Vinification

Question 1

What is vinification?

Answer 1

The art of winemaking. The decisions and practices made in the winery by the winemaker that affect quality and style.

Question 2

Removing excess leaves, branches, damaged fruit from the grape brought in from the vineyard.

Answer 2

Sorting

Question 3

Separating berries from stems

Answer 3

De-stemming

Question 4

This process releases the juice from the grapes

Answer 4

Crushing

Question 5

What is fermentation?

Answer 5

The chemical reaction where sugar is transformed by yeast into alcohol, carbon dioxide, flavors, aromas and heat.

Question 6

White wine making steps

Answer 6

Harvest White or Red Grapes
De-stem or whole bunch
Crush
Press juice from skins
Skin contact
Fermentation
Aging? (None, Lees or Barrel)
Fine and/or Filter 
Bottle

Question 7

Rose wine making steps

Answer 7

Harvest Red Grapes
De-stem or whole bunch
Crush
Press juice from skins
Skin contact limited
Fermentation
Aging? (None or Barrel)
Fine and/or Filter 
Bottle

Question 8

Red wine making steps

Answer 8

Harvest Red Grapes
Crush
De-stem or whole bunch
Stems and seeds macerated with juice 
Fermentation
Press juice from skins
Aging? (None or Barrel)
Fine and/or Filter
Bottle

Question 9

What is a Foudre?

Answer 9

A large fermentation vessel (1000+ liters)

Question 10

What is a Barrique?

Answer 10

A small fermentation vessel (225 liters)

Question 11

What materials can fermentation vessels be made out of?

Answer 11

Wood, Stainless-Steel or Concrete

Question 12

What does barrel aging do?

Answer 12

Remove excess water through evaporation
Change color through oxidation
Change texture/soften
Change flavor adding vanilla, oak, toast, and spice

Question 13

What is the difference between new barrels and old?

Answer 13

New impart more flavor. Old will be more neutral in flavor but can still contribute texture or color changes.

Question 14

Do large barrels or small barrels impart more flavor into the wine?

Answer 14

Small

Question 15

American Oak

Answer 15

Bold, intense flavors of caramel, vanilla extract, dill, herbs, coconut and sawdust.

Question 16

French Oak

Answer 16

Subtle more refined flavors of vanilla bean, dried baking spices, cedar and sawdust.

Question 17

Light toast promotes more extraction of what?

Answer 17

Wood tannin

Question 18

Malolactic Fermentation

Answer 18

Tart malic acid is converted to softer lactic acid imparting a buttery flavor and creamy texture to white wines.

Question 19

Carbonic Maceration

Answer 19

Tanks filled with whole berries are blanketed under carbon dioxide. Grapes begin to ferment from the inside. Unique flavors and aromas are produced.

Question 20

Lees Contact

Answer 20

Allowing white and sparkling wines to stay in contact with the yeasts that produced the fermentation.

Question 21

Autolysis

Answer 21

When yeast die and release flavor compounds into the white and sparkling wine imparting richness, creaminess and texture.

Question 22

Chaptalization

Answer 22

The addition of sugar to must to increase the final alcohol content if the wine.

Question 23

Acidification

Answer 23

The addition of tartaric acid to increase the acidity of the must to achieve improved balance in the resulting wine.

Question 24

Fining

Answer 24

Clarifying wine for attractiveness.

Question 25

Cold Stabilization

Answer 25

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

Question 26

Filtration

Answer 26

Wine is passed through filters to extract yeast and other microbes, providing stability and assuring that the wine does not re-ferment.

Question 27

What is Bâtonnage?

Answer 27

French term for stirring settled lees back into wine