Terms Flashcards
vitis vinifera
main eurasian species of grape
shoots
new growth a vine producers
leaves
principally responsible for photosynthesis
flowers and berries
vines reproductive organs; if pollinated will produce a bunch of grapes
buds
these form in the joint btwn the leaf and shoot; they form embryonic shoots
one year old wood
shoots one year after they’ve grown
permanent wood
trunks & arms of the vines (cordon; trained to grow in single stem)
roots
absorb water & nutrients from soil
cutting
section taken from healthy shoot before it becomes woody; planted then grows into new plan
layering
bending a cane into the ground to grow a new plant (en foule; marcottage)
crossing
grape variety whose parent vines were grown from v vinifera (diff. varietals)
hybrid
vine = one parent v vinifera one non vinifera
phylloxera
Daktulosphaira vitifoliae; sap sucking; aphid relative feed on roots and leaves; causes deformities in vine; nutrients become cut off; and can cause secondary fungal infections
grafting
tech used to join hybrid (phyll resistant) rootsotck to vinifera variety
bench grafting
fully automated process carried out by plant nurseries
head grafting
method used to change grape varieties in a vineyard
climate
annual pattern of temp; sun; rainfall averaged out over several years
weather
annual variation that happens relative to the climatic average
latitude grapes
30 - 50 n|s
altitude grapes
annual temperature drops by 6 C (42.8F) with every 100 m (~330 ft) increase of altitude. Regions that would otherwise be too hot can successfully cultivate grapes
ocean currents grapes
oceans cool and warm the air; humboldt current off chile; benguela current off s. africa cool regions that might otherwise be too hot to grow grapes;
leeuwin current warms cool margaret river; tasmania
fog and grapes
cool regions that are too hot otherwise
e.g. pts of CA and chile (casablanca)
soil and grapes
dark soils w/ stones absorb, store and radiate heat, keep vines warm. critical in cool climates
aspect
direction in which slope vineyard faces; n hemi need s facing slopes to maximize warmth; s hemi need n facing slopes. affects vines’ sun exposure
continentality
temp diff btwn winter and summer
diurnal range
temp diff btwn day and night; affected by bodies of water e.g. seas and lakes
winter freeze
if temp falls below - 20 C (- 4F) vine can be damaged; most vulnerable part is graft callus
spring frost
occurs when cold air below 0C (32F) collects at ground level, freezing water vapour that has settled on the surface. may be counteracted with burners, wind machines, and sprinklers
sunlight
needed for photosynthesis; bodies of water can increase vine’s exposure by reflecting sunlight. high latitudes receive more sunlight and play impt role in ripening. CF DE riesling, CS Washington
transpiration
water is drawn from the soil by the roots and drawn up into the leaves
irrigation
supplementaion of precipitation of water received through rainfall. three main techniques include drip irrigation (most common) sprinklers and flood irrigation
continental climate
the climate with the greatest temperature difference btwn hottest and coolest months characterized by short summers and large temperature drops in autumn.
maritime climate
characterized by cool to moderate temperatures and low annual difference btwn hottest and coolest months - moderated by large bodies of water
mediterranean climate
characterized by cool to low temperature difference btwn hottest and coldest months but summers tend to be warm and dry e.g. anything in the mediterranean; chile; california; parts of south africa
soil composition
soils sits above underlying bedrock. size of particles is most important; sand is largest and is poor at holding water and nutrients; clay is smallest and best at retaining water (good for drought prone regions) and nutrients. mixture is best for nutrients and good drainage
humus
made up of decomposing plant and animal materials and has excellent water retaining properties
plant nutrients
nitrogen; phosphorus; potassium are dissolved in the water in soil;
trellis
permanent structure of stakes and wires that are present in the vineyard
training
vines permanent wood and canes are trained to follow the trellising system that has been established
pruning
removal of unwanted leaves, canes, and permanent wood either during winter or during the growing seasons
replacement cane pruning
one or more canes are retained. the remaining canes will be trained horizontally onto the trellis. aka Guyot system
bush trained
permanent wood consists of a vertical stump which is pruned to retain a number of spurs distributed around the head of the vine. the shoots that grow up from these spurs are often untrellised and sprawl across the ground
vertical shoot positioning
a single canopy consisting of shoots that are trained upwards vertically from their cane or cordon and are tied in place onto the trellis
nematods
pest; microscopic worm that attacks roots of vines and sometimes transmits diseases
downy mildew
thrives in warm humid conditions and attacks green parts of the vine; peronospora
powdery mildew
likes warm shady conditions attacks green parts of the vine; uncinula necator
grey mildew
likes damp humid conditions attacks green parts of the vine and severely attacks the berries
noble rot
botyrtis cinerea; caused by same fungus that causes grey rot; develops during misty mornings it punctures the grape skin with microscopic fungus filaments through which water evaporates and concentrates sugars, acids and flavours of the grape. if too wet becomes grey rot
systemic diseases
permanent infection of the vine some can be controlled or slowed but the vine cannot be cured. major ones inc. fan leaf virus and leafroll virus which cause distorted leaf growth
pierce’s disease
fatal bacterial disease spread by sharpshooters. no effective cue. prevention is conducted by surrounding vineyards with a cordon sanitaire and interrupting the lifecycle of the sharpshooter
integrated pest management
IPM considers a mix of methods to produce a result which is positive and long-lasting and the least damaging. The ideal Integrated Pest Management Plan would be one which is sustainable and without much costly follow-up management.
organic viticulture
use of organically farmed grapes to make wine. no synthetic chemical fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, no added sulphur; overseen by third party organizations which dole out certification (expensive and time consuming); best in mild regions where rain isn’t an issue. more expensive because of potential loss
biodynamic viticulture
incorporates organic but adds in cycles of moon, stars, and planets. cow horn, herbal treatments.
harvest ripeness
ideally grapes are harvested when there is a balance btwn sugar and physiological ripeness
machine harvesting
fast, less labour intensive (cheaper)
manual harvesting
slower, labour intensive, allows for more careful selection of grapes.
anaerobic winemaking
minimizing air contact by utilising airtight winery equipment and antioxidants such as SO2 and harvesting at night at a cooler temperature when chemical reactions are at their lowest
oxygen in maturation
wines destined for ageing are stored in larger vessels, a technique used only in making fortified wines that are deliberately oxidised such as oloroso sherry
sulphur dioxide
SO2 acts as an antioxidant and antiseptic and can be added in powder form (potassium metabusulfite). reacts to oxygen before it can do harm to grapes; wine. traditionally cellar workers sanitized empty barrels w/ sulphur candle
quercus petaea; quercus robur
european oak - finer grained tannins, more porous, vanilla
quercus alba
american oak - more aromatic, coconut, sweet vanilla
bdx barrique
225 litres used for reds. holds 300 btls, 25 12 cases.
burgundy barrique
228 litres whites
large oak barrels
can be as large as 200 hectolitres used when minimal oak influence is desired
oak chips/oak staves
alternative source for oak flavouring wine can be inserted during fermentation or maturation in inert wine vessels - but because it is a short term thing doesn’t allow for wine tannins and wood tannins to bond so can be slightly unbalanced
inert wine vessels
stainless steel, concrete egg –> super expensive but don’t need temp controls which SS do need
components of grape pulp
water is first, sugar second
components of grape skin
contains high concentration of flavour compounds tannins and colour compounds in black grape varieties (polyphenols etc)
components of grape pips and stems
contain tannins and bitter oils
components of grape bloom
waxy surface of grape contains native yeasts that can be used to ferment wine
pressing
process of separating the liquid and solid constituents of the grape. for whites = before fermentations
red and rose = after. juice = must
chaptalisation
adding sugar to must to boost final alcohol. seen in cool climates.
de-acidification
neutralising excess acid by addition potassium bicarbonate or mixing in calcium carbonate
acidification
increasing acid to the must usually by adding tartaric acid in a powder. seen in hot climates.
increasing tannin
adding tannin powder or wooden staves to fermentation vat or using stems
fermentation
a chemical reaction that is brought about by the action of yeast converting sugar in the grape to alcohol and CO2 (heat is also a byproduct). alcoholic fermentation will not start if the must is below 5C (41F). it will stop if the wine rises above 15% abv, if the yeast runs out of nutrients, the temp rises above 35C (95F) or if SO2 is added/the yeast is filtered out
saccharomyces cervesiae
the most important yeast strain; commonly used because it can tolerate high levels of alcohol
malolactic fermentation
conversion vs true fermentation; occurs once alcoholic fermentation is complete. tart malic acid converts to softer lactic acid (via lactic bacteria)
pre fermentation extraction
after destemming and crushing, leaving the wine in contact with the skins at low temps before fermentation to extract more flavor and color compounds - aka cold soak
cap
an important source of colour and flavour compounds for wine; it is a thick mass of pulp and skin on the surface of the wine in the fermentation tank. to extract colour and flavour the cap may be punched down or wine may be pumped over ot the wine may be racked and returned to increase contact
post fermentation extract
the length of time required to complete primary fermentation. typically 1-3 weeks for red wines
carbonic maceration
placing complete bunches of uncrushed grapes together with their stems in vats that have been filled with CO2. the grapes eventually burst and the juice ferments inside the grapes, extracting color but not tannin. common in beaujolais nouveau it makes soft fruity wines with bubblegum/kirsch/banana/cinnamon and pear drop.
rose wine making
4 methods
1) pressing black grapes the same way as white wine, minimizing skin contact
2) drawing wine of skins after 36-48 hours of contact
3) bleeding juice from red wine (saignee)
4) blending red and white wine. not permitted apart from in champagne
sussreserve
unfermented grape juice used to sweeten wines, esp. in germany (mostly qualitatswein)
RCGM
rectified concentrated grape must. pure sugar solution extracted from grapes and used to sweeten wine (not really used in practice)
passerillage
drying of grapes on the vine to make sweet//late harvest wines
passito wines
italian wine made from dried grapes with concentrated sugar
drying grapes after harvest
concentrating sugar in grapes by drying them. e.h. PX sherry, passito.
freezing grapes on vine
method used to concentrate sugar for making sweet wine esp. germany (eiswein) canada (ice wine)
solutes
chemicals that are dissolved into the wine (esp acids and sugars)
colloids
small particles in wine that have electrostatic charge e.g tannins (negative which is why they bind to proteins [positive]. don’t affect clarity, instead contribute to flavour and texture. also amino acids.
maturation
to survive medium to long term ageing, wines need good levels of acid, tannins, alcohol or sweetness
use of lees
spent yeast cells. fine lees can be left in wine to add flavour and texture (complexity) mostly white wine. often stirred (batonnage) gross lees racked or filtered off before bottling
blending
adds complexity, maintains consistency or adds freshness in older wine
racking
removing sediment, proteins, lees from wine before bottling
fining
improves clarity of wine. egg whites (removes negative), bentonite clay (removes positive). helps provide stability to the wine so it doesn’t spoil.
filtration
clarifying wine to remove particles.
depth filtration
passing wine through permeable material that traps solid particles. can remove gross less. good for very clud wine
surface filtration
like a fine sieve
tartrate stability
Due to the presence of alcohol, tartaric acid is less soluble in wine than in grape juice. Over time it can precipitate as either potassium bitartrate or calcium tartrate and appear in white wine as clear crystals. A wine can be stabilized by being chilled down to freezing temperatures for a short period of time and the formation of crystals accelerated by adding potassium bitartrate powder. The crystals then adhere to the power and are removed by filtration.
microbiological stability
Yeast, acetic acid and lactic acid bacteria can spoil a wine unless it has been fortified, fermented to dryness, undergoes MLF, retains high acidity or oxygen is kept to a minimum.
cold bottling
Keeping a wine free from microgranisms by passing a wine through a filter before putting in a sterile bottle.
hot bottling
Pasteurizing a wine by heating a wine to kill microorganisms. This process can damage a wine’s flavor so it is only used in making inexpensive wines.
tca
2 4 6 tricholranisole cork taint. wet cardboard.
closures
cork; synthetic cork; screw caps
bottle ageing
To age a wine in the bottle, it must be kept at a constant temperature of 10-15°C, constant humidity, free from vibration and light exposure, and the bottle must remain on its side.
co-op
An institution that is jointly owned by a number of members (Cave Co-operative, Cantina Sociale, Winzergenossenschaft)
negociant
A merchant buys grapes and/or finished wine from growers and/or co-operatives then blends and/or bottles them under own label
Factors that Affect Cost of Grapes
Labor demands (organic, hand harvest), degree of selection, yields, supply and demand, cost of land
Winemaking Costs
Equipment (presses, tanks, storage vessels), barrels, ageing (vat, cask, or bottle)
packaging; taxes; transport
Sales and Distributor Margins: Agent/Distributor
Represents a number of wineries and sells to retailers via his own sales team.
Sales and Distributor Margins: Subsidiary Office
winery’s own sales team
Sales and Distributor Margins: Direct Sales
Direct sales to the retailer; not permitted in the USA which uses a 3 tier system.
brand
wine’s profile that conveys expectation of quality
esters
fruity aromas generated during fermentation of wine and ageing
terpenes
fruit or floral aromas generally associated with aromatic varieties
riesling
gewurz
muscat
rotundone = type of terpene
pyrazines
green grassy peppery aromas
sauvignon blanc
cabernet sauvignon
cabernet franc
carmenere
mercaptans
stink, sulphurous compounds
wine is considered dry if
below 4 g/l rs
wine is considered off-dry if
5-9 g/l rs
wine is considered medium dry to medium sweet
10-45 g/l
wine is considered luscious if
+ 45 g/l rs
main acids in wine
tartaric, malic
protein and tannin myth
It has been proven that the bitter-suppressive quality of tannin in steak is the salt that is used on the steak, not the protein or fat.
new legal framework
two: protected designation of origin (specific region or place)
protected geographical indication (Refers to a region or specific palce, possessing a specific quality from which 85% of the grapes used come exclusively from the geographical area, the production takes place in the area and the varieties belong to the Vitis vinifera or a cross of species of Vitis vinifera and another species of Vitis.) these are general e.g. vin de pays, IGT, landwein
of zonal IGPs
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