White and Sweet Winemaking Flashcards
Explain the Skin contact options in white winemaking
No skin contact
- grapes are crushed and free run juice is separated of, and remaining grape mass is sent to press
or
- Whole bunches of uncrushed grapes are genly press to reduce risk of oxidation
Short period of skin contact
- increase flavour intensity, texure
- at a cool temperature to inhibit fermentation and only for a few hours
Extend period of skin contact or ferment with skin
- called orange wines or amber wines
- traditional in georgia, slovenia, friuli venezia giulia
- tannins are perceptible and flavours of dried fruits, dried herbs, hay and nuts
What are the techniques to clarify press juice before fermentation of white wine ?
Same techniques as pre-bottling
- settling
- centrifugation
- fining
- filtration
Why the freshly pressed grape juice must be clarified before fermentation ?
- Freshly pressed grape juice contains fragments of cells from grape skins and pulp
- If fermented untreated, unpleaseant aromas can form and fermentation may stop
some producers keep small amount of fragements, though to make the wine less susceptible to oxidtion. Still a risk of off-flavours forming. Rarely used for pure varietal character wine.
What is the optimum temperature for white wine fermentation ?
Between 12° and 22°
What is the effect of a too low or too high fermentation temperature ?
Too low : results in creation of pear drop aromas, failing to capture varietal fruit characters
Too high : Encourage more complex, non-fruit aromas, but risk of losing varietal fruit characteristics
What are the fermentation vessels options for white wines and how are they managing temperature?
Stainless steel vessels
- often have temperature control mechanisms
Barrels
- no easy to control tempeartures by their small size are normally housed in cool cellar to dissipate heat effectively.
- Higher end of the temperature range
What are the three choices a winemaker faces post-fermentation ?
- matured in oak or inert vessels with or without oak staves/chips
- use of fine lees
- allow or block malolactic conversion
Explain blending in white winemaking ?
May improve consistency, enhance balance and create a certain style
Many are pure primary fruit and role of blending is to ensure consistency.
non-aromatic varities may want to use varying amounts of lees contac, MLC and oak blend on different batches, to achieve more complexity.
Explain clarification and stabilisation in white winemaking
Improve clarity and sstability of the wine
White wines make sediment more apparent
Wines with residual sugar are at risk from microbiological infection, and winemaker might want to sterile filter the wine.
Explain the general high-volume inexpensive white wines
- Simple wines, not designed to mature in bottle,
- Easier to blend than to produce single varietal
- Labelled Dry white or Fruity white
- Neutral flavour and restraint appeal to wide range of consumers
- Choice of grape easy to ripen, acidity can be corrected in the winery
- Unoaked styles or oakes styles
- residual sugar to make them more palatable
- Vigorous nature to make high-volume
What are the three examples of High volume inexpensie white wines. Describe their styles.
Chardonnay
- Restraint
- easy to ripen in warm climates
- unoaked with peach an melon aromas
- Oak with vanilla and toast aroma
- Residual sugar
Pinot Grigio
- Restraint
- Easy to ripen in warm climates
- made in unoaked style
- pear drop aromas and flavours
- light body and medium acidity
Sauvignon Blanc
- not lowest price points
- Vigorous nature makes it high yields
- Herbaceous flavours can dominate if unripe
What chemical can be used at multiple points during the winemaking process to prevent oxidation and inhibit the growth of microorganisms?
Sulfur dioxide (SO2)
Explain the winemaking choices in inexpensive white wines
- Avoid oxidation by monitoring SO2
- Grapes are destemmed, crushed and pressed
- Acidification is the most common ajustement since high yield inexpensive wine grapes grow in warm climate
- Juice is highly clarified to ensure fruity flavours
- Use of centrifuge to save time and money
- Fermentation in stainless tell tanks vessels at cool temperature to keep primary fruit aromas
- Commercial yeast for fermentation
- Malolactic can be prevented with SO2 or take place (chardo)
- Racked of its lees as soon as fermentation has finished
- Store in inert vessel
- Some staves or oak chips can be added for toasty flavours (Chardo)
- Residual sugar is there because of warm climate, or can be added with Rectified Concentrated Grape Must (RCBM)
- Typically stabilised, fined and steril filtered. Very short shelf life.
- SO2 is topped up at bottling
Explain the general principals of Production of premium white wines
- wide ranging category
- do not follow precise formula
- ## adapt their techniques according to vintage conditions, vineyards plot and style of wine
What are the aromatic grape varieties
Sauvignon Blanc
Riesling
Muscat
Gewurztraminer
Torrontés
What is the general winemaking rule for premium wines from aromatic grape varieties?
Retain and enhance the primary fruit character and aromatic potential in the final wine
What is the preferred climate for Premium Sauvignon Blanc ?
cool climate
Early ripening grape
where the climate help retain acidity and refreshing caracteristics
What are the two most famous region for premium Sauvignon Blanc ?
Loire valley, France (sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé)
Marloborough New Zealand
Chile, south africa and margaret River in Australia
Describe premium Sauvignon blanc wine from Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé
- Show elegance and restraint
- aromas and flavours of green apple , asparagus, wet pebbles
Describe premium Sauvignon blanc wine from Marlborough
similarly ccool but long hours of intense sunlight give vibrant flavours
Aromas of gooseberry, elderflower, grapefruit, passion fruit, herbaceous note.
What is the preferred climate for Premium Riesling ?
Cool climate
- Tolerant of cold winters and buds late so avoid spring frosts
But can also ripen in warm climate but lose delicacy
What is the profile of Premium dry Riesling from cool climate
green fruit flavours
floral notes
What is the profile of Premium dry Riesling from warm climate
Citrus and stone fruit, rich in flavour
Lose delicacy
Why is Riesling suitable for ranges of wines ?
Can accumulate sugar without losing natural high acidity
What is the range of sweetness of riesling ?
From dry to sweet, used to make botrytised dessert wines
Can Riesling age ?
Yes, one of the most long-lived white wines
Can mature for years or decades in bottle and still taste fresh
When mature, Flavours of petrol, honey and toast develop
What is the homeland of Riesling ?
Germany
What are the premium region of Riesling ?
Describe their style
Germany
- dry to sweet
- Sweet with botrytised grapes
- always balanced with acidity
- Concentrated and refreshing
Alsace
- dry Rieslings, late harvest and botrytised wines when vintage permit
Austria
- Mostly dry or Very sweet
Australia, Clare and Eden Valley
- Bone dry
- Refreshing acidity
- Aromas of lime
Usa - Washington state
Dry
New Zealand, Finger Lakes, New York
Fruity, off-dry style
What are the winemaking choices for premium aromatic grape wines ?
- Handled carefully to retain fruit aromas
- SO2 is monitored
- Crushed fruit or whole bunches loaded into the press, immediately or after short skin contact
- Juice may be clean before contact to ensure the fruit flavours, with gentle method of clarification such as settling
- Inert vessels are used for fermentation ; Slainless steel in New Zealand, large oak vessels in Alsace (no oak aromas, Oxidation for texture)
- Cool and steady fermentation
- Choice of yeast depends on the winemaker
- Fermented until dry, or stopping fermentation by chilling or SO2 for sweet styles. Botrytised wines stop naturally
- Little post-fermentation before bottling
- Malolactic is avoided by adding SO2
- Riesling may have a period of leed contact for texture
- Bottle as soon as possible
- Sometimes Riesling is kept in large old vats for a year
- Rarelly blended
Where and What are the other styles of sauvignon blanc outside varietal ?
Fumé Blanc, California and
Pessac Léognan, Bordeaux
Barrel fermented , ambient yeast is used to achive greater complexity,
Matured on their lees
MLC is avoided
New oak barrels is used for a portion of the wine
What is the general winemaking rule for premium wines from less aromatic grape varities?
More neutral wine.
Winemaker can play more aactive rol in influencing the style of the final wine
Enhance the base material provided by the grapes. Can be by keeping grape in pure form or use of range of techniques to add complexity and texture
What are the less aromatic grape varieties ?
Chardonnay
Pinot Grigio / Pinot Gris
What is the preferred climate for premium Chardonnay ?
Can ripen without much difficulty in wide variety of climates
But early-budding, so can suffer from frost
In warm climate,can lose acidity quickly at the end of ripening process
What is the influence of climate on Chardonnay flavours ?
Cool climate
- green fruit (apple), citrus (lemon)
Moderate climate
- white peach, melon and lemon
Warm climate
- stone fruits (peach), tropical fruit (banana, pineapple)
Describe the different styles of Chardonnay in Burgundy
Chablis
- High acidity
- green apple, citrus, wet stones and slate
Côte d’or
- Stone fruit, creamy oak flavours
Mâconnais
- ripe and rounded
- hints of toasty oak
- With malolactic converstion and lees agein
- Can develop aromas of nuts and mushrooms
What are the regin outside of Chardonnay, known for premium Chardonnay ?
California
- Russian River Valley
- Los Carneros
Australia,
- Adelaide Hills
- Margaret River
- Mornington Peninsula
New Zealand
- Gisborne
- Marlborough
Chile
- Casablanca
Made nearly in every winemaking country
What is the difference between Burgundy Chardonnay winemaking and all the other regions ?
Burgundy chardonnay styles are based on traditions of a particular region
Outside of Burgundy, it is dependent on the preferences of the individual winemaker.
What is the preferred climate of Premium pinot gris?
Can grow in almost all climates
Early budding and early ripening
In warm climate, can accumulate high sugar but lose acidity
Name the region and the wine profile of Premium Pinot Gris, with richer style
Alsace
- dry or off dry
- oily texxter
- ripe tropical fruit, hint of ginger and honey
- deep colour skin = golden wine
New Zealand
- Viscous texture
- More pure fruit flavours and residual sugar
Tasmania, Australia, Oregon also make pinot gris in Richer style
Name the region and the wine profile of Premium Pinot Gris, with drier style
Alto Adige
Trentino
Friuli-Venezia Giulia in North East
Greath depth of flavour compared to veneto plain
What is important in the selection of grape for pinot grigio ?
The choice of the clone is important
Premium Pinot Grigio use clon found in Germany and France wich have small berries with conentrated flavours
high volume inexpensive Pinot Grigio tend to be used with clone known for pale skin and fleshy pulp
What are the winemaking choices for premium less aromatic grape wines ?
- Crushed or loaded as whole bunches (more common for Chardonnay)
- Controlled exposure to oxygen is possible
- Clarification with gentle method such as settling. Some may chose to leave some solid matter for complexity
- Range of vessels for fermentation
- Fermentation temperature and choice of yeast vary
- Fermentation can be stopped by chilling or adding SO2 in off-dry to sweet version. It can also stop by naturally leaving sugar in Alsace
- Choice of barrel maturation, old or new oak, all or a proportion
- Malolactic conversion my be encouraged
- Contact with lees often take place
What are the vessels use for fermentation of premium Pinot Gris and Chardonnay, by region?
Stainless steel or concrete vats : Chablis (chardo), north easty Italy and New Zealand (pinot gris)
Large oak vessels : Alsace (pinot Gris)
Small, new oak : Chardonnay côte d’or
What are the winemaking techniques to make sweet wine ?
Stopping the fermentation
Adding a sweetening component
Concentrating Grape Sugars
What are the way to achieve concentrating grape sugars ?
Noble rot, Drying grapes on the vine
Drying grapes after picking
freezing grapes on the vine
Explain the concept of Stopping the fermentation in Sweet winemaking
Fortification
- adding grape spirit kills theyeast and no fruther fermentation is possible
- Alter the structural balance of the wine
Adding a high dose of SO2 and Chilling the wine
- Wine must be filtered to remove remaining yeast, so the fermentation do not resume
- Use form high quality German Kabinett and Spätlese, or Asti
- Typically low in alcohol
Explain the concept of adding a sweetening component in Sweet winemaking
Addition of Unfermented grape juice , called Süssreserve
- Filtering the juice before fermentation start or dosing it with SO2
- Süssreserve is added to the wine before bottling
- Particularly in Germany for medium-sweet wines
Rectified concentrated grape must (RCGM)
- Same effect, used to add a little sweetness to high volume inexpensive wines
- Derived from grape must
Name the principal sweet wines made from noble rot affected grapes
Sauternes
Tokaji
Beerenaulstesen
Trokenbeerenaulslesen
What is noble rot ?
Cause by fugus Botrytis Cinerea, the same that causes grey rot, which under specifi conditions form noble rot
What are the conditions to develop noble rot ?
- grape must be fully ripe before the development of the rot
- grape must be grown in a region that provides humid misty mornings followed by sunny dry afternoons.
How noble rot develops on grape ?
Damp conditions in the morning allow rot to develop
Funugs punctures the grape skin with microscopic filmanets, leaving holes in the skin
Warm sunny afternoons slow the development and cause water to evaporate, concentrating acids, flavours and sugars
Fungus also generates own unique flavours in te grapes
What are the distinctive aromas of grapes affected by noble rot ?
honey, apricot, citrus zest, Dried fruit
Explain the challenges of harvesting noble rot affected grapes
Never uniform, several pickings by hand may be needed to slect the best grapes
Expensive process as it requires skilled labour over prolonged perio of time
In son aream, such as Sauternes, noble rot may not occu every year, the fungus growing too rapidly and causing grey rot instead
Explain the concept of drying grape on the vine in Sweet winemaking
Method for concentrating grape sugars
Know as passerillage
- once grape are reaching full ripeness, they begin to dehydrate and turn into raisins on the vine, increasing sugar concentration
- Warm dry autmns are needed
- Overripe fruit character
- Can be labelled as Late Harvest
Explain the concept of drying grapes after picking in Sweet winemaking
Technique to concentrate grape sugars
- Healthy harvested grapes are dehydrated to concentrate sugar
- dry and warm condition are needed
- all rotten grapes must be removed to not spread
- Used in passito wines such as Recioto della Valpolicella DOCG
- Give raisiny quality
Explain the concept of freezing grapes on the vine in Sweet winemaking
Technique to concentrate grape sugars
- healthy grapes are left hanging on the vine into the winter months
- Water in the grape pulp turns to ice
- Grapes are picked and pressed, the ice is remaining in the press and sugar content of the resulting juice is increased
- Use for eiswein in German and Icewine in Canada
- Pure varietal character
- Can be replicated artificially by freesing picked grapes at a winery
What is the effect of grape sugar concentration technique on fermentation?
The alcoholic fermentation stop naturally when the yeast have converted as much sugar into alcohol as they can
This could happen as low as 7 %abv, because yeast struggle to survive in sugary environment
German Trockenbeerenauslesen in a classic examples.
