Sparkling, Sweet and Rosé Flashcards
What are the Different Types of Sparkling Wine?
Continuous method
Charmat method
Tank method
Carbonation
Traditional method (Champenoise)
Transfer method
What is the Traditional Method?
Also known as:
Méthode Champenoise
Méthode Traditionnelle
Methode Cap Classique (South Africa)
Metodo Classico (Italy)
Klassische Flaschengärung (Germany)
✅ Secondary fermentation in the bottle
✅ Aging on lees for complexity & yeasty notes
✅ Riddling & disgorging to remove lees
✅ Dosage added for sweetness adjustment
Examples: Champagne, Cava, Franciacorta, some Sekt
What is Carbonation?
💨 Artificial CO₂ injection into still wine
❌ No fermentation involved
❌ Least expensive, lowest quality method
Used for: Cheap bulk sparkling wines
What is the Ancestral Method? (PetNat)
✅ Fermentation stopped at low temp (0ºC)
✅ Bottled before fermentation finishes
✅ No dosage added
✅ Sometimes disgorged, sometimes not
Variation: Diose Ancestrale – wine filtered in a pressurized tank instead of riddling & disgorging
What is the Continuous Method?
Also called: Russian Method 🇷🇺
✅ Yeast continuously added in a pressurized tank
✅ Moves through different tanks for yeast enrichment
✅ Quick process (~1 month)
✅ Produces consistent, clear sparkling wine
Key Factors in Choosing a Sparkling Wine
✅ Base wine – region, variety, maturity
✅ Aging on lees – enhances complexity
✅ Dosage – adjusts sugar/acidity balance
✅ Level of CO₂ & pressure – affects texture & sensation
✅ Production method – impacts flavor profile
Champagne Sweetness Levels (Residual Sugar)
From driest to sweetest:
1️⃣ Brut Nature / Zero Dosage → 0-3 g/L (No sugar in liquor)
2️⃣ Extra Brut → 0-6 g/L
3️⃣ Brut → 0-12 g/L
4️⃣ Extra Dry → 12-17 g/L
5️⃣ Dry → 17-32 g/L
6️⃣ Semi-Sweet / Demi-Sec → 32-50 g/L
7️⃣ Sweet / Doux → >50 g/L
💡 Mnemonic to Remember Order:
👉 “Brut, Even Brutal, Brutal Extra Dry, Dry Semi-Sweet Sweet!”
(B → EB → Br → ED → D → SS → S)
What is Brut Nature?
✅ 0-3 g/L sugar
✅ No added sugar after disgorging
✅ Bone-dry taste
How does harvest date impact wine?
✅ Later harvest =
↑ Alcohol (ABV)
↑ AF length
↑ Residual sugar
↑ pH & volatile acidity
↑ Banana (isoamyl acetate) & rose aromas (PEA - Phenyl-ethyl acetate)
↑ Color depth
✅ Earlier harvest =
↑ Acidity (TA)
↑ Tartaric acid (TH2)
↑ Malic acid (MH2)
Mnemonic: “Late = Low Acid, Deep Color, More Sugar & Alcohol!”
Where do key grape components come from?
Juice → Sugars, acids, aromas, oxydases
Skins → Anthocyanins, tannins, potassium, aromas, oxydases
💡 Skin contact = More color & tannins
How does temperature affect maceration?
Lower temp = Slower extraction (More control, delicate aromas, less color)
Long maceration = More potassium (Reduces acidity by binding tartaric acid)
🔹 Cooler is better!
Press Fractions & Color
✅ Free-run juice = Light pink, very clear
✅ P1+P2 press = More red, lower volume
✅ Last press fraction = Very dark, almost as much volume as free-run
💡 The deeper the press, the darker the juice!
Adapting the Press Cycle
Automatic cycle → More juice, more haziness & color
Sequential cycle → Lower pH, higher TH2, better control
Clarification Methods
✅ Static → Sedimentation & racking
✅ Dynamic → Flotation (gas injection lifts must lees)
🔹 Enzymes (pectolytic) = Lower viscosity
🔹 Finings (protein/mineral) = Cleaner must
Risks of Poor Clarification
Not clarified enough → Deep color, unbalanced acidity, less aroma finesse
Too clarified → Low turbidity, nutrient depletion, hard fermentation
Yeast Nutrient Rule
✅ 1 mg/L YAN → Needed to ferment 1 g/L sugar
💡 Important for fermentation control!
Risks of Long Fermentations
↑ Volatile acidity (VA)
Logistics issue (Need free tanks & cool temps)
💡 Faster = Safer!
How can we define a rosé wine?
As a red grape vinified as white.
What’s the difference between noble rot and grey rot?
The difference between noble rot and grey mold, is that in dry conditions, the botrytis colonization is limited, so the fungus doesn’t reach its vegetative state. In dry conditions, noble rot colonization is limited, concentrating sugars by consuming part of the content and humidity.
What environmental conditions contribute to the development of Botrytis (noble rot) in Sauternes winemaking?
The river side creates fog due to evaporation and condensation, promoting the development of noble rot.
How does Botrytis affect the acidity in grapes?
Botrytis consumes tartaric, citric, malic, and acetic acids, producing gluconic acid, altering the juice balance.
What is the effect of noble rot on the protein and amino acid content in grapes?
Noble rot decreases ammonium and amino acids by around ¾, reducing protein content.
Why are Botrytis-infected wines difficult to filter?
Due to the presence of high molecular weight glucans produced by the fungus, which disperse into the must during crushing and pressing. Beta 1-3 glucanases, which break down glucans and improve filtration.
What is the maximum volatile acidity (VA) in noble rot grapes?
The maximum VA is higher than in normal wines, reaching up to 1000 volatiles in healthy grapes vs. 3000 in noble rot grapes.
