Sparkling Wine Flashcards

1
Q

Basic grape requirements for Sparking Wine?

A

Relatively low sugar levels (picked early)
High Acid (picked early. Cool climate)
Ripe enough for fruit

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

Quality sparkling wine grapes…
How picked?
Crushed?
Pressed?

A

Whole bunches, picked by hand (mandatory for Champagne)
NOT crushed at all (don’t need the colour)
Gently pressed (EU has max. pressures)

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

Why pick whole bunches for quality sparkling wine?

A

Minimise the colour and tannin from the red grapes being pressed.

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

Name the five methods of making sparkling wine.

A
Traditional (three names for this btw: cava, cremant, cap classique)
Transfer
👆🏼——— above have bottle fermentation 
Tank
Carbonated
Asti
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Basic steps for Traditional

A
  • Press (gentle)
  • First fermentation -> base wine, complete dryness.
  • (Option of MLF and/or oak maturation)
  • Blending
  • Second fermentation (liqueur de tirage)
  • Yeast autolysis
  • Riddling (pupitre or gyropalette)
  • Disgorgement (liqueur d’expédition, dosage)
  • Cork and cage
  • Bottle ageing
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

How does the Transfer method differ from Traditional?

A

All the same upto and including second bottle fermentation.
Rather than riddle and disgorge, the wine gets poured into a tank, filtered and liqueur d’expedition (dosage) is added.
Then bottled.

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

How might a label indicate Transfer Method rather than Traditional?

A

Often states “Bottle fermented” as opposed to “méthode traditionnelle”

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

Which flavours differentiate Transfer and Traditional method sparklers?

A

The bready, yeasty notes from the yeast autolysis in the quality wine.

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

The Tank method benefits which types of grapes?

A

Aromatics.

The tank preserves the fruit flavours of, for instance, Muscat, Reisling or Glera (Prosecco)

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

Would an aromatic tank made sparkler have had any MLF or oak?

A

Nope.

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

The Asti method.

Basic steps?

A
  • Press grapes
  • Chill juice
  • Store until needed
  • Warm up the juice and ferment in tanks
  • Seal tanks after a bit to carbonate
  • At c.7 degree ABV, chill wine, filter, bottle and flog
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Basics of Carbonation

A
  • Make still wine
  • Blend
  • Add CO2
  • Bottle
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

EU Sweetness Terms…

Name the three and the residual sugar levels

A

Brut Nature ….. 0 to 3g/L (Dosage free)
Brut …………….. 0 to 12g/L

Demi-Sec ……. 32 to 50g/L

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

How does sparkling Rosé become rosey?

A

Blending red and white.
Maceration.
Liqueur d’expédition

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

Traditional method sparkling wine may usually spend how long on the lees?

A

Between four and five years

But as long as ten

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

Lees contact of wine is said to benefit the wine how?

A

It’s freshness

🤔

17
Q
Time spent on lees.
Champagne : 
Cremant, Saumur, Vouvray, Cava : 
Cap Classique : 
California :
A
(In months)
Champagne : 12
Cremant, Saumur, Vouvray, Cava : 9
Cap Classique : 9 to 12
California : 60+
18
Q

Name two sparkling appellations from the Loire Valley

A

Vouvray

Cremant de Loire (from Saumur)

19
Q

Cava is easier to drink that Champagne because…

A

…of its lower acidity.

A few are aged on the lees £££

20
Q

Asti… comes from which part of Italy?

A

From left to right…
A (asti) from Piedmont P (prosecco) from Veneto
N o r t h W e s t N o r t h E a s t

21
Q

Asti is made from….
Tastes of…
ABV?

A

Muscat à Petits Grains
Fruity, peachy, grapey, floral
7% ABV

22
Q
Prosecco.
Best area...
Made from...
Production method...
Tastes...
A
Conegliano-Valdobbiadene DOCG
(a couple of towns)
Grape: Glera
Tank method
Fresh green apple, melon
(Sweetness from interrupted fermentation)
23
Q

Sekt.
Method:
Difference between “Sekt” and “Deutscher Sekt”.

A

Tank
Grapes for “Sekt” can come from France and Italy.
“Deutscher Sekt” grapes must come from Germany

24
Q

Australian sparkling wines from which three areas?

A

Adelaide Hills
Yarra Valley
Tasmania

25
Q

Australian sparkling wine method?

Grapes?

A

Traditional

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir

26
Q

New Zealand sparkling…
From ?
Grapes ?
Method ?

A

From Marlborough
Grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot (all New World sparklers use only these at L3)
Method: Traditional
The maritime climate and cool sea breezes allow a long ripening peroid

27
Q

South Africa call their traditional method…

A

Cap Classique

28
Q

USA areas?
Grapes ?
Lees autolysis peroid?

A

Los Carneros (winds)
Anderson Valley (latitude, altitude)
Grapes: chip and pin. As usual
Can be 60 months (FFS)