Port, Sherry & Fortified Wines Flashcards
What is Pale Cream Sherry and what is it sweetened with?
Sweetened Fino, sweetened with RCGM
Describe a quality Tawny Port
Pale tawny in colour, high in alcohol, sweet Walnut, coffee, chocolate
What is ‘Vintage’ Port?
The most concentrated and tannic of Ports.
Usually a producers flagship Port
Only produced av 3 times per decade, up to producer not consensus
Consumer can drink young or age in cellar
Throws heavy deposit
Which of the following styles typically represents the smallest amount of production in a Sherry bodega?
A. Fino
B. Amontillado
C. Palo Cortado
D. Oloroso
C. Palo Cortado
What is the soil of the Port subregions and how does it help vines?
Shist bedrock, fractures vertically helping vine roots to dig down deep to water reserves
What do you call a traditional narrow terrace supported by Stone Walls found in the Douro Valley?
Socalo
Match the Muscat-based fortified wine to its country of origin.
A. Muscat of Samos
B. Muscatel de Sétubal
C. Muscat de Noël
D. Massandra Pink Muscat
A. Muscat of Samos: Greece
B. Muscatel de Sétubal: Portugal
C. Muscat de Noël: France
D. Massandra Pink Muscat: Crimea (Ukraine)
What is Dulce de Alimbar?
A blend of invert sugar and Fino sherry used to sweeten Sherry.
Working West to East name the three subregions of Douro vineyards
Baixo Corgo / Cima Corgo / Douro Superior
Which sherries are naturally sweet?
Give simple tasting notes
PX - Deep brown and lusciously sweet (upto 500g/L sugar)
Pronounced dried fruit, coffee and liquorice
Muscat - Similar to PX but keeps dried citrus peel character
Rutherglen Muscat is a fortified wine from which country or region of origin?
Australia
Fortification of Port happens ________ in the winemaking process than in the fortification of Oloroso Sherry.
earlier
What styles of Sherry are aged in the presence of flor yeast?
Fino / Manzanilla / Amontillado / Palo Cortado
Banyuls is a fortified wine from which country or region of origin?
What is the main grape used?
Roussillon, France
Grenache Noir
What is the desired criteria for a Port grape?
List the 5 varieties used
Thick skinned, High tannin, Black fruit and floral notes Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional Tinta Roriz, Tinta Baroca, Tinta Cão
What is the name of the spirit used to fortify Port?
What does the name transalte to?
What is its maximum permitted strength?
What abv range is Port fortified to?
Approx what % of a bottle of Port is this spirit?
Aguardente
“Burning water”
77% abv
19%~22% depending on house style
20% of total
What is the difference between a Mistelle and a Fortified Wine?
What is a Mistelle also called in France?
Give 4 examples and their regions:
A Mistelle is produced when unfermented grape juice / must is fortified, whereas a fortified wine is fortified after fermentation.
Vin de Liqueur
Champagne: Ratafia;
Cognac: Pineau des Charentes;
Armagnac: Floc de Gascogne;
Jura: Macvin du Jura.
What is a ‘Patamares’?
A newer type of terrace used in the Port region that allows some mechanisation (tractor access) by not having retaining walls.
Not all sherries qualify for age indicated status, which sherries can qualify?
Amontillado, Palo Cortado, Oloroso and PX
i.e. only sherries that have been through the oxidative process
Which of Ports subregions produces the lightest wines and why?
Baixo Corgo because it is most westerly and receives some coastal influence
Sherry Vocab:
Llamada
Manzanilla
Moscatel
Oloroso
LLamada: Specific markings on a barrel indicating the type of Sherry, the solera and the number of botas.
Manzanilla: A special, biologically-aged Sherry exclusively aged in Sanlucar de Barrameda.
Moscatel: A special varietal used to make sweet styles of Sherry.
Oloroso: Sherry that has not aged under flor at all, exclusively oxidatively aged.
Which grape is known as Moscatel in Sherry country?
Muscat of Alexandria
Give simple tasting notes for a ‘true’ Tawny Port
Tawny colour (maybe brown if really old), raisiny, with flavours of walnuts, coffee, chocolate and caramel
What type of Port am I?
I am relatively inexpensive and made from a blend of wines typically between 1~3 years old. I lack concentration, complexity or tannins of my more premium peers
Ruby Port
What are the age indications for Sherry?
VORS (Very Old Rare Sherry) - 30yo
VOS (Very Old Sherry) - 20yo
Each batch tested to ensure it complies
Also 12 and 15yo but these classifications are applied to the whole Solera System
What is the grape Tinta Roriz otherwise known as? Which of the Port grapes is similar to Grenache?
Tempranillo
Tinta Barroca
Pale Cream Sherry is a sweetened ………………….? Medium Sherry is a sweetened ……………………?
Cream Sherry is a sweetened ……………………..?
Pale Cream is a Fino sweetened with RCGM
Medium Sherry is an Amontillado sweetened with PX
Cream sherry is an Oloroso Sherry sweetened with PX
What are the climate risks in the Port Region?
Some frosts in Spring
Heavy rain can disrupt flowering and harvest
Summer temps can be V. High
Rainfall low
Sherry Vocab:
Palo Cortado
Palomino
Pedro Ximenez (style)
Pedro Ximenez (varietal)
Palo Cortado: Rarely produced, this rich type of Sherry is guided towards oxidative aging even though flor is still present, described as being halfway between Amontillado and Oloroso.
Palomino: The dominant grape of Sherry, this white varietal produces fairly neutral base wines that are used to make most types of Sherry.
Pedro Ximenez (Style): Sweet wine made from sun-dried PX grapes.
Pedro Ximenez (Varietal): A varietal found in Jerez, usually reserved for sweet styles but can used for dry styles as well.
What are the levels of the Solera system called?
Criaderas
Setubal is a fortified wine from which country or region of origin?
Made with which grape?
Lisboa / Portugal
Moscatel de Setubal
What is the style of Ruby, Reserve Ruby, LBV and vintage Ports and how are they aged?
Deeply coloured with primary fruit flavours avoiding oxygen
Aged in large Oak vessels or S. Steel for a relatively short period
What type of Port am I?
I have undergone a long period of oxidative ageing in Pipes. I can be labelled 10, 20, 30, 40 years old?
High quality Tawny with an indication of Age
What is the labelling term for Ruby and Tawny Ports that are of a higher quality and has been approved by an official tasting panel?
Reserve / Reserva
What is the name of the terracing system used in Port than can only be used on gentle slopes?
Vinha ao Alto
Which ageing method is used for Oloroso Give simple tasting notes
Oxidative Brown, full bodied.
Toffee, leather, spice and walnut
Sherry, Port, Madeira, and Marsala must be fortified with:
Grape-based neutral spirit
To what % are the base wines for biological / oxidative Sherries fortified?
With what?
What strength is it?
Biological ageing wines - 15%~15.5%
Oxidative ageing wines - 17%
Fortified with “mitad y mitad”, a blend of neutral grape spirit and older Sherry, designed to be gentler than the spirit alone.
96% abv
What is the Portuguese word for ‘Estate’?
Quinta
Sherry Vocab:
Albariza
Almacenista
Amontillado
Aroba
Albariza: Chalky soil found in Jerez, producing the finest Palomino for Sherry.
Almacenista: Small Sherry stockholder, a small firm that would historically sell their wine to bigger houses.
Amontillado: A Sherry that is first aged biologically, then oxidatively.
Aroba: Traditional unit of measurement in Jerez;
1 Aroba = 16.6 L
What are troughs used for foot treading called?
Lagares
Give an example and simple tasting notes for a fully developed aged Muscat
How is it made?
e.g. Rutherglen, Australia
Amber~brown.
Sweet~luscious, oxidative aromas but still retaining varietal aromas.
Grapes picked ripe and healthy, some raisining permitted, fermentation on skins.
If luscious, ferment stopped at 2% abv then oxidative ageing in old wood.
Flavors of caramel, nuts and raisins, retains the floral, grapes character of the Muscat grape.
Malaga is a fortified wine from which country or region of origin?
Spain
How long must a Reserve Tawny Port be aged?
Min 7 yrs in wood
Give an example and simple tasting notes for an unaged Muscat
How is it made?
Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise - S. Rhone
Medium gold, floral and aromatic with pure varietal character.
Sweet but rarely luscious
Grapes ripe and healthy, crushed, some skin contact, cool ferment stopped with 96% abv grape spirit.
Stored inert before bottling
What is Mosto Cotto?
What is Sifone?
What are their purposes?
Mosto Cotto: Cooked grape must.
Sifone: A mistelle made from fortified unfermented grape must.
Added to Marsala wine in order to adjust color and sweetness.
In the 18th century, ________ was the most popular style of wine in the American colonies.
Madeira
What is the minimum aging required for Frasqueira Madeira?
20 years
Identify the style(s) of wine produced in Banyuls AOP:
Fortified White
Fortified Rosé
Fortified Red
What is the single biggest difference between Ruby and Tawny styles of Port?
Ruby Ports are matured protectively to minimise oxidation
Tawny Ports are deliberately oxidised
Briefly summarise how an autovinifier works
Crushed grapes placed in sealed vat
CO2 pressure from fermentation forces wine up pipes into holding tank
When CO2 pressure is reached, wine floods back down over cap
Process repeats every 15~20 mins
Which sherries are completely aged Biologically? Which two sherries start under flor before being transferred to oxidative Solera system?
Fino, Manzanilla and Pale Cream = 100% Biological
Amontillado and Palo Cortado starts Biologically then transferred to Oxidative Solera.
Also Medium sherry
What must be shown on the label of a bottle of Tawny with an indication of Age Port?
Why?
The year of bottling.
Because they start to lose their freshness after bottling
Describe the Douro Superior subregion and what it produces
The hottest, largest, driest and most easterly of the subregions.
Sparsely planted but produces top quality wine
Which are the two towns of the Portuguese Port trade situated, on the coast, North and South of the mouth of the River Douro?
Porto
Vila Nova de Gaia
When are Ports blended?
Through the entire production process
What grapes are authorized to produce sherry?
Palomino - vast majority
Pedro Ximinez
Muscat of Alexandria
Select the town(s) that Jerez-Xérès-Sherry can legally be matured in.
- Jerez de la Fronteira
- Sanlucar de Barrameida
- Puerto de Santa Maria
Sherry Vocab:
VOS / VORS
VOS: Vinum Optimum Signatum / Very Old Sherry, at least 20 years old.
VORS: Vinum Optimum Rarum Signatum / Very Old Rare Sherry, at least 30 years old.
What’s the climate like in the Sherry region?
Hot, sunny and Mediterranean, slightly cooler by the coast
High rainfall but limited in the growing season
What is the name of a newer type of terrace used in the Port region that allows some mechanisation (tractor access) by not having retaining walls?
Patamares
Two types of terracing in Port region face a potential risk.
What is the risk and which are the terracing types?
Soil erosion due to no retaining walls
Patamares and Vinho ao Alto
List the following styles of Rutherglen Muscat in order of average age (1 = youngest, 4 = oldest).
A. Classic
B. Grand
C. Rare
D. Muscat
- Muscat
- Classic
- Grand
- Rare
What are the 3 towns of the Sherry Triangle?
Jerez de la Frontera
Sanlucar de Barrameda
Puerto de Santa Maria
What do you call Fino sherry from Sanlucar?
How does it differ from that of Jerez and why?
How is it labelled if really minimal fining and filtering?
Manzanilla de Sanlucar de Barrameda
Cooler coast keeps Flor active all year = more tangy sherry
Minimal fining and filtering = En Rama
What’s a ‘Socalos’?
A traditional narrow terrace supported by Stone Walls
What is sobretablas?
A 6-12 month aging period that culminates in a second sorting process for flor-aged Sherry
What two grape varieties are most commonly used in the production of dry styles of Madeira?
Sercial or Verdelho
What is Cream sherry and what is it sweetened with? Give simple tasting notes
Sweetened Oloroso, sweetened with PX
Balance of toffee, leather, walnuts of dry wine with dried fruit of PX
What are the 6 different scoring levels awarded by the IVDP?
A: >1200
B: between 1001 and 1200 points
C: between 801 and 1000 points
D: between 601 and 800 points
E: between 401 and 600 points
F: between 201 and 400 points
What type of aging occurs when Sherry is allowed direct exposure to air?
Oxidative Aging
Are there currently any DOCG fortified wines?
No
Sherry Vocab:
Cream Sherry
Criadera
Fino
Flor
Cream Sherry: Originally an English innovation, a blend of dry Oloroso Sherry with sweet PX or Moscatel Sherry.
Criadera: A level of barrels in a solera, i.e. the bottom level of barrels is the Solera, the level above that is the first Criadera, and so on. The top level is the sobretabla.
Fino: Dry sherry that is aged under flor exclusively.
Flor: The layer of yeast that forms on top of wine in a partially-filled barrel.
Marsala is a fortified wine from which country or region of origin?
Usually made with which grape(s)?
Sicily, Italy
Grillo, Catarratto
What type of aging occurs as a result of flor yeast?
Biological Aging
What is the instrument pictured below?
What is it used for?
- Port Tongs
- Used to snap the neck of an older bottle of Port to elimate the risk of crumbly cork ending up in the wine.
Which of the following styles typically has the lowest alcohol content?
A. Fino Sherry
B. White Porto
C. Bual Madeira
D. Oloroso Sherry
A. Fino Sherry
What does the term poniente refer to?
A cool, moist wind that blows into Southern Spain from the Atlantic.
Port is a fortified wine from which country or region of origin?
Portugal
Sherry Vocab:
Aspilla
Bota
Copita
Capataz
Aspilla: Dipstick used to measure the level of wine in a barrel.
Bota: Barrel
Copita: Tulip-shaped glass traditionally used for drinking Sherry.
Capataz: The cellar-master, literally “foreman”.
Which of the following is/are true concerning oloroso Sherry?
a. It is made using a blend of red and white grapes.;
b. It is allowed to undergo oxidative aging.;
c. It is generally light in body and pale in color as compared to other styles of Sherry.;
d. It is aged in the presence of flor yeast.
b. It is allowed to undergo oxidative aging.
Identify the owners of the following single Quintas:
A. Quinta do Sagrado
B. Quinta da Roeda
C. Quinta do Bomfim
D. Quinta do Passadouro
E. Quinta do Sao Luiz
A. Quinta do Sagrado: Calem
B. Quinta da Roeda: Croft
C. Quinta do Bomfim: Dow’s
D. Quinta do Passadouro: Niepoort
E. Quinta do Sao Luiz: Kopke
List the following bottlings of Port from least expensive to most expensive (1 = least, 4 = most).
A. Quinta do Crasto 2008 LBV
B. Kopke 1966 Vintage
C. Niepoort 20 Year Tawny
D. Sandeman’s Fine Ruby NV
- Sandeman’s Fine Ruby NV
- Quinta do Castro 2008 LBV
- Niepoort 20 Year Tawny
- Kopke 1966 Vintage
Who is the producer of Commanderia St. John?
Keo
What are the names of the 2 winds that influence the production of Sherry?
What is the difference between them and how do they affect Sherry production?
Poniente = Cool, humid, Atlantic wind alternates with the levante, and promotes the growth of flor.
Levante = hot, dry levante wind intensifies the region’s heat, blows from the east, essentially cooks the grapes on the vine during ripening.
If you have a Tawny wine with an age indication of e.g. 20 years, what does 20 years relate to?
The approximate age of the wines contained within so long as the wine is consistent with the characteristics of a wine of that age.
Name 6 Sherry Producers:
Lustau
Hidalgo
Barbadillo
Alvear
Valdespino
El Maestro Sierra
What is the name of the mountain range that protects Port’s vineyards from the Westerly Atlantic winds?
Serra do Marão
Madeira is a fortified wine from which country or region of origin?
Portugal
What is the minimum average age of wines in a VORS solera?
30 years
Name the 3 types of terracing used, list pros and cons
Socalcos - Trad, supported stone walls, no mechanisation
Patamares - Newer type, no walls, allows tractor access
Vinho ao Alto - Unterraced, allows mechanisation but can only be used on gentle slopes
In which autonomia is Jerez DO located?
Andalucia
What is the highest alcohol content flor is able to withstand?
15.5%
What does IVDP stand for?
What is their purpose?
Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto (Douro Port Wine Institute)
A government-run organization that supervises the promotion, production, and trade of all Porto and Douro DOP wines.
What is the character of Muscat grapes?
What climate does it like?
Low~med acidity with perfumed aromas of Orange blossom, Rose and Grape.
Warm climate but some cooling influence to retain acidity and aromas
What is the name of the complex network of barrels that is used to age Sherry?
Solera System
Name three methods used to rapidly extract colour and tannins from Port grapes
Foot Treading
Autovinifiers
Piston plungers and robotic lagares
Where are some grapes used to make Pedro Ximénez sherry imported from?
Montilla-Moriles, neighbouring the Jerez region
What is Medium sherry and what is it sweetened with? Give simple tasting notes
Sweetened Amontillado, sweetened with PX
Balances toffee, leather and walnut of dry wine with dried fruit of PX
What is the topography of the Port subregions and how can Vine growers make the most of it?
Quite extreme
Baixo Corgo and Cima Corgo
Planted on steep slopes Temp diff bottom to top - altitude
Some N face slopes used as face away from hot sun
Which sherries are aged Oxidatively?
Oloroso, Cream, PX, some Muscats
Amontillado after in comes in from Biological system
What type of Port am I?
I am aged in Large Oak vessels or Stainless Steel tanks. I must be bottled no later than the third year after harvest. I am not fined or filtered before bottling. Normally you will age me yourself before drinking.
Vintage Port
Which of the following grape varieties is most widely used in the production of dry Madeira?
a. Pedro Ximenez;
b. Palomino;
c. Airen;
d. Sercial
d. Sercial
Which of the following is produced in the Cognac region?
a. Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise;
b. Commandaria;
c. Malaga;
d. Pineau des Charentes
d. Pineau des Charentes
What portion of a Sherry butt is usually filled with wine to allow for the growth of flor?
5/6
How is Palomino processed to make base wine?
Into winery and pressed ASAP to avoid oxidation
Steel tank ferment, high temp, 20~25c to produce neutral wine.
Which of the following is a vin doux naturel?
a. Barsac;
b. Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise;
c. Coteaux du Lyon;
d. Sauternes
b. Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise
What size / type of barrels are used in the Solera system?
What are they called?
How full are they kept?
600 ltr USED American oak Butts
Botas
5/6th full to allow oxygen
Mitad y mitad is a _____ mixture used to fortify which wine?
wine and spirit.
Sherry.
In the first half of the 20th century, wine production in Australia and South Africa was centered on:
Fortifed wine.
What grape variety is most widely used in the production of Sherry?
Palomino
Which region of Italy is home to Marsala?
Sicilia
Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise is a fortified wine from which country or region of origin?
Southern Rhone Valley, France
Which mechanical extraction systems are considered most like traditional Foot Treading?
Piston plungers and Robotic lagares
What is Muscat de Noël?
When can it be released?
A special designation of young Muscat de Rivesaltes marketed for the Christmas season of its harvest year.
It may be released Nov. 1st of its harvest year and bottled no later than Dec. 1st, versus regular Muscat de Rivesaltes which may be released Feb. 1st of the following year.
Which types of Port can be labelled ‘Reserva / Reserva’ and how is it decided to apply the term?
Can be applied to both Ruby and Tawny Ports that are of a higher quality. Determined by an official tasting panel
A Reserve Tawny must be wood aged for min 7 years
Traditionally which Port style might be matured in the Douro and why?
Tawny Port because they are oxidatively aged so heat is a benefit.
Why is rapid extraction so important in making Port?
Fermentation V. Short, 24~36hrs because fortified with grape spirit when just 5~9% abv
What is LBV Port?
Late Bottled Vintage Port
Aged 4~6 yrs before bottling
Usually fined and filtered
Ready to drink on release
Maury is a fortified wine from which country or region of origin?
Made with which grape?
Roussillon / France
min. 75% Grenache noir
Describe Palo Cortado and why is it unusual?
Aroma of Amontillado but body of Oloroso
Starts out Biologically but flor dies so starts ageing oxidatively
When cellar master realises, fortified to 17.5% abv then continues being oxidised
Exposure to ________ during the aging process distinguishes Madeira from all other fortified wines.
Heat
What are the only 2 DOs authorized for the production of Sherry?
Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
Sanlúcar de Barrameda
What does Acetaldehyde do to sherry?
Gives Biological Sherry its unique aromas and flavours of salty, citrus fruit, almonds, herbs and bready aromas
Mavrodaphne of Patras a fortified wine from which country or region of origin?
What other wine is it similar to?
Greece
Ruby Port
What are the 3 principal soil types found in Jerez?
Broadly speaking, what are the differences between them?
Albariza: chalky, porous, limestone-rich soil of brilliant white color, produces the best Sherry.
Barros: more fertile, higher proportion of clay, found in low-lying valleys.
Arenas: Sandy soils common in coastal areas.
What is Pineau de Charentes, and where is it made?
What is Floc de Gascogne, and where is it made?
Pineau de Charentes: A mistelle from the area of Cognac, made with unfermented grape must and Cognac eau-de-vie.
Floc de Gascogne: Similar, but made in the Armagnac area.
Once Palamino is made into base wine which two (general) directions can it head in?
Lighter, more finessed wines - Biological ageing (under Flor)
Darker wines - Oxidative ageing (no Flor)
What 3 techniques can be used to make sweet styles of Sherry?
- Using sun-dried grapes.
- Blending a PX wine w/a dry wine.
- Adding RCGM to a dry wine.
Match the style of wine to the point in time it underwent fortification.
A. Vintage Port
B. Pineau des Charentes
C. Manzanilla Olorosa
A. During fermentation
B. Before fermentation takes place
C. After fermentation
Identify the type of Fortified wine associated with the following producers, and give an example of a specific bottling:
A. Dow’s
B. Tío Pepe
C. Henriques & Henriques
D. Marco de Bortoli
A. Port, Quinta do Bomfim Vintage Port.
B Sherry, Fino.
C. Madeira, 50-year old Tinta Negra Madeira.
D. Marsala, Vecchio Samperi (non-fortified)
The process of adding alcohol to a batch of fermenting wine while it still contains a significant amount of sugar is known by which of the following terms?
a. Assemblage;
b. Mutage;
c. Oxidation;
d. Maceration
b. Mutage
What is the minimum ageing for a Reserve Tawny Port?
What is the Portugese term for this wine?
Wood aged for min 7 years
Colheita Tawny
Where is Albariza soil found, what is it largely made up of and how do vine growers use it to best effect?
Jerez / Sherry
Very high Chalk content
Good drainage of Winter rain but retains water at deep levels to sustain vine through hot summer
Pits dug in Autumn to catch water, smoothed over in Spring
Forms hard crust to seal moisture in and limit evaporation
What is the style of a bottle aged Vintage (and some LBV) Port?
Some LBVs and ALL Vintage Pots are unfiltered.
Garnet colour with tertiary cooked fruit, and vegetal (prune, leather and wet leaves) flavours.
After fermentation, Sherry wines are marked with either of which 2 markings, signifying what?
“Palo”: marked with a slash, destined for biological aging.
“Goruda”: marked with a circle, destined for oxidative aging.
How is wine removed from the Solera System and how is it topped up?
Taken from the bottom level called the Solera
Blended wine from 1st Criadera tops up Solera Blended wine from 2nd Criadera tops up first
Blended wine from 3rd Criadera tops up 2nd etc etc etc
Wine in Sobretabla used to top up the top level Criadera
How and in what is a True Tawny Port aged?
Long oxidative ageing in barrels called ‘Pipes’
In which of Douro’s subregions are most vineyards located?
Cima Corgo
Rasteau is a fortified wine from which country or region of origin?
Made with which grapes?
Southern Rhone / France
Grenache Noir / Grenache Gris / Grenache Blanc
Which 2 grapes are permitted for Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise?
Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains
Muscat Rouge a Petits Grains
What type of Port am I?
I am inexpensive and Tawny in colour with some browning achieved using lighter wines from Baixa Corgo, I have a period of hot maturation and heavy fining to remove some of my colour. I may even have a little white Port in me?
Inexpensive Tawny Port
____, ____, and ______ have all been protected appellations longer than Douro.
Porto, Madeira and Muscatel de Setubal
At what ABV does Flor die?
17%
What is the difference between Oloroso and Amontillado Sherry?
Oloroso Sherry is entirely oxidatively aged without the presence of Flor.
Amontillado Sherry is aged oxidatively after a period of biological aging under flor.
Which of the following AOPs produce both still and fortified wine?
A. Banyuls
B. Rasteau
C. Maury
D. Bandol
E. Rivesaltes
B. Rasteau
C. Maury
How are grapes processed for Sweet styles?
Sun dried to raisin them
Ferment to a few % abv as yeast struggles with so much sugar
Fortified to 17%
Where do biologically-aged wines spend time before introduction into the Solera system?
In the Sobretabla for a few months
What is the term for the additive used in the gradual and delicate fortification process of Fino Sherry?
Mitad y Mitad
Which of the following is a fortified wine produced in Italy?
a. Marsala;
b. Pineau des Charentes;
c. Setubal;
d. Malaga
a. Marsala
At what abv is Port fermentation stopped by the addition of spirit?
5~9% abv
Which grape accounts for the majority of plantings in Jerez, what sort of base wine does it make?
Palomino
It produces a wine with natural low acid and very little varietal flavour.
What is the “lei do terço”?
The “Law of the Third”, a regulation set in place by the IVDP limiting the amount of wine released by a Port house to one third of its total inventory.
What is ‘Tawny with an indication of age’ Port?
Long oxidative ageing in Pipes
Labelled 10, 20, 30, 40 years old
Age is the average age of the wine in the bottle
Label must state year of bottling as lose freshness soon after
Finest of all Tawny Ports
What does flor need to survive?
Cool, humid conditions
Eats and drinks alcohol and nutrients in the wine
Where is Port wine often sent to for maturation and why?
Sent to Villa Nova de Gaia because the cooler coast allows slower maturation
Where is Banyuls produced?
Roussillon
Why, in particular, does the Oxidative Solera system need to be kept fed with young wine?
To avoid over oxidation of wine in the Solera System
Commandaria is a fortified wine from which country or region of origin?
What is it made from?
Cyprus
Sun-dried Xynisteri and Mavro grapes.
What is the term used for the process of fortified wine production in which alcohol is added to a fermenting wine which it still has a significant amount of sugar in it?
Mutage
What 4 key steps for the production of Vintage Port?
Rapid extraction of colour
Alcoholic fermentation
Fortification
Aging
Are sherries fined and filtered?
Yes, but kept to a minimum to maintain flavour
If not, they are labeled “En Rama”, applies only to biologically-aged Sherries.
What style of Sherry is aged without the presence of flor yeast?
Oloroso / PX Sherry
Sherry Vocab:
Saca
Sobretabla
Solera
Venencia
Saca: A bottling of Sherry from the oldest solera.
Sobretabla: The youngest wine of the solera that feeds into the top criadera. Comes from a single vintage.
Solera: The aging/blending system used to produce Sherry. Essentially, younger wines are blended with older wines over a number of vintages to create an overall style.
Venencia: Tool used to pull a sample of Sherry from a barrel without disturbing the layer of Flor.
What does Flor excrete in similar amounts?
What effect does this have on the wine’s flavor profile?
CO2
Acetaldehyde
Gives Fino Sherry a salty tang.
4 Declared Port Vintages btw/2000 and 2012?
2000 / 2003 / 2007 / 2011
What type of Port am I? I
’ve been aged in large oak vessels for 4~6 yrs before bottling. I’m fined and filtered before bottling so am suitable for drinking as soon as I’m released.
Late Bottled Vintage Port
What is the climate of Port?
Warm Continental
Shielded from Atlantic winds by Serra do Marão
In what is Port matured?
Small~large Oak vessels, traditionally called “Pipes”.
S. Steel also used now
What ageing process is used for Amontillado?
Give simple tasting notes
Biological then Oxidative
Amber or brown, lighter than Oloroso.
Yeasty plus oxidative aromas
What is the name of the Quinta that forms the backbone of Taylor’s Port production?
What is significant about this Quinta?
Quinta de Vargellas.
Taylor’s was the first company to produce a single Quinta Port, the 1958 Quinta de Vargellas.
