Sweet Wines Flashcards
Fortified Wine
Sherry (Spain)
Port (Portugal)
Madeira (Portugal)
Marsala (Sicily, Italy) - cooking wine
Sherry
Spain Fortified Wine (15.5-18% alcohol)
Most important grapes:
- Palomino
- Pedro Ximénez
- Moscatel
Light & Dry - to - Full & Sweet:
- Fino
- Manzanilla
- Amontillado
- Oloroso
- Cream
Port
Portugal Fortified wine (16.5-22% alcohol)
Most Port is sweet and red, but white Port is made in sweet and dry styles
Madeira
Portugal
Fortified wine (16.5-22% alcohol)
Pale, light & dry to dark, full & sweet
Most important grapes: Secial, Verdelho, Bual, Malmsey
Botrytized Wine
Tokaji (Hungary)
Sauternes (France)
Which technique can be used to concentrate sugars in grapes in the vineyard for sweet wine production?
- Harvesting late
- Botrytis
- Drying grapes
- Freezing grapes
What is the main grape variety used to make Tokaji Aszú?
Furmint
Tokaji Aszú is a famous sweet wine from which country?
Hungary
Bonnezeaux is a famous botrytis-affected sweet sine from which wine region?
Loire Valley, France
Recioto is an Italian word referring to which type of wine?
Dried grapes
What two countries are famous for ice wine production?
Germany and Canada
What is fortified wine?
Wine which has a distilled spirit added to increase its alcohol content — fortifying it
Why is wine fortified?
Helps preserve the wine
How is wine fortified?
— Neutral grape brandy is added to wine
— increases alcohol strength to 15-22%
Fortified BEFORE fermentation
— prevents yeast action
— fortified grape juice / must
— *mistelle
— this fortification does not happen often
Fortified DURING fermentation
— stops yeast action
— retains residual sugar
— see this with Port
Fortified AFTER fermentation
— boosts alcohol
— produces a dry wine
Classic examples for fortified wine
- Sherry
- Madeira
- Port
- Vins Doux Naturels
Sherry
— fortified wine
Location:
— Southwest Spain
— Atlantic Coast
— Near Northern tip of Africa
Climate:
— Hot Maritime
— Marine Influence
— Windy!
Soil:
— Albriza: limestone rich in calcium carbonate making it look a chalky white. Primary soil type for Sherry
— Barros: Clay
— Arenas: Sand
Grapes:
— Palomino: major white grape for all quality styles of Sherry, 95% of all plantings
— Pedro Ximénez & Moscatel: for blending and adds sweetness and color
Vinification:
— make base wine
— depending on the fortification
1) fortified to 15% — develops Flor — Biological Aging
2) fortified to 17-18% — no Flor protection — Oxidative Aging
Aging and Maturation:
— The Solera System: get the effects of older wine but also the vitality of youth, Sherry gives a lot of flavor because the Solera system is difficult to replicate
Madeira
— fortified wine
— Madeira is Portuguese word for wood
Location:
— Island off the coast of Moroccan Coast
— 625 miles from the mainland Portugal
Climate:
— Subtropical
Topography:
— Monutainous
— Volcanic Soil
Vinification:
— fortification: timing
— Heating: causing maderization, sugars caramelize, promotes complete oxidation
1 - Estufagem Tank - tank heated up to 120 degrees
2 - Canteiro Cask
Soil: rich volcanic soil
White Grapes:
— Sercial (driest style) - will always be dry
— Verdelho
— Boal
— Malmsey (sweetest style) - will always be sweet
Red Grapes:
— Tinta Negra
Producers: 8 producers total
Aging:
— most Madeira’s are blended
— age indications are typically seen as 5, 10, 15 and 20 years old
Port
— fortified wine
Location: — Northern Portugal — Douro River — Vila Nova de Gaia — goes back to 1700s
Climate:
— warm to hot Mediterranean
Topography / Aspect:
— Mountainous
— incredibly steep, rugged hillsides
Regions:
— Baixo Corgo - gets wet
— Cima Corgo - sweet spot where all the great vineyards are
— Douro Superior
Soil: schist soil, also some granite
Grape: Touriga Nacional
Viticulture: steep hillsides vineyards
Vinification:
— fortified during fermentation with Agiardente
— based on sugar reading
— alcohol level is 19-22%
Aging: length of time in bottle, barrel or both
Port Styles:
- Ruby Port
- Late bottled vintage Port (LBV)
- Vintage Port:
- less than 3% of all Port Production
- usually 2 years wood aging
- produced from too quintas
- declared vintages
- Single Quinta Port
- fruit sourced from the best Quintas
- non-declared vintages
- Aged Tawny Port
- matured entirely in cask
- top wines
- age declarations: 10yr, 20yr, 30yr, 40yr
Vins Doux Naturals
— French fortified wines
— fortified during fermentation
— fortified
Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venice
— Southern Rhône Valley
— Muscat Blanc / Rouge
Banyuls
— Roussillon, France
— Grenache
— don’t see much aged Banyuls like you see with Port
Which of the following Port styles is simple, inexpensive and considered a house brand?
Ruby Port
A Solera is used for which part of the vinification process?
Maturation process
Which of the following wines is matured under a layer of Flor?
Fino Sherry
What type of wine is Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise?
Vin Doux Naturel
Describe each Madeira grape style below as either sweet or dry
Sercial — Dry
Verdelho — Dry
Boal — Sweet
Malmsey — Sweet
Which grape variety and soil combination produces the highest quality Sherry?
Palomino Grape and Albariza Soil
Aguardente is defined as
Neutral Grape Spirit used for Port production
Which of the following is the main grape of Port?
Touriga Nacional
Banyuls is a sweet fortified wine from?
France made with the Grenache grape
