USA Flashcards
What are American GIs known as?
American Viticultural Area (AVA)
Can an AVA overlap different states?
Yes
Wines without an AVA status need to be labelled with what regional identity?
The label must carry either the name of the state or county.
What is the most crucial influence on the climate in California?
The cool California ocean current.
In California, north of Los Angeles, what protects much of the coast line from the cooling California ocean current?
Mountains
Where mountains in California do not protect vineyards, which two cooling effects does the California ocean current create?
Cool air and fog is drawn in during the evening lowering night-time temperatures.
Delays in the sun burning off the fog lowers the temperatures into the day.
Which geographical feature allows the cooling California ocean current to reach well inland?
Gaps in the mountain range.
Valleys at right angles to the ocean, such as Monterey and Santa Barbara, do what with the cool California ocean currents?
They act as funnels for the cool air to be drawn inland.
Apart from the California ocean current, what else links all of California’s climate?
Lack of rain during the ripening season.
What is widely practised to help manage the lack of rain during the ripening season in California?
Drip irrigation
With the lack of rain during the ripening season in California, what can growers do to help get very ripe grapes with concentrated flavours and high sugar levels?
Increase the hang times on the vines.
What is California’s most widely planted black grape variety?
Cabernet Sauvignon
California’s best sites producing Cabernet Sauvignon often have what key flavour and body characteristics?
Concentrated, ripe cassis (blackcurrant)
Full body
Note the definition of cassis is either the flavour from blackcurrant or refers to cassis liqueur, a sweet, dark red liqueur made from blackcurrants. Either way it is best to treat cassis as a description for blackcurrant. Blackcurrant is in the SAT while cassis is not.
Why are some Zinfandel wines made with both ripe and unripe grapes?
Zinfandel ripens unevenly
To avoid too many unripe grapes associated with uneven ripeness, Zinfandel can often have longer hang time resulting in raisin grapes, but much less unripe grapes. What happens to the body, alcohol and residual sugar with these wines?
High alcohol
Full body
Small amounts of residual sugar
What are the flavours of a ripe red Zinfandel?
Red & black fruits
Dried berries
Liquorice
For a White Zinfandel what is the colour, sweetness & alcohol?
Rosé
Medium sweet
Low alcohol
When are the grapes picked for a typical White Zinfandel?
Early, to maintain acidity
Monterey and the North Coast (Napa, Sonoma) produce good quality red wines with deep colour, soft velvety tannins, luscious body, high alcohol and flavours of blackberry & plum. What is the grape variety?
Merlot
What is the most planted grape variety in California?
Chardonnay
Why do many Californian Sauvignon Blancs come from coastal regions?
The coast is cooler, allowing Sauvignon Blanc to retain its acidity.
What is a key flavour of a typical Californian Sauvignon Blanc from a coastal region?
Ripe citrus flavour
What is the term for Californian Sauvignon Blanc with oak influence?
Fumé Blanc
Where is the majority of California’s wine produced?
Central Valley Lodi is the only AVA in Central Valley that is covered in the L3 course.
