Red and Rose WInemaking Flashcards
what are the two consequences of including the skins in the fermentation vessel in order to extract colors and tannins?
- there are many more options to consider before, during and after fermentation
- pressing happens after fermentation instead of before
what is cold maceration or cold soaking?
the process of leaving the crushed grapes to macerate for a period at low temperatures prior to allowing fermentation to start.
what is the purpose of cold soaking?
to extract colors and flavors - however tannins are not extracted at this point due to not being soluble until in alcoholic solutions
what is the typical temperature for red wine fermentation
20-32 C depending on style
why is red wine fermented at a higher temp than white?
high temps are necessary to aid in extraction of color, flavor and tannin
what temp can not be exceeded in red wine fermentation?
35 C - can kill the yeast
what happens to a red wine if left to itself?
it will soon have a thick mass of pulp and skins on its surface, known as the cap.
what is punching down?
traditionally this meant punching the cap down by hand with paddles n the end of sticks. today mechanical paddles are used. useful in extracting tannins and color.
what happens if you punch down too vigorously or often?
too much tannin might be extracted and the wine might be bitter or astringent
what is pumping over?
this is drawing off fermented juice from the bottom of the vat and pumping it up onto the top. its a good way of dissipating heat and oxygenating juice.
what is rack and return?
the fermenting juice is drained from the fermenting vessel into another vessel leaving the cap behind. its then pumped back over the cap. its normally only used once or twice during fermentation as its very extractive.
what is rotary fermentation?
when fermentation takes place in rotating horizontal tanks to keep juice in constant contact with the skins`
is fermentation in oak barrels for red wine common?
its impractical as it would almost be impossible to keep sufficient contact between the skins and juice
what does maceration after fermentation encourage?
further extraction of tannin creating smoother tannins
what happens to red wine when maceration is complete?
the free run wine is drawn off the skins and the remaining mass is pressed creating press wine.
what are press fractions?
when the winemaker separates the wine from different stages in the pressing to be used later to adjust color or tannin in the final blend
what is the objective of whole bunch fermentation?
to create oxygen free environment for the uncrushed fruit leading to intracellular fermentation and a range of distinctive fruity aromas is created inside each berry which gives the wine unique qualities
what is intracellular fermentation?
the lack of oxygen causes the berries some alcohol in their cells without involvement of yeast.
what are three forms of whole bunch fermentation?
- carbonic maceration
- semi carbonic maceration
- whole bunches with crushed fruit
what is carbonic maceration?
when just whole uncrushed bunches of grapes are placed into vats that are filled with CO2 to remove all the O2, causing intracellular fermentation to start. One the level of alcohol in each grape reaches 2% the skins begin to split and grape juice is released. then they are pressed
what are important factors of carbonic maceration?
extracts color, but not tannins resulting in wines that are soft and full of fruit with distinctive notes of bubble gum, banana, kirsch, and cinnamon like spice.
what is semi carboic maceration?
similar to carbonic maceration, but CO2 is not added to the vat. The grapes added crush the grapes already at the bottom of the vat which releases the juice. this fermentation produces the CO2 which fills the vat and the remaining grapes undergo carbonic maceration. as the in tact grapes skins begin split and release juice the the grapes are pressed and yeast completes the fermentation off the skins
explain the whole bunches with crushed fruit method
similar to other whole grape methods, but they are mixed with crushed grapes in the fermenting vessel at the start of fermentation. because the full grapes are submerged by the crushed grapes they are kept away from the oxygen. Intracellular fermentation takes place. the whole bunches are continuously punched down and crushed. the more whole bunches the more carbonic characteristics giving the wine silkier texture, and a brighter fresher fruit character.
What is the most important decision when it comes to prebottling maturation with red wines?
whether to use oak or not.
why is blending done?
to enhance or balance out certain aspects of the wine such as tannins, acidity, color, body, or flavor.
what climate are most high volume inexpensive red wines from?
warm, sunny and dry
name some high vol inexpensive red varietals
cabernet sauvignon, merlot, shiraz/syrah, and Garnacha/Grenache
why is pinot noir not typically a high vol inexpensive red varietal?
hard to grow, prefers cool climates, and is difiicult to extract enough tannins and color when grow nat high yields.
how can blended red wines be labeled?
“fruity red”
what are characteristics of high vol inexpensive reds?
fruity, low tannin, retain primary fruit juices.
what process is used for high vol inexpensive red wines?
monitored carefully with SO2, usually crushed and destemmed on arrival. may need tartaric acid to be added. Fermentation typicaly takes place with yeast at 22-25 C in order to maximize fruit flavors. post fermentation maceration is avoided to free up space
what technique is often used on Grenache inexpensive wines?
carbonic or semi-carbonic maceration
what is the classic grape of Haut Medoc in Bordeaux?
cabernet Sauvignon - often blended with Merlot
where else in Europe is Can Sauvignon found besides Bordeaux?
south of france, Italyn(blended with Sangiovese), Spain (blended with Tempernillo),
what characteristics of Cabernet Sauvignon are found in warm climates?
full bodied, ripe black currant, black cherry and smooth tannins
name some warm regions classic for Cab Sauv?
Napa Valley, CA; Coonawara and Margaret River, Australia; Hawke’s Bay New Zealand; Stellenbach, South Africa; and Colchagua Valley, Chile.
Why are Cabernet Sauv grapes typically desteemed and crushed?
the stems often give herbacous and astringent characteristic to the wine
What causes Cab Sauv deep color?
the thickness of their skins