Sparkling Flashcards
What can we expect from sparkling wines from California ?
Climate: Moderate
Production: Both traditional method and transfer method sparkling wine
Style: From dry, medium acidity, medium body to full bodied, high acidity with yeast autolysis.
Flavours: Range from green apple, pear, lemon and lime to complex bready, biscuit flavours coming from the extended yeast contact.
California produces a range of sparkling wines but the best wines use the classic varieties of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier and will be made using both production methods. The wines range in price from mid priced to high priced.
What can we expect from sparkling wines from South Africa ?
Climate: Moderate
Production: Both traditional method and transfer method sparkling wine
Style: From dry,medium acidity, medium body to full bodied, high acidity with yeast autolysis.
Flavours: Range from green apple, pear, lemon and lime to complex bready, biscuit flavours coming from the extended yeast contact.
Méthode Cap Classique is the term used in South Africa to describe sparkling wines made by the traditional method. The best wines use theclassic varieties ofChardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier and will be made using both production methods. The wines range in price from mid priced to high priced.
What can we expect from sparkling wines from Australia ?
Climate: Moderate
Production: Traditional, transferand tank method sparkling wine
Style: From dry, medium acidity, medium body to full bodied with yeast autolysis.
Flavours:Range from green apple, pear, lemon and lime to complex bready, biscuit flavours coming from the extended yeast contact.
All three methods of production are used in Australia but the best wines use the classic varieties of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. These wines range from inexpensive to high priced.
Red sparkling is a speciality from Australia made from Shiraz. These wines are full bodied with medium acidity and intense berry fruit made using the tank method. Some top quality producers use the traditional method.
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What can we expect from sparkling wines from New Zealand ?
Climate: Cool to moderate
Production: Both traditional method and transfer method sparkling wine
Style: From dry, medium acidity, medium body to full bodied, high acidity with yeast autolysis.
Flavours: Range from green apple, pear, lemon and lime to complex bready, biscuit flavours coming from the extended yeast contact.
The best wines use the classic varieties of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier and will be made using both production methods. The wines range in price from mid priced to high priced.
What can we expect from sparkling wines from Spain ?
Climate: Moderate
Production: Traditional method, bottle fermented sparkling wine
Style: Dry,medium acidity and body with very littleautolytic complexity.
Flavours: Mostly neutral with hints of pear andlemon.
Cava is the Spanish term for this production method and can be made anywhere in Spain but the vast majority comes from Catalunya. Local Spanish varieties are used but some producers add a proportion of Chardonnay. The wines are inexpensive to mid priced.
What can we expect from sparkling wines from Italy ?
Climate: Moderate
Production: Tank method sparkling wine
Style: Prosecco isdry to off-dry,medium acidity andmedium body. Asti is sweet, light bodied and low in alcohol.
Flavours: Prosecco shows delicate stone fruit of peach and apricot. Asti has intense floral and fruity notes of peach, grape and roses.
Prosecco is produced in north-east Italy and made from the Glera grape variety. Some wines are lightly sparkling (frizzante) and some are fully sparkling (spumante). Wines range from inexpensive to high priced.
Asti DOCG is produced in Piemonte, north-west Italy from the Muscat grape. These wines are fully sparkling but wines labelled Moscato d’Asti have a light sparkle. Wines range in price from inexpensive to mid priced.
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What can we expect from sparkling wines from Germany ?
Climate: Cool
Production: Traditional method, bottle fermented or tank method sparkling wine
Style: From dry to medium withhigh acidity and light body.
Flavours: Range from green apple, pear, lemon and lime with floral flavours.
Sekt isthe German word for sparkling wine and the wines can range from simple, fruity tank method wines to high quality, bottle-fermented examples. The wines are inexpensive to high priced.
What can we expect from sparkling wines from France ?
Climate: Cool to moderate
Production: Traditional method, bottle fermented sparkling wine
Style: From dry, high acidity, medium bodyto full bodied, high acidity with yeast autolysis.
Flavours: Range from green apple, pear, lemon and lime to complex bready, biscuit flavours coming from the extended yeast contact.
The classic region for this production method is Champagne in France and the climate is cool. The wines arepremium priced. Champagne is produced from either a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Crémant indicates a sparkling wine in France made in the traditional method andare generallyless expensive than Champagne. Some of the best examples of Crémant come from Saumur, made from Chenin Blanc.
What are the possible methods to produce sparkling wines ?
- Bottle fermented methods:
Traditional, transfer method, Méthode Cap classique (SA) - Tank Method
Dry wine, Sweet wine (Asti)
What is Traditional method ? (France, SA, Australia, NZ, Spain, California)
- Base wine
- Bottled with sugar and yeast added
- Second fermentation
- Yeast autolysis (lees) months or years of aging
- Disgorge (with riddling/gyropalette)
- Dosage
What is transfer method ? (California, SA, NZ, Australia, Germany, France)
- Base wine
- Bottled with sugar and yeast added
- Second fermentation
- Yeast autolysis (lees) months or years of aging
- Emptied in tanks under pressure
- Filtration (of lees and yeast)
- Dosage
- Re-bottled
What is tank method for dry wines ? (Prosecco, Sekt)
- Dry base wine
- Sealed pressurised tank
- yeast and sugar added
- 2nd fermentation
- filtered under pressure
- bottled under pressure
What is tank method for sweet wines ? (Asti)
- grape juice
- Sealed press. tank
- yeast added
- 1st fermentation
- Fermentation interruption (by chilling)
- filtered under pressure
- bottled under pressure
