Sparkling Wine Production Flashcards
The requirements for growing sparkling wine are quite different than growing still wine. T or F
True
What should the sugar level in the grapes be of sparkling wines compared to still wines?
relatively lower in grapes used for sparkling wine than in still wine
What gives sparkling wines their bubbles and increases alcohol levels 1.2-1.3%?
the second fermentation
What is the base wine like that producers will attempt to make prior to the sparkling wine
a still dry base wine with alcohol levels of 10-11%
what type of acid level is often sought for sparkling wines?
high acid levels made in a refreshing style
What types of flavors should the grapes that are being used for sparkling wines not have?
ripe green herbaceous flavors - despite having relatively low sugar concentration and high acid levels
What type of climate do sparkling wines do best in? why?
cool climates - the changes to the acid and sugar levels occur slower
What is the only option for harvest when grapes for sparkling wines are grown in warm regions?
early harvest to get correct levels of sugar and acid. this sometimes means picking grapes that are overly green and herbaceous
What is an important element to handling the grapes used for sparkling wine?
handling the grapes with extreme care.
how are grapes used for sparkling wines typically harvested?
by hand in order to retain who bunches of unsplit grapes.
how are grapes used for sparkling wines typically harvested in warmer climates?
because of the warmer climate they will need to be harvested quicker and by machine before they accumulate too much sugar and lose their acidity
when should the grapes be pressed for sparkling wines?
as soon as they arrive at the winery
How pressing be done for sparkling wines?
gently in order to minimize the extraction of colors and tannins, especially when using red grapes. the use of whole bunches helps with this.
how does using whole bunches of grapes help minimize the extractions of colors and tannins in sparkling wine making?
by avoiding crushing contact between skins and juice is minimized.
What are the 5 main methods of making a sparkling wine?
- traditional
- tank
3 Asti method
4 Transfer - Carbonation
In Europe how is the method used for sparkling wines determined?
typically by wine law.
Outside of Europe how is the method used for sparkling wines determined?
informed by the style or quality the winemaker wants to make or costs involved.
What is the traditional method of making sparkling wine?
this is where the wine has undergone a second fermentation in the bottle that it is going to be sold in.
What method is often used for quality sparkling wines?
traditional method
what are cons of traditional method of making sparkling wine?
time consuming and costly.
After harvesting and pressing what are the next steps in traditional method sparkling wine making?
- making the base of the wine
- blending
- second alcoholic fermentation
- yeast autolysis
- Riddling
- Disgorgement and corking
- Bottle aging
Where does the first alcoholic fermentation typically take place for the base wine of sparkling wines?
large stainless steel vats that are temperature controlled. although some producers use oak vats or barrels for some or all of their wines.
What type of base wine results from first alcoholic fermentation when making sparkling wines?
dry with neutral flavors and high acidity
Will MLF and/or a time on oak be used before the second alcoholic fermentation of a sparkling wine
the winemaker will decide
When are most base wines used?
the year after harvest - although some will be used for blending in future years
What are the functions that blending serves in sparkling wines?
- producers aim to make wines in a particular “house” style - blending helps to achieve this year to year
- can be used to improve balance
- can enhance the complexity of the wine
what does Chardonnay bring to a blend?
citrus, finesse and longevity
what does pinot noir bring to a blend?
aromas and flavors of red fruit and body
what can old reserve wines bring to young wines?
bring flavors of dried fruit to fresh flavors
how do producers make multiple blending options available to themselves
grapes are often fermented in many different small parcels
what is added to the blend of sparkling wine after the blend is completed?
a small proportion of liqueur de triage- which is a mixture of yeast, wine, sugar, yeast nutrients, and a clarifying agent.
once the liqueur de triage is added what are the next steps for making sparkling wine?
the bottle is closed with a crown cap that includes a plastic cup insert and the bottles are stacked horizontally in cellar’s at cool constant temperatures where slow fermentation takes place increasing alcohol 1.2-1.3% and the CO2 generated by the yeast creates the sparkle. also creating pressure in the bottle.
What happens in making sparkling wine after the second fermentation process is complete?
yeast dies and form a sediment of lees in the bottle. When these lees cells break down over the next few months. they release a chemical compound into the wine
What is the name of the process where the dead yeast cells break down into the sparkling wine.
yeast autolysis
what do the compounds from yeast autolysis contribute to the wine?
the flavors - bread, biscuit, and toasty notes.
how long does autolysis typically last?
between 4-5 years but can continue up to 10.
How can sparkling wine’s freshness be maintained for years?
keeping the lees in contact with the wine.
after a period of maturation and yeast autolysis what is the next step in
there are two processes: riddling and disgorgement used to remove lees sediment
what does riddling involve?
moving the bottles very slowly from a horizontal to an introverted vertical position. This will dislodge the sediment and gradually it will move down the sides of the bottle to the plastic cup inside the plastic insert cap.
how long was the riddling process when completed by hand?
up to 8 weeks
what is the machine called used to riddle the bottles?
gyropalette - a cage holding 500 bottles on a hydraulic arm which is regularly rotated and inclined.
how long does machine riddling typically take?
a couple of days.
what is the next step after riddling is completed?
disgorgement - where the neck of the upturned bottle is submerged in a very cold brine solution that freezes the wine at the neck and the bottles are turned upright. the frozen wine holds the sediment in place keeping wine separate. the cap is released and the pressure created ejects the frozen wine along with the sediment and plastic insert with it.
after the frozen wine is disgorged from the wine bottle what is the remainder of the bottle then filled with?
liqueur d’expedition - mixture of wine and sugar.
once liqueur d’expedition is added to the wine bottle after disgorgement what is the next step?
it is sealed with a cork and wire cage to keep the pressure inside.
the amount of sugar added to the wine in the liqueur d’expedition is also known as what?
the dosage
why is the dosage important?
it will be what determines the final level of sweetness in the wine. used to balance acidity and helps with flavor development.
what are wines labeled if additional sugar is not added at the dosage stage
Brut Nature or Zero dosage - wine will still be added to top off the bottle.
why might a secondary blending occur after the disgorgement stage
the wine might be young and fresh, toasty from being matured in oak or display dried fruit flavors from years in the bottle - blending can help retain the “house style”
what are the vast majority of sparkling wines sealed with
a cork
what happens to sparkling wine after it has been corked
it may be aged for a few more months to allow the liqueur d’expedition to integrate with the wine.
when should sparkling wines ready to drink?
when released for the most part although some can benefit from some further aging.
what have wine producers started to include on labels to assist with determining age of sparkling wine?
disgorgement dates
what is the transfer method
it is like the traditional method for sparkling wines but it avoids the cost and complex process of the riddling and disgorgement process.
what process is used in the transfer method instead of riddling?
when the wine is ready to be riddled, instead the entire contents of the bottles are simply disgorged into a sealed tank under pressure. it is then filtered to remove lees, liqueur d’expedition is added and the wine is rebottled into a new bottle.
how are transfer method wines labeled?
“bottle fermented”
how are traditional method wines labeled
“traditional method” or “methode traditionelle”
how much sugar is in a Brut Nature/Bruto Natural/Naturherb/Zero Dosage wine?
0-3g/l
how much sugar is in an Extra Brut/ Extra Bruto/ Extra Herb wine?
0-6g/l
how much sugar is in a Brut/Bruto/Herb wine?
0-12 g/l
how much sugar is in a Extra Sec/Extra Dry/Extra Trocken wine?
12-17 g/l
how much sugar is in a Sec/Secco/Seco/ Dry/Trocken wine?
17-32 g/l
how much sugar is in a Demi-Sec/Semi-Seco/Medium Dry/Abboccato/Halbtrocken wine?
32-50 g/l
how much sugar is in a Doux/Dulce/Sweet/Mild wine?
50+ g/l
what is different about the tank method of making sparkling wines?
it can retain the base wine flavors and not add the bread or toasty notes
what grape varieties are good to use with the tank method?
ones that have strong flavors such as Muscat and Riesling as well as those making fruit styles of sparkling wines such as Prosecco.
how is the tank method compared to the traditional method?
less expensive, less labor intensive and sometimes inferior, but high quality wines can still be made this way with care.
what happens in the first fermentation of the tank method?
usually done in stainless steel does not undergo MLF or oak maturation
what is added to the wine before 2nd fermentation takes place in the tank method?
yeast, sugar, yeast nutrients and clarifying agents.
where does the 2nd fermentation take place in the tank method?
in a sealed tank able to withstand the pressure as the CO2 dissolves in the wine. wine is filtered to remove the lees and then bottled.
what can a producer do to create and autolytic character even when using the tank method?
use paddles to stir the lees during the 2nd fermentation. but most using tank method want to retain the primary flavors.
When is the Asti method primarily used?
for the production of sweet wines in the Asti region of Piemonte, Italy.
What kind of wines does the Asti method produce
sweet fruity sparkling wines
Why is Asti method unusual?
only one fermentation involved.
explain ASti method
juice is chilled until needed then it is warmed and fermentation takes place in pressurized tanks. initially the CO2 is allowed to escape. half way through the tank is sealed and the CO2 is retained. fermentation continues until abv gets to about 7%. then fermentation is stopped early by chilling the wine which is filtered under pressure to remove yeast.
when is Asti method wine sold
it is bottled for immediate sale.
What happens in the carbonation method?
Co2 is injected into a still wine which is then bottled under pressure.
what is the carbonation method useful for?
producing fruity sparkling wine that retains the flavors of the base wine.
what grape varietal is often used with the carbonation method?
Sauvignon Blanc
what is the cheapest method of making sparkling wine?
carbonation method
What does non-vintage mean on a label?
it is NOT a labelling term but it is used to describe a wine that is made from grapes harvested from more than one vintage. typically showing the “house style”
what does vintage mean on a label in champagne?
it means the wine must come from a single year. however, some appellations in other areas may allow a small amount to come from other years.
when are vintage wines typically made
only in the best years and demand premium prices.
what does rose mean on a sparkling wine label?
it is either blended using red and white varietal base wines or by a short maceration. color can also be adjusted using the liqueur d’expedition.
what does Blanc de Blanc mean on a sparkling wine label?
white sparkling wine only made with white grapes
what does Blanc de Noirs mean on a sparkling wine label?
a white sparkling wine made from only black varieties,
what does Prestige Cuvee mean on a sparkling wine label?
not a labelling terms but generally describes best wines in a producers range. especially seen in Champagne
