most at risk for bacterial spoilage?
Haven’t undergone MLF
Low acid
Low alcohol
Residual sugar
What are two kinds of filtration of wine
Depth & Surface
Describe depth filtration
Uses thick filters, works on very cloudy wines and gross lees
Describe surface filtration
Generally very expensive, used after depth filtration has taken place
Why does sedimentation form after fermentation?
Dead yeast cells float to the top of the juice
What is sediment called?
Lees
Explain the process of fining
Speeds up the process of fine particles clumping up together before bottling through the use of a fining agent. Widely used.
Explain the process of sedimentation
Once the gross lees settle, the juice is pushed into a new vessel to leave the lees behind. This process is called racking. You do this over and over again. Expensive.
When you process grapes and press them, what part must remain in tact and why?
Seeds, because they release bitter oils and tannins
If a winemaker wants to preserve the primary aromas in a wine, when is the best time for harvest and why?
Night, less impact of oxygen
What is contained in the seeds of grapes?
tannin
What is contained in the stems of grapes?
tannin
What is contained in the skins of grapes?
Color, tannin, flavor
What is contained in the pulp of grapes?
Acid, sugar, water
What temperature should wine be stored at?
10-15 degrees Celsius
