Vinification Flashcards

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1
Q

What is vinification?

A

Once the grapes arrive at the winery the process of vinification begins. The process involves decisions and practices made in the winery by the winemaker that affect quality and style.

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2
Q

List the factors of vinification.

A
  1. Pre-Fermentation
  2. Fermentation
  3. Types of Winemaking - White, Rose, Red - Sparkling - Dessert and Fortified
  4. Fermentation Vessels
  5. Aging and Maturation
  6. Important Vinification Terms
  7. Preparation for Bottling
  8. Packaging
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3
Q

List the factors of pre-fermentation.

A
  1. Sorting (sorted to remove excess - leaves, branches, damaged fruit, random unwanted items)
  2. De-stemming (obvious. Can elect against this.)
  3. Crushing (crushing to release juice. Be gentle or unwanted bitterness and tannins!)
  4. Fermentation (sugar + yeast = alcohol + CO2). This also creates flavors, aromas, and heat.
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4
Q

What are the winemaking steps for white & rosé wine?

A
  1. Harvest (red or white grapes)
  2. De-stem or Whole Bunch
  3. Crush
  4. Press juice from skins (must) allowing skin contact (limited for rosé)
  5. Fermentation
  6. Aging
  7. Fine and/or Filter
  8. Bottle
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5
Q

What are the winemaking steps for red wine?

A
  1. Harvest (red or white grapes)
  2. Crush
  3. De-stem or Whole Bunch
  4. Skins and seeds macerated with juice (must)
  5. Fermentation
  6. Press juice from skins
  7. Aging
  8. Fine and/or Filter
  9. Bottle
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6
Q

List the primary factors of a fermentation vessel.

A
  1. Size
  2. Shape
  3. Material
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7
Q

Name three sizes/shapes of vessels?

A
  1. Foudre: 1000+ liter (large)
  2. Barrique: 224 liter (small)
  3. Egg-shaped
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8
Q

Name three vessel materials?

A
  1. Wood
  2. Stainless Steel
  3. Concrete
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9
Q

What does barrel aging do?

A
  1. Evaporation of excess water.
  2. Oxidation: Causes color change in wine (white = darken pale yellow to gold. red = lighten).
  3. Textural: Aging in oak softens wine.
  4. Flavor Changes: Vanilla, Oak, Toast, Spice (Cinnamon, Clove, Allspice), Coconut
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10
Q

What are the primary barrel considerations?

A
  1. How old is the barrel.
  2. Type of wood.
  3. Financial Considerations (Oak chips are cheaper).
  4. Size of Barrel.
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11
Q

What is another name for a new oak barrel and how does it impact a wine?

A
  • “First use” - Will impart the most flavor and aroma
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12
Q

What is another name for an older oak barrel and how does it impact a wine?

A
  • “Used” - Imparts little to no flavor or aroma after 4-6 years of use. - STILL impacts oxidative flavors and textural effects
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13
Q

When is a barrel rendered neutral?

A

After its fourth to sixth use.

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14
Q

How do neutral barrels impact a wine?

A
  1. No longer impart flavors or aromas from the barrel.
  2. Do impart oxidative flavors.
  3. Do impart textural effects
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15
Q

How does barrel aging affect the color of a wine?

A

Red wines grow lighter in color. White wines grow darker in color, from pale yellow to gold.

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16
Q

What are the main types of wood used for barrel aging?

A
  1. American Oak (Bold, more intense flavors of vanilla, toast, and spice).
  2. French Oak (Subtler aromas of vanilla, toast, and spice).
  3. Slavonian (from northeastern Croatia)
  4. Hungarian
17
Q

What is Malolactic Fermentation?

A

Tart malic acid, which occurs naturally in grapes, are converted to softer-tasting lactic acid. “Malo” or “ML” is a process that occurs naturally in both red and white wines. No flavor is imparted to red wines, but ML can impart buttery or buttered popcorn flavors and a creamy texture to white wines.

18
Q

Describe Carbonic Maceration.

A

Tanks filled with whole berries are blanketed under CO² gas. Grapes begin to ferment from the inside (intracellular fermentation). Berries at the bottom of the tank are crushed and ferment normally. Unique aromas and flavors are produced. Most commonly used in Beaujolais region of Burgandy, France.

19
Q

What is Intracellular Fermentation?

A

The process by which sugars inside the grapes are converted to alcohol in the absence of yeast.

20
Q

What is Lees Contact?

A

A winemaking decision to leave white and sparkling wines in contact with the yeasts that produced the fermentation. Over time autolysis occurs. This is when yeast cells die and release flavor components into the wine, giving additional richness, creaminess, and texture.

21
Q

Where and why is lees contact often used?

A

Cold climate growing regions to derive more expressive aromas and flavors.

22
Q

What is lees?

A

After fermentation, yeast cells die and settle to the bottom of the tank or barrel. The accumulated material is known as lees.

23
Q

What is “sur lie aging”?

A

A decision to leave fermented wine in contact with the lees for an extended period of time to impart additional aromas and flavors.

24
Q

What types of flavors and aromas are imparted through “sur lie aging”?

A
  1. Bread Dough
  2. Yeast
  3. Toast
  4. Subtle white flowers
  5. Nuts (blanched almonds, pine nuts, peanut shells)
25
Q

What is must?

A

Unfermented grape juice.

26
Q

What are two common must adjustments?

A
  1. Chaptalization: Addition of sugar to increase final alcohol content.
  2. Acidification: Addition of tartaric acid to increase acidity to achieve improved balance.
27
Q

Describe the steps to prepare for bottling. (5)

A
  1. Fining: Clarify the wine for attractiveness.
  2. Filtration: Extracts yeasts and other microbes. Assures wine does not re-ferment.
  3. Packaging: Bottle, Tetra Pak, Keg, Can
  4. Closures: Cork, Screw Cap, Glass “Vino-Lok”
  5. Capsules and Labels: Bottles are finished off with labels to identify the wines and also to enhance attractiveness and increase sales.
28
Q

What is cold stabilization?

A

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