Standard Options in Sparkling Wines Flashcards
In what climates would you expect sparkling wine production?
Cool Climates
Why are cool climates suited to sparkling wines? (3 points)
Allows for just ripe flavours
Lower potential alcohol
High acidity
Name 3 areas that benefit from a high latitude for fizz
Champagne
England
Tasmania
Name 2 regions that uses cooling influences to regulate temperature for fizz production.
Sonoma - Near the coast
Trentodoc - Altitude
Why is Chardonnay well suited to sparkling wine? (4 points)
Suits autolytic flavours by complimenting
Early budding and early ripening
Brings high acidity to blends and for longevity.
Yields can be high without loss of quality
What are the issues with growing Chardonnay? (3 points)
Early budding - susceptible to frost
Prone to Coulure and Millerandange
Susceptible to powdery mildew, grapevine yellows and botrytis.
Why is Pinot Noir well suited to sparkling wine?
Early budding and early ripening with a natural high acidity
It lends body to a blend
What are the issues with growing Pinot Noir? (4)
Susceptible to frost
Prone to coulure
Yields are more moderate than Chard and quality drops as yields increase.
Thin skinned and prone to mildew (both), botrytis, fan leaf, leaf roll.
Name the 3 factors within the variety that can influence the style of sparkling wine.
Intensity of aromas (aromatic or neutral)
Ability to retain acidity
How the base wine responds to autolysis
(Chardonnay - creamy) (Xarel-lo - smokey)
What are the advantages of high yields for sparkling wine? (2 points)
Will achieve just ripe flavours, low potential alchohol, high acidity
It can provide some insurance in poor weather regions incase some crop is lost to damage.
How is high acidity and low potential alcohol achieved in the vineyard?
Picking early
What are the advantages of picking early?
High acidity, low potential alcohol
Less likely to be affected by autumn rains
What are the advantages of whole bunch pressing for sparkling wine? 2 points
Gentlest form of pressing so low in solids and phenolics
Stems create channels for fluid to flow reducing pressure needed.
What is the fermentation range for traditional sparkling?
18 - 20 degrees. More towards 20 as fruit flavours not important.
What challenges do the yeast face in primary fermentation? (traditional)
Low pH
What type of yeasts are used for primary fermentation and why?
Cultured yeasts as it is important the must is reliably fermented to dryness
Neutral yeasts that do not produce fruity esters
Why is malolactic often carried out?
To soften texture and reduce acidity
To avoid it happening later in the bottle and causing a haze.
Why are buttery aromas not present in sparkling wines?
Diacetyl is metabolised by the yeast in the second fermentation
State the options in the handling of the base wine
Wine can be matured in oak
Left of the lees
What are the concerns with maturing wine in oak before second fermentation?
Oak flavours can be magnified by the second fermentation, seasoned barrels are often used instead
What styles of sparkling would not typically mature in oak?
Fruity styles (Prosecco, Asti)
What is the other term for blending?
Assemblage
What are the reasons for blending?
Balance Consistency Style Rose Complexity Minimisation of faults Volume Price
Describe what traditional method means
The second fermentation occurs in the bottle in which the wine is sold.
What is Liquer de Tirage?
The mixture added to create a second fermentation
What does the Liquer de Tirage consist of?
Wine and/or must Yeast nutrients Sugar Cultured yeasts Clarifying agent (bentonite and/or alginate)
What is one of the most common yeasts used for sparkling wine?
Prise de mousse (EC118)
What are ideal characteristics of yeasts that will be used in sparkling wine?
Able to start fermenting in high alcoholic conditions 9.5-11% abv
Able to withstand low pH <3
Continue fermenting in low temperature, high pressure and poor nutrients.
Rapid autolysis and easy flocculation in traditional
The pressure inside the bottle depends on what?
The amount of sugar added
What type of sugar is added to the liquer de tirage?
Sucrose
In fully sparkling wines how much sugar would be added?
24g/l
What pressure would a fully sparkling wine have?
6 bar
What is the typical 1st fermentation time for tradition method?
4-6 weeks
In what position are bottles 2nd fermented in traditional method?
Sur latte
What temperature does 2nd fermentation of tradition method take place?
10-12 degrees
Define autolysis
The enzymatic breakdown of yeast cells.
How long does autolysis happen for?
4-5 years but known to go for 10
What are the benefits of keeping wine on the lees in terms of storage?
The yeast has anti-oxidative properties
What minimum time on the lees would be expected for autolytic character to be apparent
15 months.
What two pieces of equiptment can be used for riddling?
Pupitres
Gyropalettes
How long does riddling by hand take?
8 weeks
How long does riddling by gyropalette take?
3-4 days
How is a wine stored after 2nd ferment and before disgorgement?
Sur pointe, necks facing down.
Describe riddling
The gradual process of twisting or rotating the bottle while bringing them from horizontal to vertical to allow the lees to flocculate towards the neck of the bottle.
What temperature is a wine chilled to before disgorgement?
7 degrees
What liquid is the neck of a bottle submerged into for disgorgment?
Bath of frozen brine
What is the liquer d’expedition?
The mixture of wine and sugar added after disgorgement
SO2 can be adjusted here also
What is the malliard reaction?
It is a reaction when sugar from the dosage reacts with autolytic compounds to produce a positive roasted vanilla aroma in the wine.
When and why was the transfer method invented?
1940’s, to achieve the same autolytic aromas but avoiding the cost of riddling.
What are the advantages of transfer method?
There is a reduction in bottle variation
It is easier to make final adjustments
It is used to fill larger format style bottles
What would you not expect to see in the liquer de tirage in a transfer method?
Flocculation agent
What is a disadvantage of transfer method?
It is less advantageous with the advancements in automated riddling but can still save costs and time for large producers.
Briefly describe the ancestral method
Putting partly fermented must into bottles and allowing the fermentation to finish in bottle with the remaining sugar in the must.
How would an ancestral method winemaker estimate the final pressure of the wine?
Accurately measuring the sugar levels in the must.
Describe a popular style of ancestral method wines
Petillant naturel ( Pet Nat)
Name 2 disadvantages of ancestral method
Final outcome is not consistent
Fermentation may stop due to yeast becoming unviable
Give 3 names for tank method
Charmat
Martinotti
Cuve Close
What is the main advantage to tank method?
It enables large volumes of sparkling wines to be made inexpensively, quickly and with significant reduction in costs (labour)
What aspects of tank method would reduce the cost? (3)
No riddling
No dosage
No long periods of aging
What type of varieties are suited to tank method?
Aromatic (muscat) and Semi Aromatic (Glera)
Why is tank method seen as the inferior method?
It is often uses lower quality grapes for inexpensive wines
It does not have the prestige of traditional method
What is the temperature range for first fermentation in tank method?
16 - 18 degrees
How and when will a tank method 2nd ferment be stopped?
Once the desired pressure and residual sugar is reached the ferment will be stopped by chilling the must to 2-4 degrees
If a tank method was to age on the lees what time could you expect? What is the disadvantage of this?
9 months
It ties up expensive pressurised tanks and the advantages of using tank method can be lost.
How would the yeast/lees be removed in tank method?
Centrifugation or sterile filtration
How is a tank method wine bottled?
Using a counter-pressure filler, prevents the loss of CO2 and the entrance of 02.
State what the Asti method is.
A variation of the tank method that produces a sparkling wine in a single fermentation.
Briefly describe of the asti method is achieved.
Must is fermented in reinforced tanks
CO2 is allowed to escape through a valve
The valve is then closed and the CO2 is retained, the timing depends on the style of the desired wine.
The ferment is stopped by rapid chilling.
State what carbonation is.
Process of injecting CO2 under pressure
What are some advantages to carbonation?
Cheap
Retains flavours and aromas of the base wine
What are some disadvantages to carbonation
Least prestigious
Any faults in the base wine can be accentuated by the bubbles
The bubbles are fleeting.
What is the sugar levels for Brut Nature?
0-3 g/L
What is the sugar levels for Extra Brut?
0-6 g/L
What is the sugar levels for Brut?
0-12 g/L
What is the sugar levels for Extra-Sec?
12-17 g/L
What is the sugar levels for Sec?
17-32 g/L
What is the sugar levels for Demi-Sec?
32-50 g/L
What is the sugar levels for Deux?
50+ g/L
What is unique about Brut Nature?
Dosage cannot be added and any residual sugar remains naturally after the fermentation.
What are sparkling corks usually composed of?
Agglomerate cork onto which two disks of natural cork has been glued.
How do ancestral method winemakers close their wines?
Crown cap
What type of material is the most common closure for sparkling wine?
Cork
Name 5 factors that affect the formation and size of bubbles.
The amount of sugar available to be turned into C02
The capacity for CO2 to be dissolved in the wine (varieties, grape health, winemaking processes)
Length of time on the lees - CO2 lost over time but longer lasting foam
How well the disgorgement process is carried out
The size and shape of the glasses, temperature of the wine and how it is served.
