Vinification Flashcards
When does vinificatie begin?
as soon as the grapes come into the winery after being harvest
what are some decisions a winemaker has to make BEFORE fermentation even starts?
- when to pick/ripeness of the grapes
- how rigorous sorting must be
- whether or not to destem
what are some of the vessels used for primary fermentation?
- stainless steel
- cement
- barrels (new/used of varying sizes)
what are some of the effects fermentation vessels can have on a wine?
- aroma
- flavor
- texture
define foudre
a large wooden barrel that holds 1000+ liters
define barrique
a smaller wooden barrel that holds 225 liters
what exactly is fermentation?
A chemical, exothermic reaction where the grapes’ natural sugars are eaten by yeasts, which are either naturally present or added by the winemaker
When yeast eat sugar, the main byproducts kicked off are CO2 and alcohol. Flavors and aromas are also produced.
As grape juice ferments, it becomes drier (less sweet, because the yeast are eating the sugar) and alcoholic.
This first fermentation is also known as primary fermentation and alcoholic fermentation
finish this equation:
Grape sugar + Yeast = …
- Co2
- alcohol
- heat
- flavors + aromas
what is the purpose of sorting grapes
to remove:
- excess leaves
- damaged fruit (split, raisinated, underripe, sunburned, etc.)
- MOGS (materials Other Than GrapeS, including rocks, moths, insects, twigs, etc.)
what is destemming? And why do winemakers sometimes keeps stems when making wine?
When berries are separated from their stems.
Stems are kept to add flavor and modify the style of wine.
what is ‘crushing’?
grapes are almost always ‘crushed’ when they’re destemmed. crushing releases the grapes’ juices, and it’s at this point that fermentation begins.
note: if grapes are crushed too aggressively, the winemaker risk releasing unwanted tannins from the seeds and skins into the juice, making the resulting wine more astringent. crushing should always be gentle.
what are some advantages of fermenting wine in oak barrels?
- barrels add woody and toasty flavours straight into the wine;
- barrels encourage flavor development due to the presence of oxygen;
- barrels lend textural changes, softening tannins;
- barrels can change the color of the wine via oxidation, darkening white wines and lightening red wines
what flavours will ageing in new oak add to white wines?
Vanilla
Toast
Smoke
Coconut
Baking spice (clove, dill, nutmeg, anise)
Sweet spice (molasses, brown sugar, butterscotch)
what determines how much flavor an oak barrel adds to a wine?
- how the barrel was made (what was its level of toasting?)
- age of barrel (if it’s new, it’ll impart more wood flavor than a used one)
- size of barrel (smaller ones encourage more oxygen transfer, helping flavours evolve sooner)
why are the effects of oak felt more so in small barrels vs. large barrels?
because in smaller barrels there is a greater amount of wine surface area touching the oak
Barrels that have never been used before are referred to as ___.
Barrels have have been used about 4 times or more are referred to as ___.
never used: new oak or first-use
used a few times: old or neutral oak
what can neutral or used oak impart on a wine?
- textural changes
- oxidative effects
what less-costly methods may be substituted for oak barrels but still add desirable oak flavours to value-priced wines?
the use of oak staves or oak chips.
This cheaper method is only used for inexpensive wines, never for premium wines.
what types of oak are available for the winemaker to use?
- French oak
- American oak
- Slavonian oak
- Hungarian oak
what are the typical flavours French oak imparts on a wine?
- vanilla
- toast
- spices (gentler baking spices)
what are the typical flavours American oak imparts on a wine?
- coconut
- dill
- vanilla extract
- intense baking spices (more assertive than French oak)
what is the name of the artisan who makes and toasts barrels?
coopers (the company is called a cooperage)
what are the levels of barrel toasting?
light
medium
heavy
heavier toasts on barrels add increased flavour intensities of:
Vanillin
Spices
Toasty/ woody notes
which toast allows a wine to extract the greatest amount of wood tannin? Light or Heavy toast
light toast
list some winemaking options available to winemakers after primary fermentation is complete
- malolactic fermentation
- lees contact / stirring
- adjustments, either sugar or acid additions
what is malolactic fermentation
a conversion of magic acid, which is tart, into lactic acid, which is soft.
also known as:
Malo / ML / Malolactic conversion
how does a wine go through Malo?
it usually occurs naturally if there is lactic bacteria present in the winery.
However, some wineries have to help a wine go though Malo by adding lactic bacteria
what flavours does Malo impart on a wine?
- butter
- movie theater popcorn butter
- cream/ dairy
what other sensory effects does Malo impart on a wine?
Malo adds a creamy, richer, rounder texture to wine
the most common white grape to go through Malo is…..
chardonnay other white grapes that go through Malo: - Viognier - Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc belnds Marsanne-Roussanne blends
what are lees?
dead yeast cells left over from primary fermentation that fall to the bottom of the fermentation vessel
what are the effects of stirring up the lees or keeping a wine on its lees for an extended period of time?
- lees add a creamy, round texture and richer body;
- lees add flavours of freshly-baked bread, yeast, beer head, delicate white flowers, almond skin, peanut shells
what is autolysis?
when dead yeast cells break open and release proteins + flavor into the wine giving it a richer, creamier texture.
White wines more often see extended lees ageing than reds
Where Is Lees Ageing Used More Often? Cool or Hot Climates?
Why?
Cool-Climates
Most cool-climates white grapes have subtle aromas and flavours. lees contact adds dramatic, expressive aromas and flavours to these more quiet varietals.
define ‘sur lie’ aging
when a wine stays in contact with the lees for an extended period of time (usually several months up to a few years)
what is the term for unfermented grape juice?
must
name 2 must adjustments
- chaptalization
2. acidification
define chaptalization.
in what climate will chaptalisation usually occur?
Adding sugar to the must to boost a wine’s final alcohol content.
Usually done in cooler climates because grapes can struggle to ripen (and sugars are lower).
define acidification.
In what climate is acidification most likely to occur?
The addition of tartaric acid to wine in order to boost the acidity and improve balance.
Usually warm climates where grapes achieve high ripeness and need acidity to counterbalance all the sugar the grapes accumulated (kind of like lemonade! If there’s too much sugar in lemonade, you need more acid to balance it out).
list the order of winemaking steps for white wine
- harvest
- destem if doing; otherwise whole bunch
- crushing
- pressing
- skin contact, if doing, after pressing - primary/ alcoholic fermentation
- storage / maturing / aging
- lees contact and oak here, if using - fine and/ or filter
8 bottling
list the order of winemaking steps for rosé wine
- harvest
- destem if doing; otherwise whole bunch
- crushing
- pressing
- short skin contact, if doing, after pressing - primary/ alcoholic fermentation
- storage/maturing/ageing (usually no oak, quick)
- fine and/or filter
- bottling
list the order of winemaking steps for red wine
- harvest
- destem if doing; otherwise whole bunch; crush; maceration of juice and skins/seeds
- primary / alcoholic fermentation
- pressing
- storage/ maturing/ aging
- fine and/or filter
- bottling
For white and rosé wines, pressing grapes occurs …. fermentation.
For red wines, pressing occurs …. fermentation.
Pressing occurs BEFORE fermenting for white and rosé wines, AFTER fermentation for reds
what is fining?
Clarifying the wine. (read: making sure it stays clear after it’s been bottled). One way to clarify a wine if by cold stabilization
What is cold stabilisation?
When a wine’s temperature is brought down very low (25ºF / -4ºC) to encourage tartrates to crystalize and precipitate out of the wine.
It’s these tartrates that can make a wine appear hazy later on if they’re not fined out.
What is filtering?
Exactly what it sounds like: the wine is passed through filters whose pore sizes range from minuscule to large.
Filtering is done to remove yeast so the wine doesn’t deferment later.
list some common packaging options available to winemakers today
- glass bottles
- kegs
- cans
- tetra pak
how are most wines enclosed these days?
- natural cork
- synthetic cork
- screw cap (aka stelvin)
glass t-tops / vino-lok
how does a winery create a label for their wine(s)?
they use graphic designers to make the label attractive and easy to read, ensuring that what’s in the bottle is identified on the label.
All labels must be approved by a region’s or country’s government, and a winery must follow rules mandating what can and cannot be on the label.
In the U.S., the TTB is the governing body overseeing wine labelling
define carbonic maceration.
Whole grapes and clusters of grapes are placed in tanks with CO2 pumped on top of the grapes, displacing all oxygen. This aerobic environment causes fermentation to start intracellularly (without yeast) but using enzymes already within the grapes, converting the grapes’ sugars tinto alcohol.
Berries at the bottom of the tank are crushed under the weight of all the other grapes above it.
what are some of the distinctive flavours an aromas produced by carbonic maceration?
- bubble gum
- gum drop
- kirsch
- artifical banana
what region is best known for carbonic maceration?
Beaujolais, which is in the southern part of Burgundy, France
