Sparkling Wine Production Flashcards
Who is the top producing country of sparkling wines?
France
What is the methode rurale or ancestrale method in sparkling wine production?
How effervescent wine developed at first (completely by accident). An incompletely fermented wine that had been stored in the chill of winter began to re-ferment when the temperatures rose in the spring. This is significant because it does not go through disgorgement.
What is an example of the methode rurale or ancestrale?
This method is still employed in a deliberate way and Blanquette de Limoux and Clairette de Die are examples of this tradition
What are two examples of red sparkling wine?
1) Australia’s sparkling Shiraz’s; made by traditional method from full-skin-contact red Shiraz base wines. 2) Branchetto d’Acqui; from Piedmont region of Italy, this is a sweet, low-alcohol, red sparkling wine from Branchetto grape made with the partial fermentation method.
What does liqueur de tirage refer to?
The mixture of yeast and sugar that are added for the second fermentation
Define cuvee in how it relates to Champagne
(the same word used for the base wine blend, but with a different meaning in reference to Champagne) This comprimises the majority of the juice, from the free run and the first light pressings. It is rich in sutgars and acids and comes from the juciest part of the pulp for premium Champagne production.
Define taille
The is the juice from later pressings (juice from the flesh closer to the pips or the skin). It is lower in acid and sugar and primarily used for semi-sec or extra-dry sparkling wine production as the extra sweetness of the wine will mask its coarser nature
Define rebeche
The juice from the flesh nearest to the pips or skins that is extracted by more powerful pressing after the taille. The rebeche is sent to the distillery to produce spirits or vinegar.
Define debourbage
Juice settling
Define saignee
Running off some of the juice from a red wine fermentation to obtain a lightly pink colored juice or wine
Define prisse de mousse
“setting the foam”: the second alcoholic fermentation
Define pupitre
riddling rack
Define remuage
riddling
Define reserve (in how it relates to Champagne)
Still wine from earlier vintages
Define transversage
Transfer between bottles
Define assemblage
the blending stage
Define tete de cuvee
“cream of the crop” this is the Prestige wine; in theory, the wineries very best wine made only from the earliest part of the first pressing of the most exceptional fruit and treated with extraordinary care.
What are five styles of sparkling wine?
prestige, vintage, non-vintage, blanc de blancs, blanc de noirs, rose
Define autolysis
The process that happens when the yeast cells die and begin to decompose as fermentation ends. The compounds they release create toasty, nutty flavors in the wine.
What are two benefits of sur lie aging?
The longer the wine sits on the dead yeast, the more apparent the nutty and toasty flavors become. Also, longer aging time allows the carbon dioxide to dissolve more thoroughly into the wine which means smaller, finer bubbles.
What’s another term for dosage? What does it refer to?
Liqueur d’expedition: Adding wine to the bottle after disgorgement
in champagne, what are the 7 various categories of sweetness. How much sugar is in the finished wine?
brut nature (sans dosage), no sugar added 5
Traditional champagne bottle sizes: Split
1/4 bottle, 187 milliliters
Traditional champagne bottle sizes: Half or Demi
1/2 bottle, 375 milliliters
