Sparkling Wine Production Flashcards
Describe the Maillard Reaction
Maillard Reaction takes place between the sugars and the amino acids after liqueur d’expedition. Various processes including Maillard Reaction taking place simultaneously will generate compounds related to the hallmark Toasty, Biscuity, Patisserie aromas found in fine champagne.
What is Autolysis?
Autolysis is the enzymatic breakdown of dead yeast cells. Autolysis commences when the yeast cell has died and starts to break down.
What is Plaque de Muselet?
Plaque de Muselet is the metal disc affixed to the top of the cork.
What is Muselet?
Muselet is the wire cage that holds the sparkling wine cork in place.
What is Moût Concentré Rectifié [MCR]?
Moût concentré rectifié [MCR] is a concentrated and rectified grape must.
*Increasingly preferred by growers used instead of the traditional Dosage/Liqueour d’Expedition of sugar and reserve wine.
What is Dosage/Liqueour d’Expedition?
Dosage/Liqueour d’Expedition is a mixture of pure canesugar or MCR and reserve wine.
What is Pupitre?
Pupitre consists of two heavy rectangular boards hinged together at the top to form an inverted V-shape.
Each board contains 60 holes cut at 45 degrees totaling 120 bottles per Pupitre.
Describe Remuage
The sole purpose of Remuage is to expedite the act of Digorgement on a commercial scale. Eather on a Pupitre, Girasol, or Gyropalatte.
What is Degorgement?
Degorgement is the removal of sediment from the bottle after second fermentation.
Describe Degorgement a la Glace
Degorgement a la Glace is the disgorging of the deposit from the bottle that has passed neck down on a conveyor through freezing brine. The deposit thus captured in a near frozen pellet/Sorbet, then expelled from the bottle.
What is Taille (During Pressing)?
Taille is the second pressing of the grapes during the production of base wine. Composed of 500L of juice directly after the initial 2050L called the Cuvee.
Tartrate Crystals
The precipitation of Tartaric Acid that occurs at low temperatures.
What is TCA?
The common abbreviation of 2,4,6 Trichloroanisole.
Which is a wine fault referred as corked.
What is Liqueur d’ Expedition?
Liqueur d’Expedition is the blend of wine and sugar added to the bottle as dosage just after digorgement during tratitional method wine production. The following sources for surgar can be used:
- Moût concentré rectifié
- Beet
- Sugar Cane
Explain the Trasversage Method
Transversage is the decanting of wine from one bottle to another. This methos is used to bottle 187ml (Piccolo/Split) or Jeroboam and larger format.
What is Prise de Mousse?
The second fermentation is also referred to as the Prise de Mousse which means capturing the sparkle.
What is Sur Pointe?
The Storage of Champagne bottles upside down.
What is Sur Latte?
The storage of Champagne bottles stacked on their side.
Describe Liqueur de Tirage
Liqueur de Tirage is the addition of sugar, yeast, yeast nutrients, and riddling aids such as bentonite at the time of bottling to promote and guarantee a second fermentation.
What is Bidule?
A Bidule is a small plastic pot that collects the dead yeast cells during after riddling.
What is the Second Fermentation Temperature in the bottle during traditional method wine production.
10C [50F] - 12C [54F]
Does the reserve wine used for Dosage in Vintage Champagne production have to be from the vintage in question?
NO
What is a Girasol?
A Girasol consists of a palate sitting on a hexagon frame, which a cellar worker occasionally nudges from time to time.
Describe the Perpetual Blend
Perpetual Blend is a systemof storing reserve wines by blending them together in a single cuvee that is constantly replenished by new wine from the currant harvest.
Describe the characteristics that Chardonnay imparts to the cuvee during assemblage in Champagne production.
Chardonnay is often steely in youth, but has the greates potential of longevity, keeping champagne fresh as it matures. With its linear structure it acts as a skeleton of the cuvee and has the greatest finesse.
Describe the characteristics that Pinot Noir imparts to the Cuvee during assemblage in Champagne production.
Pinot Noir provides much of the structure and body.
Describe the characteristics that Pinot Meunier imparts to the Cuvee during assemblage in Champagne production.
Pinot Meunier imparts flowery and perfume notes as well as youthful fruitiness. However, it lacks firmness and structure. It usually rises to the mid-palate but falls away quickly when used on its own.
What is Rebeche?
The Final pressing of the grapes during the production of the base wines in Champagne. By law, the Rebeche cannot be used for Champagne production and in generally is used for distillate.
What is Degorgement a la Volee?
Disgorging by hand with out freezing.
Describe Saignee Method.
Saigne Method is the process of making rose wine in which the color of the is derived from the maceration of the grapes and not the blending of red and white wines.
What is Vin de Cuvee (During Pressing)?
The first 2050L of juice from a 4000 Kilogram [Marc] press, which represents the finest portion of the pressing.
Explain why the first fermentation of base wines in Champagne production is carried out at warmer temperatures than for normal still wine production?
The essential reason is that the build-up of esters is higher at lower temperatures, which would make estery aromas such as bananas and bubblegum show too prominently in the tasting room, complicating the already challenging task of the assemblage.
What is Poignetage?
The act of shaking the bottles during lees aging.
How does Autolysis effect the wine?
Some of the effects of Autolysis include inhancing the structure, body, and mouthfeel. As well as inhancing the aromatic complexity with aromas such as nutty, toasty, brandy, and pastry.
What is Bille (Champagne Production)?
Encapsulated yeasts are added to the wine with the Liqueur de Tirage before the second fermentation. The Yeasts trapped in the Bille carry out fermentation and after they Autolyze. As they remain captured in the Bille they are easily riddled.
What is a Agrafe?
An Agrafe is the staple or metal clip used to secure the cork before capsules were invented.
Explain Organic Viticulture.
Viticulture practiced with out the use of any synthetic products, wether pesticides, herbicides, or treatments against meladies such as mildew.
Explain Biodynamics
A philosophy of viticulture that not only practices organic methods, eschewing chemical and synthetic treatments, but also seeks to improve the quality and harmony of the ecosystem through the use of homeopathic preparations, as well as aligning vineyard and cellar work with lunar and cosmic calendars.
Explain Lutte Raisonnee
It is the middle path between Conventional viticulture and chemically dependant viticulture with strictly organic farming.
What is Chaptalization?
The addition of sugar to the grape must in order to raise the degree of potential alcohol.
Explain why the Trasnversage method is used to bottle 187ml and Jeroboams and larger formats?
In the case of the Piccolo/Split, the main reason is the impracticality of riddling such small bottles.
And in the case of Jeroboam and larger, is the high incidence of breakage when fermentation takes place. As well as the difficulty to riddle because of the size of the bottle.
Explain the Traditional Method
The Traditional Method indicates a sparkling wine that has undergone second fermentation in the bottle in which it is sold.
Explain Transversage Method/Transfer Method.
The Transversage Method indicated a second fermentation in the bottle, but not the bottle in which it is sold. It is used for commercial quality and the bottling of Piccolo/Splits and Jeroboam and larger format.
Explain the Charmat Method/Cuve Close Method/Tank Method.
Second fermentation in a large tank prior to filtration and bottling under pressure.
Explain Methode Ancestral/Methode Rurale.
Methode Ancestral has NO second fermentation as such merely a continuation of the first fermentation, the wine having been bottled prior to its termination.
Explain the Russian Continuous Method.
The Russian Continuous Method consists of a series of interconnected pressurized tanks. Base still wine and yeasts are fed to the first tank, the fermenting wine then passes into a number of tanks containing wood shavings which are there to collect the dead yeast cells from the current and previous fermentations.
Explain Carbonation Method.
The Carbonation Method is the cheapest method of putting bubbles into a wine. Simply by injecting it with Carbon Dioxide.
Describe the meaning of Bouvreux
Bouvreux is the Second Crop that is usually cause by rain.
On what parallel is the region of Champagne?
The region of Champagne is located along the 48th parallel.
What is the Mean Annual Temperature of the region of Champagne?
The mean annual temperature of the region of Champagne is 50 F.
What are the Four Prunning Methods Permitted in Champagne?
- Chablis
- Vallee de la Marne
- Guyot [Single or Double]
- Cordon de Royat
What is the Limit of pressing set by the CIVC in Champagne?
The CIVC sets a limit of 2550 L per 4000kg of grapes.
- Note that the Cuvee is the first 2050 L and the following 500 L is the Taille.
What is a Marc of Grapes during Champagne production?
A Marc of grapes is the amount held in a traditional Coquard Basket Press.
Define Blocage in Champagne Production
This system of blocage, is where a portion of the harvest will be retained as juice rather than vinified or sold. This wines are held back in case of a deficient harvest and the Blocage wine will be used to replenish wines from emergency vintages to maintain quality.
The CIVC’s goal is for each producers to maintain at least half a vintage worth in wine at any given time.
What the Taille in terms of base wine for Champagne production?
The vin de taille is the second pressing limited to only 500L after the Vin de Cuvee. Usually richer in pigment and tannin, and many producers sell off this lesser component of the must or include it in a minor proportion as a structural element in a blend
