Riesling

Question 1

a. Riesling thrives in cold climates. Name two reasons why it can grow at colder conditions:

Answer 1

Reason 1: It has hardy wood so that can tolerant of cold winters
Reason 2: It buds late so avoid spring frosts

Question 2

Riesling can produce well balanced wines over a range of differing sweetness levels. State two characteristics that make this possible (4 marks)

Answer 2

Characteristic 1: Left on the vine it can accumulate sugar without losing its naturally high acidity.

Characteristic 2: It is mid to late ripening so can experience a longer growing season especially in the gentle cooler growing seasons thus producing a range of different potential alcohol levels/sweetness levels

Question 3

Riesling is an aromatic variety. State four methods in the winery winemaker could be used to enhance the aromatic profile (8 marks)

Answer 3

Method 1: Sulphur Dioxide will be used as a preservative to ensure the wine kept fresh

Method 2: The grapes will be gently pressed immediately in the winery with little or no skin contact

Method 3: The juice before fermentation will be clarified through sedimentation (settling) and kept clean

Method 4: Inert vessels are used (such as stainless steel or epoxy resin lined cement vats) to ensure reductive winemaking through anaerobic conditions and easy for temperature
control

Question 4

For style and quality, what are in common and what are the differences for above 2 wines?
(4 marks)

Wine A: Dr Loosen Riesling Beernauslese
Wine B: Dr Loosen Bernkasteler Lay Riesling Eiswein

Answer 4

In common

• Both of them are sweet with high acidity and low in alcohol
• Both of them are premium with outstanding quality

Differences

• Wine A noble rot adds it complexity aromas and flavours of honey, dried fruits, orange peels, marmalade
• Wine B with pure, highly concentrated varietal character

Question 5

B. What are the natural factors and human influences in vineyard make them different in style? (3 marks)

Wine A: Dr Loosen Riesling Beernauslese
Wine B: Dr Loosen Bernkasteler Lay Riesling Eiswein

Answer 5

• Wine A needs humidity in the morning, sunshine afternoon to generate botrytis on the healthy ripe grapes, this concentrates acid and sugar through evaporation. Grape must pick
by hand to select the best grapes and pickers need to pass through vineyard for several times as the spread of noble rot is never uniform

• Wine B needs very low winter temperature enable the grapes to freeze on the vine

Question 6

What are the common human influences in winery to handling them?

Wine A: Dr Loosen Riesling Beernauslese
Wine B: Dr Loosen Bernkasteler Lay Riesling Eiswein

Answer 6

Both of them are made from Riesling, aromatic grapes and juice need to be handled carefully to retain the freshness.

Juice must keep pure and clean by gentle method such as settling, as any blemish in the juice will be mask the fruit flavours.

Inert vessels or large old oak vessels are using to let the wine have less contact with oxygen.

Cool fermentation temperatures encourage the formation of primary fruit aromas and flavours in the wine.
High acidity is desirable so MLF is avoided by adding sulphur dioxide.