White and Sweet Winemaking: Producing high-vol, inexpensive whites Flashcards
Are high-volume whites simple or complex?
Are they made to mature in the bottle?
Price?
Are they single varietal? What’s usually easiest?
What’s the label called?
They are simple. No they do not mature in the bottle. Reasonable They can be single varietal or a blend. Blending is usually easiest. Varietal labelling
What is the characteristic of high-vol, low price wines?
What two varieties tend to make neutral wines and why?
What market does this appeal to?
They have a neutral flavour?
Chardonnay & Pinot Grigio. As they have a restrained varietal character.
A broad market
What growth factor makes Chardonnay & Pinot Grigio ideal for High-vol, low cost wines?
In warm climates, what can the grape be low in and how can it be corrected?
They are easy to ripen especially in warm climates.
Low acid and this can be added in the winery.
What flavours can un-oaked Chardonnay display?
What flavours does oak add?
Can they still have some residual sugar? What does it make the wine?
Pure fruit such as peach and melon.
Vanilla and toast.
Yes and it makes the wine more palatable to a wide range of consumers.
What style is Pinot Grigio usually?
Four
Un-oaked with light pear drop characteristics.
Light body.
Medium acidity.
What is another popular grape? Why is it currently used? Whats the price? Whats its vigour and what does that mean? Whats the flavour if its underripe?
Sauvignon blanc Its current popularity. Not the cheapest. It has a high yield. Herbaceous flavours can dominate.
To make pure, simple primary fruit flavour wines, whats avoided? what 2 things can be done to avoid this?
What is the climate most used for these wines?
What’s the most common adjustment?
What grape is most prone to this? Whats the wine then described as?
Careful handling in the winery to avoid oxidation.
SO2 used and protective methods.
Warm & hot climates.
Acidification.
Chardonnay. Flat and flabby when acid levels are too low.
Are these wines clarified? Why? What does this retain? When is this clarification?
How are they clarified? Why do they not rely on settling?
Yes - the solids can add unwanted complexity and reduce the primary fruit flavours? Before fermentation.
The are clarified by centrifuge or filtration, as settling is too slow.
Whats the vessel of choice? At what temperature and why?
What grape types need low temp?
What yeasts are used? Why?
Whats the yeast called?
Stainless steel. Low temp to retain the primary fruit flavours.
When the grapes have little flavour like high yield Pinot Grigio.
Commercial yeasts to ensure a quick , reliable fermentation.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Why not use MLF? How is it stopped? Is it usually lees aged? How? Which grape is usually encouraged to undergo MLF? What flavours does this give?
To retain the acid & primary fruit flavours.
It is stopped by keeping it cool and adding SO2
No and by immediate racking as soon as fermentation has finished.
Chardonnay, giving a soft buttery style.
Why are oak chips and staves used rather than barrels?
What flavours are added?
Price and time
Toasty and vanilla.
Which grape is most likely to have some residual sugar?
How is this sugar achieved?
Why?
Chardonnay rather than Pinot Grigio.
Often the wine is fermented to dry and then either sugar or RCGM is added
So the final sugar level / sweetness can be controlled
What’s the three colour features the consumer expects?
What three processes are usually employed to achieve this?
Whats added on bottling to stop oxidisation
Clear, bright and no sediment
stabilised, fined and sterile filtered.
SO2 - even though shelf life of these wines is short.
