Sherry, Port & Madeira Flashcards
What is the main town of Sherry?
Jerez de la Frontera
Where is Jerez located?
Andalucia, Southern Spain
What is the DO for Sherry?
Jerez y Sanlucar de Barrameda
What are the 3 towns which make up the Sherry triangle?
Jerez de la Fontera
Sanlucar de Barrameda
El Puerto de San Maria
What is the climate of Jerez?
Hot Mediterranean
What is the Poniente and Levante?
A prevailing wind from the west and east respectively in Jerez
What are the 3 soil types of Jerez?
Albariza
Arenas
Barros
What is the makeup of Albariza soils?
60-80% Chalk
Which grape variety performs best on the Albariza soils?
Palomino
What is the makeup of Arenas soils?
Sandier soils with about 10% chalk
What grapes perform best on Arenas soils?
Pedro Ximinez
Moscatel Fino
What is the makeup of Barros soils?
Mostly clay with about 10% chalk
What grapes perform best on the Barros soils of Jerez?
Pedro Ximinez
Moscatel Fino
What are the 3 grape varieties of Jerez?
Palomino
Pedro Ximinez
Muscat of Alexandria (Moscatel Fino)
Roughly how much of total plantings does Palomino account for in Jerez?
94%
Why is Pedro Ximinez ideal for sweet sherries?
It has thick skins ideal for being sun dried
Which region bordering Jerez does most of the Pedro Ximinez come from?
Montilla-Moriles
Which fermentation vessel is used for Sherry?
Stainless Steel Tanks
What ABV range does the base wine of Sherry normally reach?
11-12%
What is the First Classification in sherry?
When the base wines are classified into wines destined for biological aging or oxidative aging in the Autumn just after harvest
Which style of base wine is more likely to be selected for biological aging in sherry?
Lighter, paler base wines with more finesse
What is used to fortify the wines of sherry after fermentation?
95% ABV neutral spirit
What is sobretabla?
When the wines destined for the solera system of sherry are put to one side for a months over the winter
What ABV are wines destined for biological aging in sherry fortified to?
15-15.5%
Why is the ABV so important for creating the biological aging environment?
Flor can only develop on the wines if they have an alcohol range of 15-15.5%. If too low or high, the flor dies and the process fails
What ABV are wines destined for oxidative aging in sherry fortified to and why?
17%
To prevent the growth of flor
What method is used for the sweet wines of sherry?
Sun drying (Appassimento)
When are the sweet wines of sherry fortified?
After fermentation
What are the 3 towns which sherry can legally be stored and aged in?
Jerez de la Fontera
Sanlucar de Barrameda
El Puerto de Santa Maria
What is sherry aged in?
600 Litre oak barrels called butts
How much of the butts are filled with wine in the solera system and why?
5/6 full, to allows for oxygen to impact the wines
Why are the floors of the sherry Bodegas kept wet?
To maintain humidity
What are Criaderas?
They are levels of the Solera System where wines of the same age are stored
What is the Solera?
The final level of the solera system where the final wine is usually taken out from. The oldest wines are in the Solera butts
How does the Solera System?
Wine is taken out from the Solera, and an equal amount is taken out from each butt.
The Solera is replenished by the same amount which was removed from the first criadera, which is the level above the Solera.
The first Criadera is replenished by the second Criadera and so on.
The top Criadera is replenished by the sobretabla wine from the most recent harvest
What is flor?
A collection of yeast strains which forms on top of wines in the Solera System
What does flor feed off and produce?
It feeds off alcohol and nutrients in the wine, and oxygen in the air
It produces CO2 and acetaldehyde, which is the chemical that gives sherry its unique flavour
When during the year is flor most vigorous?
Spring and Autumn, when the conditions are near perfect
Why do biologically aged Solera Systems need to be frequently topped up with wine?
Because the flor is eating the alcohol and nutrients so this needs to be replenished
When should biologically aged sherry be consumed?
Within a year of release
In oxidatively aged sherry, why does the alcohol level increase over time?
As water can evaporate
Is finished Sherry normally from 1 Solera System or multiple?
Multiple
What are the Fino and Manzanilla styles of Sherry?
Dry sherry which has undergone biological aging
What allows a producer to label their wine Manzanilla?
If it is aged in Sanlucar de Barrameda
What aromas are common from Fino & Manzanilla Sherrys?
Citrus, almond, herbs, bready notes
What is the Oloroso style of Sherry?
Dry sherry which has undergone oxidative aging
What aromas are common from Oloroso Sherry?
Toffee, leather, spice, and walnut
What is the Amontillado style of Sherry?
Dry sherry which has undergone biological aging followed by oxidative aging
How are Amontillado Sherrys produced?
The wines are aged biologically and the flor is left to died. Then the wine is fortified ti 17% ABV and fed into an Amontillado Solera System
What is the Palo Cortado style of Sherry?
Dry sherry which has the aromas of an Amontillado and the body of an Oloroso. They are difficult to distinguish from Amontillado and Oloroso Sherry
Which 2 grapes are used to make naturally sweet Sherry?
Pedro Ximinez
Moscatel Fino
How sweet are Pedro Ximinez based sweet Sherrys?
Incredible sweet, often reaching 500g/l residual
What are the 3 sweetened style of Sherry?
Pale Cream
Medium
Cream
What is RCGM?
Rectified Concentrated Grape Must
How are Pale Cream Sherrys made?
They undergo biological aging before being sweetened with RCGM
How are Medium and Cream Sherrys differentiated?
By sweetness levels
What are premium medium and cream Sherry’s sweetened with?
Pedro Ximinez
What are the top 2 age indications for Sherry?
VORS - Vinum Optimum Rare Signatum (Very old rare sherry)
VOS - Vinum Optimum Sigmatum (Very old sherry)
What does the aging terms VORS and VOS indicate for Sherry?
VORS indicates the average age of the blend is 30 years
VOS indicates the average age of the blend is 20 years
What are the average ages of the 2 lesser categories of Sherry?
12 years
15 years
What is the DOC that covers Port?
Porto DOC
What is the river the flows through Porto DOC?
River Douro
What are the 3 subregions of Porto DOC?
Baixo Coro
Cima Corggo
Douro Superiore
Which town do the best Port vineyards surround?
Pinhao
What is the climate of Porto?
Continental
Which mountain range protects inland Porto from the Atlantic Ocean?
Serra do Marao
What are the soils of Porto?
Slate, granite, and schist
What are the best soils for Porto?
Schist
What are socalcos?
Narrow terraces supported by stone walls which hold a few rows of vines on the slopes of Porto
What are patamares?
Terraces built without retaining walls and are large enough for mechanisation
What are vinha ao alto?
Un-terraced vineyards on the shallower slopes of Porto intercut by dirt tracks allowin for mechanisation
What are the 5 important red grapes of Porto?
Touriga Franca
Tinta Roriz
Touria Nacional
Tinta Barroca
Tinto Cao
What are the 4 important white grapes of Porto?
Codega
Malvasia Fina
Rabigato
Viosinho
How ABV is port fermented to?
5-9%
What are the 4 ways of extracting colour and tannin for Port?
Foot Treadin
Autovinifiers
Piston Plungers
Robotic Lagares
What are autovinifiers?
Crushed grapes are put into seal vats
Fermentation creates CO2, which pushes liquid through pipes into a holding tank
When CO2 reaches a certain level, valves release the liquid and the wine washes over the cap
The valve resets and the process continues
This is an extreme version of pumping over
What are piston plungers?
Open topped, stainless steel vats where the cap is pressed down by robotic pistons
What are Robotic Lagers?
Like a piston plugner, but a gantry moves up and down the lager (rectangular tank) with the feet of the plunger copying the motion of foot treading
What are Port wines generally fortified to?
19-22%
What is the spirit used to fortify Port?
Aguardente. I can be no stronger than 77% ABV
Where are Ports generally transferred to for maturation?
Downstream to Villa Nova Gaia
Which 2 styles of port are directly impacted by the maturation vessel used?
Ruby ports are matured in large oak for a short period of time or stainless steel
Tawny ports undergo extended aging in barrels called pipes
What are Ruby Ports?
Blends of Port typically 1-3 years old. They are younger and fresher Ports
What are Tawny Ports?
Ports which are typically 1-3 years old but have had some oxidative aging, though not extensively
What are Reserve/Reserva Ports?
Can be applied to Ruby and Tawny Ports
Wines must be approved by a tasting panel
Tawny Ports must be aged in wood for minimum 6 years
What are LBV Ports?
Late Bottle Vintage
Vintage wines which have been aged 4-6 years before bottling
Similar to Reserve Ruby Ports
How are Tawny Ports Age Indicated?
With 10, 20, 30, or 40 year old indicators
This is an average age of the blend, and the label must say the date of bottling
How are Vintage Ports produced?
A producer must register to release their vintage port in the second year after the harvest, and the wine must be bottled no later than the third year
What is the aging potential for Vintage Ports?
Decades
On average, how many Vintage Ports are there per decade?
3
What is a Quinta?
An estate
What are Single Quinta Vintage Ports?
Single estate ports
What are Colheita Ports?
Tawny Ports made from a single vintage. They are matured in cask for 7 years
Where is Madeira located?
It is a small island of the coast of Portugal
What is the climate of Madeira?
Subtropical/Mediterranean
What is special about the soils of Madeira?
They are enriched with nutrients after a 7 year fire took place in the 15th century which burned down the forests on the island
What is the major grape of Madeira?
Tinta Negra Mole
What are the grapes of Madeira?
Tinta Negra Mole
Sercial
Tarrantez
Beal
Malvasia
Is Madeira usually bottled as a single variety or blend?
Single variety
Where does fermentation take place for Madeira?
Auto vinicators
At what ABV is fermentation stopped for Madeira?
5-6%
What ABV is Madeira fortified to and what spirit is used?
Fortified to 17% using a brandy based spirit at 96% ABV
If a grape variety is labelled on a Madeira, what is the minimum amount that grape must make up of the wine?
85%
What are Estufas?
Large tanks with coils inside to heat the wine in Madeira
What is the purpose of using Estufas?
They heat the wine to 40-50 degrees and allow it to cool for a period of 90 days in order to recreate the temperature conditions on a sailing ship
What is the Canteiro process in Madeira?
Casks are filled with wine and placed on rooftops of wine storage rooms for roughly 18 months. The casks are then moved to cooler parts of the building
What is the Sercial style of Madeira?
The driest style
Grapes come from above 800m
What is the Verdehlo style of Madeira?
Darker, medium dry style
Grapes are grown 400-600m
What is the Boal style of Madeira?
Darker than Verdehlo
Grapes come from 400m
What is the Malmesy style of Madeira
Malvasia based Madeira
Sweetest style of Madeira
Grapes are grown below 400m
What is rainwater Madeira?
A lighter, drier style of Madeira from a blend of grapes
What are the age requirements for Vintage and Frasquiera Madeira?
Madeiras made from a single grape variety which has been matured for at least 20 years in wood, and 2 years in bottle
What is the Colheita style of Madeira?
Single vintage and single variety Madeiras which have been aged for a minimum 5 years in wood
What are Extra Reserve Madeiras?
Madeira blends where the youngest wine has been aged for 15 years in wood
What are Special/Old Reserve Madeiras?
Madeira blends where the youngest wine has been aged for 10 years in wood
What are Reserve Madeiras?
Madeira blends where the youngest wine has been aged for 5 years in wood
What are Finest Madeiras?
Madeira blends matured for 3 years often in tank
