Sparkling Wine Production Flashcards
Describe Methode Rurale/Methode Ancestral
Not fully fermented wine would stored in the chill of winter and would begin to re-ferment when temps rose in the spring.
What is the most famous/highly regarded process for creating sparkling wine? Where is it used?
Traditional, or classic method. In Champagne, France. Also sometimes referred to as Methode Champenoise.
Explain high level what the traditional/classic method entails
Involves producing a base wine, adding measured amount of sugar & yeast, and initiating a second fermentation in a sealed bottle
Before the year ____, wines in the ______ could be labeled Champagne if they appended the place name.
March 2006; United States
What grapes can be used for sparkling wine?
Any but best varieties are those with high acidity and moderate alcohol.
What are the grapes used in Champagne
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Meunier (pinot meunier)
What are the grapes used to make sparkling wine in the Loire Valley?
Chennin Blanc
What are the grapes used to make sparkling wines in Germany?
Riesling
What are the primary grapes used in Spain for Sparkling Wine?
Xarel-lo, Macabeo, and Parellada
Muscat, Brachetto, and Glera are the grapes used in ____ for sparkling wines
Italy; Glera is used for Prosecco and Muscat for Mascato
Australia has made unique sparklers using _____
Shiraz
Name other regions that use the traditional method for their sparkling wines
France - Cremant (outside of Champagne); Spain - Cava & Italy - Franciacorta
About how many days does it take for the second fermentation to complete?
About 30 days
After the second fermentation, the wine is ____ on the ____ to be dissolved and absorbed by the wine.
Aged; lees
Primary difference of grapes used to make the base wine vs other light styled wines is that they are….
harvested early to retain the acidity and lower sugar levels. Also typically hand-harvested to avoid grapes breaking & mixes with skin/stems etc. (less bitterness no color transfer)
What is the common form of pressing for sparkling wines?
Whole berry/cluster pressing
Describe a Traditional Champagne press
Wide flat basket press (sometimes still used today)
The first pressing releases most of the juices with minimal force and is considered the ____ quality.
Finest/Best; The winery’s best wine is often made from that juice
Leftover juice (typically more bitter from stems and seeds) can be used to create
Still wine, fortified wines, spirits, vinegar or other products.
Debourage or the _____ ______ phase, allows sediment to settle.
Juice Settling
The second alcoholic fermentation is known as
Prise de mousse or “seizing the foam”
What is a pupitre and what is it used for?
A wine rack designed for riddling bottles to slowly move sediment/ dead yeast to the cap of the bottle
Riddling is know as
Remuage
The transfer between two bottles is known as
Transversage
Still wine from earlier vintages, used in blending is known as
Reserve
Assemblage is the stage where
wines are blended together to create one or more blends (also called cuvees)
Top quality sparkling wines are often known as
Tete de cuvee or prestige; often turned into vintage wines
Wines produced from a blend or cuvee harvested in the same year are often known as
Vintage; Typically made in exceptional years
Contains cuvees that are produced from more than one year to create consistency
Nonvintage
Blanc de blanc refers to a
white wine made only from white grapes (typically 100% chardonnay)
Blanc de Noirs
white wine made from black grapes. Grapes are crushed and pressed leaving little to no color behind. Mainly made from Pinot Noir but could also be made from Pinot Meunier
Pinkish base wine or cuvee made from white and red grapes known as
Rose; Pinot Noir is commonly used
Assemblage is typically followed by ____, ____ & _____.
fining, racking and cold stabilization
A mixture of yeast and sugar to start second fermentation
Liqueur de tirage
