Sparkling Wine Flashcards
What are two ways to add CO2 to make Sparkling wine?
- Bottle Fermentation
- Tank Fermentation
What is the first step in making Sparkling wine?
Make a base still wine
The wine is:
- Dry
- High Acid
- Low Alcohol
When does the CO2 appear in the wine?
During second fermentation
(first fermentation makes the base wine)
How does the winemaker start the second fermentation?
Sugar and Yeast are added to the base wine.
The ABV increase about 1.5%
How is the CO2 retained in the wine?
Sealed Vessel.
Either a sealed tank or a sealed bottle
What is the Traditional Method of making Sparkling Wine?
- Most common
- Champagne or Cava
How does the Traditional Method work?
- Sugar and Yeast placed in bottle
- Bottle sealed with Crown Cap
- Second Fermentation creates CO2
- CO2 dissolved in liquid
- Yeasts also add flavour to wine
What is the famous Traditional Method wine made in Northern France?
Champagne AOC
What are the three grape varieties in a traditional Champagne?
- Chardonnay
- Pinot Noir
- Pinot Meuniere
What is the climate of the Champagne region of France?
- Cool
Creates base wine that is:
- High acid
- Low alcohol
Are Champagne’s a single varietal or blends?
Blends
To maintain consistancy, can be from several vintages.
AKA: Non-Vintage
What is the Legal Minimum a Champagne must spend on the Lees?
12 Months
What is the profile of a non-expensive Champagne
- Dry
- High Acid
- Notes of Apple
- Light autolysis (bread, biscuit)
What is the typical profile of a good quality Champagne?
- Complex flavours
- Green fruit (apple), Citrus (Lemon)
- Autolytic notes (Bread, Biscuit)
What is a Vintage Champagne?
Made from the best grapes
How is a Vintage Champagne different than a regular Champagne?
- Very Complex wines
- Aged in Lees for longer period
- Extended bottle aging after disgorgement
What is the typical profile of a Vintage Champagne?
- Complex
- Pronounced Apple, Citrus Fruit
- Autolytic notes (Bread, Biscuit)
- Notes of Nuts, Honey (from bottle age)
What is Cava?
Spanish term for Traditional Method Sparkling wine
What region do most Cava’s come from?
Catalunya
What grape varieties are used in making Cava?
Mostly local grape varieties.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir permitted
Adds fruit flavours and acidity to base wine
What is the climate of Calatunya?
Warm
Grapes may need to be harvested early to retain high acidity
What is the profile of the Cava base wine?
- Light flavours Apple/Pear
- High Acid
Is Cava aged longer or shorter on the lees (compared to Champagne)?
Shorter.
Gives subtle autolytic character
What other countries are known for Sparkling wine?
- South Africa
- California
- New Zealand
- Australia
What is Method Cap Classique?
The South African term for Traditional Method
What is the Tank Method?
Method of creating a sparkling wine (getting CO2 into it) without adding Autolytic notes.
How does the Tank Method work?
- Base wine put in sealed tank
- Add Sugar and Yeast
- Second Ferment
- Filter Lees
- Bottle under pressure
- Seal with cork and cage
What is an Asti DOCG wine?
Sweet, Low Alcohol wine from Piedmont, Italy
What are the steps in the Asti Method?
- Grape juice put in take with yeast
- CO2 initally allowed to escape
- Tank sealed
- Fermentation stopped by filtering out yeasts
- This keeps the sugar level higher and alcohol low
What is a Prosecco DOC wine?
Sparkling from North-East Italy
Tank Method
What is the grape used in making Prosecco?
Glera
What is the grape used to make Asti DOCG?
Moscato (Muscat)
What is the typical profile of an Asti DOCG sparkling?
- Pronounced floral aromas (blossom)
- Flavours Grape/Peach/Pear
- Fully Sparkling
Does Champagne AOC have to place it’s PDO on the label?
No
One of few EU wine that do not have to
Cava is another one
What are the steps in making Traditional Method Sparkling Wine?
- Base wine made
- Added to bottle with sugar and yeast
- Second Fermentation
- Riddling
- Disgorgement
- Dosage
- Resealing
What is Riddling?
Preparing to remove the yeasts from the sparkling wine
How does Riddling work?
Riddling slowly moves the yeasts to the neck of the bottle.
Slowly adjusting the angle of the bottle so the yeasts drift to the neck
What machine is usually used in Riddling?
Gyropalette
Cube shaped machine that can process hundreds of bottles at a time
What is Disgorgement?
Removing the lees sediment from the bottle
How does Disgorgement work?
- The neck of the bottle frozen
- Crown cap removed
- Pressure from CO2 pops out frozen ice and lees sediment
What is Dosage?
Process of topping up sparkling wine in bottle with wine and sugar mixture
Done before placing cork and cage in bottle (resealing)
What is the term for the liquid added during Dosage?
Liqueur d’Expedition
Does Dosage impact the sweetness of the sparkling wine?
Yes
Dosage is also the amount of sugar added to the sparkling wine, determining it’s final sweetness
What is the difference between Brut and Demi-Sec?
Brut has a small amount of sugar added, but because it’s high acid and has bubbles, wine tastes dry
Demi-Sec is medium sweetness.
