Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

WSET Level 2 > Section 1: Factors affecting wine style, quality and price > Flashcards

Section 1: Factors affecting wine style, quality and price Flashcards

main factors include variety, environment, harvest technique, winemaking and maturing technique

1
Q

what does grape variety determine

A 
large part of the character
flavours and colour 
sugar (alcohol) 
acidity
tannins
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

what aspects of the environment impact grapes (overview)

A

climate, weather, sunlight, water, warmth, nutrients

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

what does a vine need in order to produce a healthy crop

A

CO2, sunlight, water, warmth and nutrients

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

what does climate mean in the context of vine environment

A

the weather conditions (temp, rainfall, sunshine) we can expect in a typical year

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

what are the three climate categories that wine production can be divided into

A

hot, moderate and cool

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

what determines the climate of a wine region (main one and two other factors)

A

the latitude

altitude and proximity to ocean

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

how does latitude affect climate

A

closer to the equator means warmer - eg comparing south africa to germany

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

how does altitude affect climate

A

a region at high altitude will have a cooler climate than a region closer to sea level, even if they share teh same latitude

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

influence of ocean on a wine region

A

dependent on temp of water eg. warm ocean in western europe compared to same cooler noth america (similar latitude)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

what effect does climate have on the flavour of the grapes

A

ability to ripen. some grapes need a lot of heat to ripen fully (cab sav). others need a moderate or cool climate to avoid over ripening (pinot noir and sav blanc)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

hot climate wine styles/flavour

A

more alcohol, fuller body, more tannin, less acidity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

cool climate wine styles/flavour

A

less alcohol, lighter body, less tannin, more acidity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

what does weather mean in the context of vine environment

A

the weather conditions, in particular in the growing/ripening season. unusually cold or hot weather can affect the style and quality

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

examples of extreme weather conditions and the effect on crops

A

hail, high wind, floods, late frosts - size and quality of crop
hail causes damage to grapes and vines - once skins have been damaged they are very susceptible to rot

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

what is more likely to happen when the grape skins have been damaged

A

they can be susceptible to rot

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

where are ‘vintages’ most important and why

A

regions such as bordeaux and champagne where weather varies greatly from year to year

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

how to counteract differing vintages

A

modern growing and winemaking techniques

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

how do you keep style and quality consistent from year to year

A

blending varieties, sites, villages or regions (especially important for branded wines)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

why is sunlight important to the grape and winemaker

A

source of energy for converting carbon dioxide and water into sugar in the grape
sugar is most important part of the grape - ferments into alcohol

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

how do regions far away from the equator get enough sunlight

A

plant the vines on sloes that angle them towards the sun, or above rivers that reflect sunlight

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

where does water in the vineyard come from

A

rain, ground or irrigation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

what does too much water lead to

A

bloated grapes, bigger crops but diluted flavour and sugar - less alcohol, body and flavour

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

what do vineyards do in areas of high rainfall (ie much of europe)

A

vineyards are on slopes or soils that drain water away quickly (gravel or chalk)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

what do vineyards do where there is insufficient rainfall (ie most of the new world)

A

irrigation - high quality wines only a little is supplemented to ensure sugar production. lower quality wines irrigation increases size of the crop

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
why is warmth needed in the vineyard
producing sugar (not too much or too little)
26
which zone are most of the worlds vineyards found in (+ latitude)
temperate zone between 30 and 50 degrees from the equator
27
how does a vine keep itself cool
evaporating water through its leaves - more rapidly in hot, dry conditions
28
what are the main factors affecting warmth
climate and weather
29
how do soils vary their ability to absorb or reflect warmth
dry, stony soils are warmer than wet clay
30
where do the added nutrients come from
the soil - poorer soil quality result in better quality wine
31
what are the two main factors that affect the quality and style of the raw grape (within the vineyard year)
care taken in the vineyard and the control of yield
32
what vineyard activities help all the grapes ripen fully and at the same time
pruning, controlling number of bunches on each vine, positioning of the leaves (increase or lower temp of bunch), degree of exposure to light
33
what impact do the vineyard activities have on the quality and cost
require expensive and extensive labour which increases the cost and the quality
34
alternative option to labour intensive vineyard work and where this can be done
minimal pruning and maximum mechanisation - only appropriate in regions with large, flat vineyards
35
how does yield affect quality
lower yields generally result in riper grapes with more concentrated flavours
36
what does reducing yield affect
takes time, each kg crop costs more to grow and will need to sell for higher price
37
alternate option of maximising yield - how and why
irrigation to fill the grapes with water - flavours and sugars diluted. cheap and not very interesting
38
impact of pests and diseases on production of healthy grapes
very bad for production
39
animal pests - eg and what they do
birds and insects - damage shoots, buds and leaves, may eat the grapes
40
fungal disease - eg and what it does
mildew or rot - damage green parts of the vines, can spoil grapes
41
what causes long term diseases and what can happen
fungi, bacteria or viruses. this can reduce yields, inhibit ripening and sometimes kill the vine
42
when does harvest occur
when the grapes have ripened
43
true or false; top quality wines can only be made from hand harvested grapes
false - can be from machine harvested too
44
what is the most important part of the winemaking process and why
fermentation-where the alcohol is produced
45
what is fermentation
when yeast feed on sugars in the grape juice
46
what does fermentation produce
alcohol, carbon dioxide and heat
47
what colour is the flesh of almost all grape varieties
white
48
how is the colour of red and rose varieties obtained
soaing the coloured skins in the fermenting juice
49
what grape colour is rose made from
black
50
what grape colour is white wine made from
black or white
51
what grape colour is red wine made from
only black
52
overview of white wine process
grapes are CRUSHED to break skins PRESSED to separate the juice (must) add YEAST to must (often, not always) to FERMENT for 2-4 weeks
53
where does sweetness in white wines come from
unfermented sugar
54
overview of red wine process
black grapes are CRUSHED to release juice juice and skins are FERMENTED together alcohol helps EXTRACTION of colour, tannins and flavour FREE RUN and PRESSED wine is produced
55
why do you punch down or pump over
to keep the juice in contact with the skin
56
what determines the amount of colour and tannin in the wine
amount of time the wine is kept in contact with the skins
57
how long is skin contact in rich wines eg bordeaux
2+ weeks
58
how long is skin contact in light wines eg beaujolais
as little as 5 days
59
what temp is the fermentation in white wines
12-22 (low)
60
what temp is the fermentation in red wines
20-32 (higher)
61
overview of rose wine process
black grapes, similar process to red wine but fermented at lower, white wine, temp (12-22)
62
average length of skin contact in rose
12-36 hours
63
how is oak contact achieved in fine wines
fermenting or ageing wine in oak barrels
64
alternative ways to oak wine
oak chips or staves
65
cheapest method of adding oak flavours
oak essence
66
american oak vs european oak
french/european is more expensive, more subtle, toast and nutty flavours, smoother tannins american is cheaper, sweet coconut and vanilla flavours, harsher tannins
67
why is oaked wine at a premium
barrels/good quality oak is expensive - particularly new oak. highest quality air dried staves and expert cooperage is expensive. looking after barrelled wine is labour intensive when avoiding spoilage
68
which wines are most often fermented in oak vs aged
chardonnay (including burgundy) is often fermented, red wine is not fermented in barrels, only aged
69
where does maturation take place
barrels, large neutral wooden or stainless steel vats. also bottle after bottling
70
what are the most important changes that occur during maturation
slow chemical reactions that allow complex flavours to develop
71
maturation with oxygen - how and why
oak vats are porous, allowing small amounts of oxygen to dissolve in the wine this soften the tannins in the red - making it smoother
72
what flavours develop from oxygen maturation softening the red wine
toffee, fig, hazelnut, almond, walnut, coffee
73
maturation without oxygen - how and why
bottles, cement and stainless steel vats are airtight adding no flavours - chemical reactions occurring are different to the ones in oak
74
maturation changes in large stainless steel vats
wine flavours are unchanged for months
75
changes in flavour in bottles
much faster - absence of oxygen | fresh fruit -> cooked fruit, vegetal and animal
76
do wines improve in the bottle
no - attractive fruit flavours fade away to nothing | developing vegetal and animal flavours are unpleasant
77
factors affecting cost, overview
vineyard, winery, packaging, distribution and sale
78
how does the vineyard affect cost
land cost - potential for quality amount of mechanised work (impossible in steep vineyards) cost/availability of labour and equipment yield size and degree of selection of grape mateiral
79
how does the winery affect cost
winery equipment and efficiency cost of barrels or other forms of oak flavouring ageing - expensive storage facilities, ties up capital
80
how does packaging, distribution and sales affect cost
``` exchange rates for exported bottles packaging and cartons - unusual is more $$$ transport costs (minimal - sea is cheap) efficiency of distributor profit margins taxes and levies ```
81
ultimate factor determining selling price
how much the consumer is willing to pay - quality must be relative to price

WSET Level 2 (6 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions