Sparkling Wines Flashcards
What basic formula is needed to make Sparkling Wine?
sugars in grapes + yeast = alcohol + carbon dioxide
How is a second fermentation created for sparkling wine and by what 2 methods?
CO₂ created by fermentation is trapped and dissolved in wine either by:
- bottle fermentation
- tank fermentation
What grape varieties are used to make Champagne in France?
Pinot Noir
Chardonnay
Meunier
What grape variety is used to make Asti in Italy?
Moscato (Muscat)
What grape varieties are used to make Cava in Spain?
local varieties
Chardonnay
Pinot Noir
Which types of sparking wine use the bottle fermentation method?
Champagne
Cava
Which types of sparking wine use the tank method?
Prosecco DOC
Asti DOCG
What grape varieties are used to make Prosecco in Italy
Glera
What steps are used to make sparkling wine by Tank Method
dry base wine yeast + sugar added sealed tank second fermentation lees removed (filtration) bottled under pressure dry sparkling wine
What steps are used to make sparkling wine by Bottle Fermentation (Traditional Method)?
Second Fermentation and Yeast Autolysis (in bottle) - Base wine + yeast + sugar Riddling (for moving yeast deposits) - Gyropalates - Hand -riddling Disgorgement (for yeast removal) - frozen wine and yeast being ejected Dosage - Wine and sugar added Resealing
What are some labeling terms associated with sparkling wine?
Brut Demi-Sec Non-Vintage/Vintage Traditional Method/ Méthode traditionnelle Méthode Cap Classique (South Africa)
What are the main characteristics of the grape variety Glera (for Prosecco)?
light- or medium-bodied
dry or off-dry
fruit flavours: apple, melon
What steps are used to make sparkling wine by Asti Method of tank fermentation?
grape juice partial fermentation in pressurised tank tank sealed to retain CO₂ fermentation stopped by filtration before fermentation is complete low-alcohol sweet sparkling wine
What are the main characteristics of the grape variety Moscato (Muscat) for Asti?
sweet light-bodied pronounced floral and fruit flavours: - grape - pear - peach - blossom
What is a “base wine”?
Base wine is a still wine that is a result of primary fermentation.
It is usually dry, low in alcohol (10-11%), and high in acid
Base wines are typically a blend of what?
Any of the following:
- Grape varieties
e. g. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir - Vintages
e. g. NV (Non-Vintage) - Villages/terroirs
e. g. Different vineyards across 2+ villages which can vary in soil type
What are the 2 major by-products of secondary fermentation?
CO2
Alcohol
How much alcohol is created by secondary fermentation?
About 1.5%
What is the main flavor objective for bottle fermented, or Traditional Method, sparkling wines?
Autolytic flavors, such as bread, toast, and biscuit.
What is the term used on champagnes or other sparkling wines when the base wines are blends of different vintages?
Non-vintage (NV)
What is a Vintage Champagne?
- A champagne that is made of 100% of the grapes from the year stated on the bottle;
- Only made in exceptional years;
- See extended periods of lees aging;
- Complex and age-worthy
What is the minimum requirement of lees aging for non-vintage Champagne?
12 months
What is the climate of Catalunya, Spain?
Warm
How do the grapes destined for sparkling wine in Catalunya, a warm climate, retain their acidity?
Grapes are harvested early.
Generally, which has more pronounced autolytic aromas + flavors:
NV Champagne
NV Cava
Why?
NV Champagne
Cava spends less time on its lees than Champagne, which translates to less pronounced autolytic aromas in the final wine.
Where in Spain can Cava be made?
Most regions in Spain are allowed to produce Cava, but the majority is made in Catalunya in northeastern Spain.
What does the South African term Méthode Cap Classique indicate?
That the sparkling wine was made using Traditional Method.
Besides Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, what other grape in South Africa is widely used in Méthode Cap Classique?
Chenin Blanc
The sparkling winemaking method best for aromatic grape varietals is ___.
Why?
Tank Method because it avoids autolytic aromas + flavors; autolysis is not beneficial for aromatic grapes.
Which technique is more cost effective:
Traditional Method
Tank Method
Why?
Tank Method is more cost effective because the wine undergoes secondary fermentation in large tanks instead of individual bottles, and filtration and disgorgement are done in mechanized, big batches.
What Italian region does Asti DOCG come from?
Piedmont in northwest Italy.
Where does Prosecco DOC come from?
Veneto in northeast Italy.
Define riddling.
Riddling is the process of manipulating and encouraging dead yeast cells into the neck of the bottle by gradually turning bottles from their sides until they are fully upside down on their crown cap.
Define disgorgement.
Disgorgement is the removal of the yeast-sediment plug that collected in the neck of a Traditional Method bottle of sparkling wine as a result of riddling.
The neck of the bottle is frozen so the plug is a solid mass, the crown cap is removed, and the CO2 pressure that built up inside the bottle is so strong it forces out the yeast plug.
What is the liqueur d’expédition?
The final dosage made up of wine and (usually) a bit of sugar which tops up a bottle of Traditional Method wine to replace any wine that was lost during disgorgement.
What does the final dosage (liqueur d’expédition) do besides top up the bottle?
Dictates the final sweetness level of the wine.
