Sparkling Wine Production Flashcards
What are the requirements for growing grapes for sparkling wine ?
Grapes should be relatively low in sugar
- The second fermentation increase the alcohol of 1.2-1.3%
- Therefore, the base wine must be around 10-11%
High acid levels are desired for many sparkling wines
- for refreshing syle
The flavours must stil be sufficiently ripe so they no longer have herbaceous characteristics
In what climate sparkling wine grape varieties grow best ?
Why?
Coolest regions
Because sugar and acid levels happen slowly and at the same time as the changes of grape flavours
Why is warm climate not really suitable for growing sparkling wine grapes?
Sugar levels can rise quickly
and acid levels falls quickly
You can pick early but flaovurs would still be greean
How are harvested grapes for sparkling wine production ?
Hhand picked to retain whol bunches of unsplit grapes
In warm region,for inexpensive wine, machine harvesting is used to picking grapes before they accumulate too much sugar and lose acidity
How are pressed grapes for sparkling wine production?
Pressed as soon as possible at their arrival at the winery
Gentle pressing to minise extraction of tannins and colour
especially important when using black grapes.
The use of whole bunches help, to avoid crushing
In EU, maximum pressure and amount of extracted juice is legislated
What are the 6 methods of making sparkling wine ?
Traditional Method
Transfer Method
Ancestral Method
Tank method
Asti Mehod
Carbonation
In European regions, what determines methods to produce sparkling wines ?
It may be determined by local laws
What is the Traditional Method ?
A method to make sparkling wine
Indicateds a wine that has undergon a second fermentation in the bottle
most often used for premium wine, being costly and time-consuming
What are the steps of the sparkling wine’s traditional method ?
Making the base wine
Blending
Second alcoholic fermentation
Yeast Autolysis
Riddling
Disgorgement and corking
Bottle ageing
Explain the making of the base wine in sparkling wine method ?
First alcoholic fermentation takes palce in large temperature controlled stainless steel vats (Some producre still use oak vats or barrels)
Result in dry base wine, with neutral flavours and high acidity
Can go through malolactic conversion and/or maturation in oak depending on the style
Most base wine are used the year after the harvest
Some base wine are stored fo used in future years , called “reserve”
Explain the functions of blending in sparkling wine method?
Give examples
- Aim for a particular house style
- Improve the balance of the wine
- Enhance the complexity
Blending from different vineyards /varieties/vintages help achive style
Chardonnay could bring citrus and finess, wheras pinot noir brins body
Old reserve wines brings dried fruit to fresh flavours. Oak wines bring spices, and texture, etc.
TExplain the second alcoholic fermentation in sparkling wine Traditional method ?
Small proportion of Liqueur de tirage is added
bottle is closed with a crown cap with a plastic cup insert
Bottles are stacked horizontally at cool temperature
Slow fermentation takes place
alcohol is raised by 1.2 -1.3% and the C02 generated by the yeast dissolves into the wine creatin the sparkle
Creates pressure in the bottle equivalent to 5to6 atmospheres
What is liqueur de tirage ?
A mixture of wine, sugar, yeast, yeast nutrients and clarifying agent
Used in the second alcoholic fermentation in the sparkling wine traditional method
Explain the Yeast autolysis in sparkling wine method
in traditional method
After second alcoholic fermentation, the yeast die and form a sediment of lees in the bottle
Over months, the dead yeast cells strat to break down releasing chemical compounds into the wine , process known as yeast autolysis.
Gives the wine bread, biscuit and toasty notes
More active over the first 4-5 years
Wines that spend a lot of time on their lees will develop more yeast character
Once autolysis is complete Keeping the lees in contact with the wine can maintain its freshness for years, but
most of the time, yeast is removed before autolysis is complete
Explain riddling in sparkling wine method ?
After the period of maturation, in traditional method
Moving the bottle very slowly from a horizontal to an inverted vertival position.
They yeast sediment is dislodged and slides down the side of the bottle, collecting in the plastic cup insert in the crown cap.
Traditionallly : By hand on a- frame rack called “pupitre” but very labor intensive, can take 8 weeks to complete
Now : mechanised hydraulic “gyropalette” that can manage 500 bottles at and time. Complete in a matter of days
Explain the disgorgement in sparkling wine method ?
In traditional method
neck of the bottle is submerged in a very cold solution wich freezes the wine in the neck.
Bottle are inverted to normal position and sediments stay in place
crown cap seal is removed and the pressure ejects the frozen wine, sediment and plastic insert
The wine is then topped up with Liqueur d’expédition and sealed with a cork held secure by a wire cage
process is mechanized and last a matter of seconds to avoid loss of pressure and oxidation