Viniculture/Vinification

Question 1

What is viticulture?

Answer 1

The art and science of vine growing.

Question 2

What are factors of production for growing grapes/making wine?

Answer 2

Location/geography, climate, topography/aspect, grape varietals, viticulture practices, vinification process, harvest, vintage, terroir, wine laws, and history.

Question 3

At what latitude are most vines grown in the world?

Answer 3

Between 30°– 50°

Question 4

Macroclimate

Answer 4

“big picture”

Question 5

Mesoclimate

Answer 5

a particular vineyard site

Question 6

Microclimate

Answer 6

single row of vines and/or one vine

Question 7

What defines a continental climate?

Answer 7

Strong annual variation due to lack of proximity to large bodies of water.

Often hot summers and cold winters.

Question 8

What defines a Mediterranean climate?

Answer 8

Hot and dry summers (aside from immediate coastal areas).

Mild summers along the coast, but subject to storms/weather.

Question 9

What defines a maritime climate?

Answer 9

Climate influenced by large body of water (a sea or ocean).

Mild temperatures that fluctuate year to year.

Question 10

What defines a high desert climate?

Answer 10

Generally hot and dry summers with dramatic overnight drops.

Question 11

What influence does planting grapes on a valley floor have?

Answer 11

Susceptible to frost and sometimes have overly fertile soil.

Question 12

What do the skins of grapes impart on a wine?

Answer 12

Tannins, color, and flavor.

Question 13

What does the pulp of a grape impart on a wine?

Answer 13

Water, sugar, acid, seeds/pips.

Question 14

What can crushing the seeds/pips of a grape do to the wine?

Answer 14

Cause bitterness.

Question 15

What are three different species of grapes?

Answer 15

Vitis Labrusca
Vitis Riparia
Vitis Vinifera *

Question 16

What is a grape hybrid?

Answer 16

Vines of two or more different species to create new variety.

Ex. Vitis vinifera x Vitis labrusca

Question 17

What is an example of a hybrid?

Answer 17

Seyval Blanc

Vidal Blanc

Question 18

What is a grape cross/crossing?

Answer 18

Vines of the same species are combined.

Ex. Vitis vinifera x Vitis vinifera

Question 19

What is an example of a crossing?

Answer 19

Pinotage = Pinot Noir x Cinsault

Question 20

What is a grape clone?

Answer 20

Identical genetic reproductions of a single vine.

Question 21

What are the effects of a warm climate on grapes?

Answer 21

Grapes ripen fully, more sugar is produced, and acidity is lower.

Higher alcohol potential, flavors are more ripe/lush/juicy.

Question 22

What are the effects of a cool climate on grapes?

Answer 22

Grapes ripen slowly, less sugar is produced, and acidity is high.

Less alcohol potential, flavors are more tart/lean.

Question 23

How are yields often measured?

Answer 23

Tons of grapes per acre
Hectoliters per hectare
Pounds/kilos per vine

Question 24

What are the factors considered at harvest?

Answer 24

Time of picking (grape maturity, sugar ripeness, physical ripeness, and tannin ripeness).

Method of harvest (hand/mechanical and small/large bin size).

Question 25

What is Green Harvesting?

Answer 25

Crop thinning method of dropping or cutting unripe grapes before harvest to decrease yields and allow vines to focus energy and nutrients on fewer, higher quality bunches.

Question 26

What are the advantages/disadvantages of hand harvesting?

Answer 26

Labor intensive, slower, greater selectivity.

Question 27

What are the advantages/disadvantages of mechanical harvesting?

Answer 27

Economical, rapid, often bruises fruit and/or comes with | leaves/pets/animals.

Question 28

What are the advantages/disadvantages of small bins for sorting?

Answer 28

Enables careful selection, limits # of clusters to allow measure of the fruit’s weight.

Question 29

What are the advantages/disadvantages of large bins for sorting?

Answer 29

More weight can result in bursting of grapes and premature fermentation.

Question 30

What is fermentation?

Answer 30

Sugar + Yeast = Alcohol, CO2, flavors/aromas, and heat.

Question 31

What are the steps for making white wine?

Answer 31

``` Harvest De-stem or whole bunches Crush Press juice/must from skins (skin contact?) Fermentation Aging (None? Lees? Barrel?) Fine and/or filtering Bottle ```

Question 32

What are the steps for making red wine?

Answer 32

``` Harvest Crush De-stem or whole bunches Skins and seeds macerated Fermentation Aging (None? Barrel?) Fine and/or filtering Bottle ```

Question 33

What are the steps for making rose?

Answer 33

``` Harvest De-stem or whole bunches Crush Press juice skins/must (Limited skin contact) Fermentation Aging (None? Barrel?) Fine and/or filtering Bottle ```

Question 34

What is a foudre?

Answer 34

Large oak barrel that can contain 1000+ liters.

Question 35

What is a barrique?

Answer 35

An oak barrel that can hold 225-liters.

Question 36

What are examples of other aging vessels for wines?

Answer 36

Egg-shaped Stainless Steel Concrete Amphora

Question 37

What does barrel aging do?

Answer 37

Evaporates excess water, oxidizes (changes color), affects texture (softens), imparts flavor (vanilla, oak, toast, spice, coconut).

Question 38

What are some examples of different time of oak barrels?

Answer 38

American French Salvonian Hungarian

Question 39

What kind of flavors/aromas do American oak barrels impart?

Answer 39

Bold and more intense flavors | dill, coconut, vanilla, baking spice

Question 40

What kind of flavors/aromas do French oak barrels impart?

Answer 40

Subtler aromas | vanilla, toast, spice

Question 41

What is fining in terms of bottling?

Answer 41

A process that clarifies the wine.

Question 42

What is cold stabilization?

Answer 42

A process of fining that causes tartrate crystals to precipitate out of the wine at 25 degrees (very low temperature).

Question 43

What is the purpose of sorting grapes?

Answer 43

To remove excess leaves, branches, and damaged fruits.