Short Answer Study Flashcards
Below are 3 Chianti DOCGs. What is the minimum ageing for each? (3 Marks)
Chianti Classico DOCG
Chianti Classico DOCG Riserva
Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG
Chianti Classico DOCG has a minimum 12 months ageing.
Chianti Classico DOCG Riserva has a minimum 24 months ageing.
Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG has a minimum 30 months ageing
Below are 4 DOCG Chianti´s. Describe how they differ from each other in term of the source of fruit. (4 Marks)
Chianti DOCG
Chianti DOCG & Sub-Region
Chianti Classico DOCG
Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCChianti DOCG is typically a blend from any sub-region of Chianti.
Chianti DOCG & sub Region wine comes from the region on the label.
Chianti Classico DOCG is the original region that Chianti first originated from. It has its own DOCG and is not a sub-region of Chianti DOCG.
Chianti Classico Gran Selezione DOCG grapes must be sourced from a single estate in the Classico region.
Describe the style of Valpolicella Classico and any key wine making technique used to make it. (3 Marks)
Valpolicella Classico
Valpolicella Classico is a light fruity wine.
Valpolicella Classico is low in tannins.
Valpolicella Classico is high in acidity.
Valpolicella Classico is made using classic wine making with pre-fermentation maceration.
Valpolicella Classico is fermented to dry.
Recioto della Valpolicella (2 Marks)
Recioto della Valpolicella is a sweet wine.
Recioto della Valpolicella is made using grapes that are dried first (Passito), decreasing the water and increasing the concentration of sugar, acidity and flavour.
Recioto della Valpolicella´s fermentation stops naturally and a sweet wine is made.
Amarone della Valpolicella
Amarone della Valpolicella is a dry wine.
Amarone della Valpolicella is high in alcohol.
Amarone della Valpolicella is made using grapes that are dried first (Passito), decreasing the water and increasing the concentration of sugar, acidity and flavour.
Valpolicella Ripasso
Valpolicella Ripasso is a deeper version of Valpolicella Classico.
Valpolicella Ripasso is more tannic version of Valpolicella Classico.
The residual skins used to make Amarone are separated and added to Valpolicella Ripasso juice.
What effect on the wine do the soils of Valpolicella have in the northern foothills, where the soils are limestone, clay and volcanic?
Limestone and clay cool the soils. This slows down the sugar/acidity ripening. The wines are more acidic
What effect on the wine do the soils of Valpolicella have in the South, where the soils are gravel and sandy soils?
Gravel soils tend to heat up and speed up the sugar/acidity ripening. The wine will be fruitier and less acidic.
Compare Los Carneros with Rutherford with regard to climate influences and grapes typically grown
- Both are on valley floor
- Both are influenced by the morning cooling fog
- Carneros is cooler with cooling ocean breezes, cooler climate grape varities including Pinot Noir & Chardonnay
- Rutherford is warmer & produces Cab Sauv and Chardonnay in a richer, more powerful style
Compare and contrast Mt. Veeder to Howell Mountain
Compare:
- Both in Napa Valley
- Both have their own AVA
- Not affected by fog
- Both grow Cab Sauv
- Both are hills & slopes that protect from rain and frost
Contrast:
- Mt. Veeder faces East and is relatively cooler
- Howell Mtn faces west and gets more evening sun
- Howell mtn grapes are higher alcohol and full bodied
Describe natural factors comparing Rutherford and Mt. Veeder
- Rutherford is below the fog line, giving cooler mornings
- Mt. Veeder is above the fog line, giving bright sunshine all day long
- Mt. Veeder is facing towards the east, cooling during the heat of the day
Describe a high end wine from Saint-Emilion
- Red wine, merlot & cab franc
- Med to high tannin
- Soft, rich mouth feel
- red berry fruit and plum aromas that evolve into tobacco and cedar
What are the 3 grape varieties used in a Sauternes and what does each grape contribute to the blend
- Semillon : thick skin, susceptible to botrytis, capable of aging
- Sauv Blanc : acidity & fruitiness
- Muscadelle : aromas of exotic perfume
Name 3 premium New World regions that grow pinot noir
- Los Carneros/Sonoma - USA
- Yarra Valley - Australia
- Walker Bay - S. Africa
Selecion de Grain Nobles (SGN)
- Made only from ONE of the four noble varities
- made only in excellent vintages in small quantities
- always sweet
- must show botrytis
Vendages Tardives (VT)
“Late Harvest”
- Made from any of the 4 noble varieties
- dry, off-dry or med sweet
- grapes will have undergone passerillage
- may or may not show botrytis
How do growers deal with Mistral
- Vines are often tied to a single stake or a teepee like arrangement of stakes. This catches the wind less
- wines are often below a ridge on south-facing slopes protected from the mistral
Name the four common red grapes used in Bordeaux and describe where they are grown and what they give to the final blend
1) Cabernet Franc: prefers well drained soils, used in blends in St. Emilion. Gives vibrant fruit and floral notes when fully ripe. Lighter in body than Cab Sauv.
2) Merlot: prefers cooler clay soils, grown throughout Bordeaux but dominates Right Bank. Gives roundness to blends.
3) Cabernet Sauvignon: Left bank in Haut medoc and graves. Gives structure and black currant flavor to wines.
4) Petit Verdot: Left bank. Does not fully ripen each year. Gives deep color, tannins and spicy notes to a blend.
SO2 is widely used in the vineyard and during wine making, give two reasons to use it and an example of each
Anti Oxidant:
- such as powder, on newly picked grapes
- during winemaking, just before bottling
Anti Septic:
- Kill of stray bacteria
- Kill of wild, unwanted yeasts
Explain what bound SO2 is
Bound SO2 is SO2 that has been added to juice or wine and has reacted with oxygen. This has an anti oxidant effect on the wine.
Describe sedimentation and filtering, then discuss why they would or would not be suitable for a simple, cheap wine
- Sedimentation is the process of allowing any particles in the tank to slowly sink to the bottom
- Filtering is the process of removing particles from the wines through a filter
- Sedimentation takes too long, not suitable for cheap wines
- Filtering is suitable, quick and efficient
When does pre-fermentation extraction occur, how does it change the wine and is it suitable for a cheap, simple wine?
- Pre-fermentation extraction is where the crushed grapes are held at a low temp before fermentation
- Fruit flavors and color are extracted from the grape and passed to the juice with little tannin
- Would be suitable for a cheap, simple wine
Describe what a hybrid is. What are they often used for in vineyards and why are they suitable
A hybrid is a vine whose parents come from two different vine species, typically between vitis vinifera and American vitis species
It is more common to use a hybrid variety as a root stock
some may provide drought and pest resistance
What is cloning?
How will the fruit vary?
How do clones vary?
- A clone is a genetic identical copy of a parent plant
- The fruit from a newly planted vine will produce genetically identical fruit and the plant will have the same characteristics as the parent
- Over time, clones may mutate and produce slightly different characteristics from other clones. If the new characteristics are desirable the mutation may be carried forward, this is known as clonal selection.
Describe how sugars are created
Then describe two ways after fruit set that a viticulturist could speed up the build up of sugar in the grapes
- Sugars are created by leaves in the plant through the process of photosynthesis and spread to the grape
- Canopy management: removed unwanted leaves and refocus sugar concentration into the grapes
- Green harvesting: remove under ripe or unwanted grapes
What happens shortly after Veraison but before Harvest?
Ripening happens before harvest but after veraison.
grapes swell and fill with water, sugar levels increase, acid levels decrease. Color, flavor, tannins all accumulate at this time.
For the vine describe what and when Veraison occurs?
Veraison is the time in the vineyard cycle when grapes begin to ripen and change color.
- Red grapes turn from green to red to purple
- white grapes turn from green to translucent and golden
it occurs 6-8 weeks after fruit set.
July - Sept in N. Hempishere
Jan - March is S. Hempishere
Describe carbonic maceration
- uses whole bunches of grapes placed into vats that are subsequently filled with CO2, removing all oxygen
- grapes begin intracellular fermentation and the sugar begins converting to alcohol inside the grape
- when alcohol reaches around 2% the grapes split, releasing the juice in contact with yeast
- color is extracted but tannins are not
What is the traditional gobelet pruning method
Gobelet is a form of bush vine
It is a spur pruned system with multiple spurs around the head of the vine
After bud burst, shoots are tied together to keep the vines vertical
Describe a Muscadet Sevre et Maine wine
White wine made from the Melon Blanc grape with a maximum 12% alcohol. The wine displays high acidity, light body and subtle green fruit flavors.
Describe a wine from Cote-Rotie and the grapes used
Grapes used: Syrah, up to 20% viognier may be added
Deeply colored elegant wines, full bodies and spicy. The best show floral aromatics and a textural elegance that distinguishes them from Hermitage
What are the characteristics of the Viognier grape?
Full bodied white wine with perfumed aromas of blossom and apricots, low acidity, and high alcohol with an oily texture. Can reach very high sugar levels but loses its acidity.
Describe a wine from Bandol
Mourvedre-based red wine that is dark, full-bodied with powerful tannins, bramble, meat and spice flavors. Requires bottle age before they show their best.
Describe the style of Valpolicella Classico and any key wine making technique used to make it
- Light fruity wine, low in tannin, high in acidity
- made using classic wine making with pre-fermentation maceration
- fermented to dry
What are Alentejo and Alentejano
- Both are wine regions in the South of Portugal
- Alentejano is a DOC (DOP, PDO)
- Alentejo is a Vinho Regional (IGP)
Why is spur pruned VSP preferred in Vinho Verde?
- Vinho Verde has a maritime climate and is wet and humid
- VSP helps to keep the vines apart and create airflow to minimise rot.
- The high rainfall causes excessive canopy growth encouraging disease and requires more care to the canopy.
- Spur pruned VSP is a method of trellising. Trellising allows for mechanisation to help manage the costs of canopy management
What climatic hazards are common in Burgundy?
Spring frosts
Summer hailstorms
Rain
Rain during flowering
Rain in early summer
Rain during harvest
Give two characteristics that make Burgundy’s black grape suitable for production in Burgundy and give one problem the grape suffers from.
Good: Pinot Noir is an early budding variety
Good: Pinot Noir is an early ripening variety
Problem: Pinot Noir is susceptible to Grey Rot (mould or fungi is acceptable)
Semi-carbonic maceration is common in the production of premium red wine in Burgundy. Explain the process
Vats are filled with whole bunches
Grapes at the bottom are crushed and juice is released
The juice at the bottom and ambient yeast start fermenting
CO2 from the alcoholic fermentation fills the tank
Remaining berries undergo carbonic maceration (intracellular fermentation)
Over the next few days the grapes are progressively punched down, crushing the grapes resulting in less carbonic maceration (intracellular fermentation) and more alcoholic fermentation
How does semi-carbonic maceration alter the premium red wines from Burgundy?
Gives a silkier texture to the wine
Brighter, fresher fruit character
Why is adding stalks sometimes used in the production of premium Burgundy but rarely used in the production of premium reds from the left bank of Bordeaux?
Pinot Noir has thin skins and can lack tannins. The stalks help to increase the tannins.
Cabernet Sauvignon stems give astringent tannins and an undesirable herbaceous flavour.
Cabernet Sauvignon has a thick skin producing wines with high tannins, so extra tannins are not required.
In which region and sub-region are Savennières & Coteaux de Layon both located?
Loire Valley - region
Anjou Saumur – sub-region
What is the grape variety used in both Savennières and Coteaux de Layon wines?
Chenin Blanc
Describe the style of a typical Coteaux de Layon wine
A sweet wine
high acidity marmalade (botrytised) flavours apricot (botrytised) flavours pineapple flavours lemon flavours
Describe a typical Savennières wine.
a dry wine
full bodied high acidity lemon flavours apple flavours pineapple flavours
Using Germany´s Pradikat system, what would Savennières typically be classed as?
Spätlese (late harvest)
Using Germany´s Pradikat system, what would Coteaux de Layon typically be classed as?
Beerenauslese
Trockenbeerenauslese
What is the equivalent description from Alsace for a Savennières?
Vendange Tardive (late harvest)
When making a wine with low alcohol, what are three ways that could stop the fermentation?
Adding a high dose of SO2 will kill the yeast.
Chill & filter. Chilling stops fermentation and filtering removes the yeast, making the wine stable.
Juice made from very concentrated grapes will naturally stop fermenting. This is because the yeast struggles to survive in very sugary environments.
What two types of wine could benefit from decanting?
Older wines that have thrown a sediment
Younger wines
Describe how to decant an old bottle of wine.
Remove the bottle horizontally from the rack
Place in a decanting basket or hold the bottle carefully not to agitate the deposits
Very gently remove the capsule
Clean the neck of the bottle
Gently remove the cork
Hold the bottle in front of a light
Decant the wine, stopping when the deposits can be seen in the neck of the bottle
Explain how a Valpolicella Ripasso wine is made
The unpressed skins from an Amarone wine after fermentation are added to a basic Valpolicella, the wine then undergoes a second fermentation which adds alcohol, tannins and complexity
What grape is used in the GAVI DOCG and what kind of wine does it produce
Cortese grape to produce wines that are pale and light-bodied with high acidity and aromas of citrus, green apples, and pears
Describe a Barolo DOCG wine
Red wine made from Nebbiolo with high acidity, high tannins, with perfumed aromas of sour cherry, herbs, and dried flowers.
Some Barolos are matured in small oak barrels, and most benefit from further aging in bottle.
What does the term “classico” mean on a label
Classico acknowledges wines that have been made solely from the original classified land and includes many of the best wines from the area
List the differences between a Chianti Classico Riserva and a Brunello di Montalcino
- Chianti: 20% of other grape varities are allowed in the blend and the wine must be from the Chianti region and aged for a minimum of 24 months, 3 of which are in bottle.
- Brunello: Must be 100% sangiovese and from the Montalcino region, the climate produces concentrated wines that have a minimum aging requirement of 5 years, 2 in oak
What 3 regions make up the toe, instep, and the heel in the boot of Italy?
Calabria - Basilicata - Puglia
Describe a wine coming from the Taurasi DOCG
Red wine from the Aglianico grape that is deeply colored with high acidity and tannin. Flavors of black fruit. It is matured in oak and develops earthy, forest floor flavors in the bottle.
List two DOCG white wines from Campania
Fiano di Avellino
Greco di Tufo
Describe a typical Orvieto DOC wine
White wine made from Grechetto and Trebbiano that is light in body with medium to high acidity and flavors of ripe grapefruit and peaches
Describe a typical wine coming from the Priorat DOQ
Red wines from Garnacha and Carinena that are deeply colored with high tannins, medium to high alcohol, and concentrated black fruit often accompanied by toasty aromas from new French Oak
Describe a classic white Vinho Verde wine
White wines that are pale lemon in color, high acidity, and low in alcohol. They may be off-dry and often have a slight sparkling sensation that enhances their freshness.
What are the 3 main grapes used in a typical red wine from the Alentejo region
Aragones
Trincadeira
Alicante Bouschet
In what county lies Santa Maria Valley AVA and what 2 grapes is it well suited for growing?
Santa Barbara County
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
Describe a Zinfandel
Red wine that is full-bodied with high alcohol and sometimes small amounts of residual sugar. Flavors include red and black fruits, dried berries, and liquorice.
What features influence the climate in the Casablanca Valley and San Antonio Valley in Chile?
- Proximity to Pacific ocean
- Mountains
- Morning fogs
- Afternoon winds
Name 3 important grape growing areas in Mendoza, Argentina
- Uco Valley
- Lujan de Cuyo
- Maipu
What region in New Zealand grows Bordeaux varieties and why are they suited there?
Hawke’s Bay - it is the warmest and sunniest region in NZ with diverse soils including gravel soils in the Gimblett Gravels that help to retain heat
Describe a Hunter Valley Semillon
light bodied
low alchohol
high acidity from being harvested early
neutral when young but develops complex flavors of honey, nut, and toast with age
What is the climate of the Worcester district and what styles of wine does it produce?
Hot and dry climate that requires irrigation
Produces high volume reds and white wines
How does the Asti method of production work?
- The grape must is chilled and stored until needed
- When required, the juice is warmed up and the fermentation takes place in pressurized tanks.
- Part way through fermentation, the tank is sealed to trap CO2.
- Fermentation continues until the alcohol reaches 7% and is stopped by chilling the wine which is then filtered under pressure to remove the yeast
What are the ideal conditions for storing wine?
- 10 to 15 C
- on its side if it has a cork
- away from strong light
- away from vibrations
What is the difference between an Oloroso sherry and an Amontillado sherry?
Oloroso: Entirely oxidative aging without the prescense of flor
Amontillado: Aged oxidatively after a period of biological aging
What is a Late Bottled Vintage Port?
Vintage wines that have been aged for between 4 to 6 years before they are bottled. The extra aging makes these wines more approachable on release when compared with a Vintage port.
Describe a Rutherglen Muscat
Sweet to luscious and amber brown in color, these wines are aged oxidatively and shows flavors of caramel, nuts, and raisins while still retaining some of the floral, grapey character of the Muscat grape
What type of climate is most suitable for Traditional Method sparkling wine production and why?
A cool to moderate climate allows grapes to build up sugars and lose acidity slowly, which means the flavours have time to develop beyond herbaceous.
Describe the wine making process in the production of Tokaji
A base wine is made
Aszú berries (botrytis grapes) are added (this can be before during or after fermentation)
Aszú berries are macerated.
Wine and aszú berries (botrytis) are pressed
Wine aged in oak for a minimum period.
