Theory & Grapes Flashcards
1
Q
The paramount objective for making a good fortified wine
A
Alcohol integration
2
Q
Key considerations for harvesting grapes to make fortified wines
A
- Healthy - no botrytis
- Fully ripen, excpet for Palomino
- Reaching the right potential alcohol level
3
Q
Fortification timing for… dry styles
A
After the fermentation is complete, ie dry sherry
4
Q
Fortification timing for… the majority of the sweet styles
A
- Fortifying midway through fermentattion, stopping the fermentation by yeast’s tolerance threshold
- Exceptions being sweet styles of sherry made with blending or adding RCGM
5
Q
Fortifying spirit for most wines
A
95-96% abv grape spirit
6
Q
Port’s fortifying spirit
A
Aguardente, 77% abv, highly regulated
7
Q
Ageing vessels for the different fortified wines
A
Wood barrels - Tawny Ports, MAdeiras, Rutherglen Muscats and some VDNS and Sherries
Glass bonbons - VDN
Glass bottle - Vintage ports & LBV
Biological ageing under flor - Fino and Manzanilla
8
Q
Maderisation
A
Wine being heated and oxidised
9
Q
Rancio
A
- A group of aromas
- Leader, wood varnish & strong coffee
- Chemical origins not well understood
10
Q
Six reasons for blending and their application in makign fortified wines
A
- Balance - help alc integration, balancing age and youth
- Consistency - for NV & soleras
- Style - Brand styles and category style
- Complexity - wines of different ages combined to give more flavours
- Volume - Many regions the holders are small therefore blending between different growers and producers
- Price - to make them more accessible
(Missing the usual 7th avoiding faults)
11
Q
Low alcohol for fortified wines
A
15-16.4%
12
Q
Medium alcohol for fortified wines
A
16.5-18.4%
13
Q
High alcohol for fortified wines
A
18.5% abv & above
14
Q
Muscat Blanc a Petits Grain
A
- Smaller grapes than Muscat of Alexandria
- Greater intensity of aroma of flavour
- Medium acidity
- Tolerant to drought
- Susceptible to powdery mildew, botrytis and mites
15
Q
Muscat of Alexandria
A
- Bigger grapes than Muscat Blanc
- Medium acidity
- Higher sugar level
- Tolerant to drought
- Susceptible to powdery mildew, botrytis and mites
- Less refined as Muscat Blanc
16
Q
Grenache
A
- Also Grenache Noir
- Good drought resistance
- High yields
- Can be low in anthocyanins unless controlled
- Susceptible to coulure, downy mildew, botrytis and phomopsis
17
Q
Grenache is ______ ripening.
A
Late ripening
18
Q
Double cordon
A
- Used in Rutherglen
- Cordon trained with VSP sprawling over the fruits
- Goal is to provide some shading for the fruits to prevent sunburns
19
Q
Tinta Negra
A
- Most planted vinifera
- Black grape
- High yield
- Since 2015 producers can label single varietal Madeira
- Used to produce wines of all sweetness levels
20
Q
Sercial
A
- Extra dry to dry
- Lightest in colour & body
- Citrus peel & nuts
- White grape
- Late ripening
- Last variety to be picked
- Resistant to powdery mildew
- Susceptible to botrytis
- Can experience poor fruit set
21
Q
Verdelho
A
- Medium dry
- More body and colour and sweetness than Sercial
- Candied fruits character
- White grape
- High acidity, but lower than Sercial
- Second most planted
- Susceptible to botrytis, coulure, downy and powdery mildews
22
Q
Boal
A
- Medium sweet
- Flavours of caramel, chocolate & candied nuts
- A group of white grapes
- Most grown in Madeira is Boah Cachudo, AKA Malvasia Fina, used in white Port
- Used to produce semi-sweet wines
- Grows best in low altitude
- Susceptible to drought
23
Q
Malvasia / Malmsey
A
- Sweet
- Full-bodied, often brown
- Raisins & caramel
- A group of white grapes
- Malvasia Candida is the most important to Madeira and highest quality
- Malvasia de Sao Jorge is most commonly grown
- V susceptible to powdery mildew
- Susceptible to botrytis
- Can be high yielding
24
Q
Terrantez
A
- Medium dry or medium sweet
- Distinct floral notes plus citrus peel & caramel
- Black grape
- Planting v limited
- Susceptible to powdery mildew & botrytis
- Often picked as soon as it reaches 9% abv potential alcohol
25
Latadas
- Used in Madeira
- Pergola system
- Goal is to increase air circulation, reduce fungal disease
26
Espaldeira
- Used in Madeira
- Cordon training with VSP
27
Levadas
Small irrigation channels in terraced vineyards in Madeira
28
Socalcos
- Narrow stone-walled terraces
- Traditional & protected by the UNESCO
- Not suitable for mechanisation
- Expensive to build and maintain
29
Patamares
- Unwalled terraces supported by steep earth ramps
- Can use small tractors
- Cheaper to establish and maintain but prone to erosion
- Can be either one or two rows on one terrace (narrow vs wide)
30
Vinha ao Alto
- Vertical vine planting up the hill
- Mechanisable under 40% incline
- Stalk trellised with bushy vines = more summer pruning
- Vine are cordon-trained and spur-pruned or head-trained and cane-pruned and VSP
31
Rootstocks used in drier sites of the Duoro
- 110R
- 1103P
Both hybrids of V rupestris and V berlandieri
32
Max yeild allowed for Port and the reality
55 hL/ha vs 30 hL/ha
33
Hazards in the Douro
- Spring frost for high altitude vineyards
- Cool, wet, cloudy weather due to the Atlantic during flowering and fruit set
- Downy mildew & botrytis, in especially Baixo Corgo
- Drought in Douro Superior
34
Three grape types used in Sherry
1. Palamino, aka Palomino Fino or Listan - 99% planting
2. Moscatel, aka Muscat of Alexandria in France, or Moscatel de Chipiona - good on arenas soils
3. Pedro Ximenez - neutral; 1% of Sherry production by volume
35
Palomino
- aka Palomino Fino or Listan
- 99% of Jerez's planting
- Mid to late ripening
- Can have high yield
- Loses acidity quickly when near maturiety
36
Moscatel
- aka Muscat of Alexandria in France
- locally aka Moscatel de Chipiona, after the town Chipiona
- Does well on sandy arenas soils
- Drought resilient
- Aromatic grape with grape & blossom notes
- Generally used for single varietal sweet Sherry
37
Pedro Ximenez
- PX for shot
- Neutral variety - flavours from maturation
- 1% of total Sherry production by volume
- Traditionally dried in the sun to further concentrate sugar
- Can be grown outside of the DO in the Montilla district
38
Vara y pulgar
- Used in Jerez
- Replacement cane pruning
39
Aserpia
Channel reservoir irrigation system that roughs or gullies are created between rows of vines to collect run-offs
40
Rootsocks used in Jerez
- 333EM
- 41-B
- 13-5 EVEX
All high-yielding hybrids of V. vinifera and V. belandieri with high lime tolerance (protecting against chlorosis) and drought
