White wine - knowledge (c) Flashcards
What 2 categories can wine regions be put into?
Old world & New World
What are classed as ‘old world’ countries?
In Europe, mainly Austria, France, Portugal, Spain, Italy and Germany.
Name some countries that are included in the ‘New World’ category
New world regions include South Africa, North and South America, Australia and New Zealand.
Generally what is the taste of ‘New World’ wine usually like and why?
Generally new world wines are more fruity, as their climates are warmer it tends to result in riper fruit with more alcohol and ‘body’.
Apart from fruit, what else does white wine need?
Needs to be balanced with good acidity
What can too little acidity in white wine mean?
Too little acidity means a wine lacks structure and can be flat or flabby.
What can too much acidity in white wine mean?
Too much acidity means it becomes sharp, tart and physically uncomfortable for your guests to drink!
What does it mean if a white wine is oaked?
It means it’s aged in oak barrels giving a wine those oaky, vanilla, toast flavours. Think of it as a sort of seasoning to add flavour.
What does a wine’s body refer to?
A wine’s body refers to the ‘fullness’ in the mouth
What will a full bodied wine have? Can you give an example?
A full bodied wine will have good concentration and a higher alcohol content (abv). An Australian Chardonnay would be a good example of a wine that is full bodied and instantly enjoyable, but perhaps not a wine you would want to quaff all evening!
What are the most common type of white wines you may be asked for?
- Chardonnay
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Riesling
- Gewurztraminer
- Pinot Grigio (Pinot Gris)
- Semillon
- Viognier
- Chenin Blanc
- Gruner Veltliner
- Albarinho
- Marsanne
What are some French regions that may be named in regards to wine?
Bordeaux, Alsace, Burgundy or Chablis
What are some Portuguese regions that may be named in regards to wine?
Vinho Verde
What are some Spanish regions that may be named in regards to wine?
Rioja, Rias Baixas
What are some Italian regions that may be named in regards to wine?
Gavi, Frascati, Soave
What are the different styles of white wine that might be requested?
- Light
- Rich
- Fruity
- Dry
- Crisp
- Aromatic
What happens once the grapes are picked and harvested?
Once the grapes are picked, or harvested, they are pressed to extract the juice. Whites destined to be fuller bodied often spend a day or two in contact with their skins and pulp before the juice is drained.
How is the juice then made into wine?
Once the grapes are picked, or harvested, they are pressed to extract the juice. Whites destined to be fuller bodied often spend a day or two in contact with their skins and pulp before the juice is drained.
What does the length of fermentation depend on?
The length of time to complete fermentation varies from region to region and grower to grower, lasting anything from one to three weeks.
What are white wines generally made of?
White wines are generally made with grapes with yellow or green skins, but they can also be made from black skinned grapes, providing the juice is separated from the grape skins early enough.
What causes variances in colour?
With most white wine, the skins are removed before fermentation and therefore, the colour variances are more slight than with red wine. In the glass however, they are anything but white, ranging in colour from pale yellow to gold and even tinged with green
How are rose wines made?
Rose wines are left in contact with the black skinned grapes for around a day, then pressed with the skins discarded (the longer the skin contact the more intense the colour and flavour).
What is the winemaker’s job?
The winemaker’s job is to ensure that enough fruit flavour is left to balance the acidity and alcohol. This is what happens during the maturing process. Most wines are made for early drinking, needing the minimum of maturation. Many fine wines however, will benefit from some period of ageing, whether in bottle or barrel or both.
What are wines made to age in the bottle generally like?
Wines that are made to age in the bottle are generally more expensive, sealed with a cork and from old world winemakers, who rely on the vintage. White Burgundy is commonly in this category as are fine German Rieslings.
What does it mean if a wine is vintage?
Vintage is the year the grapes were grown and picked. It’s often an indication of how a wine will be as some years are much warmer, which produce riper grapes and better wine, others though can be wet and cold and lead to grapes low in sugar, which lowers the quality of the wine. Certain vintages need more ageing.
What happens to white wine when it ages?
As white wine ages it tends to gain colour, so an old white wine would most likely be a deep gold colour.
What does the wreck of the titanic show? What does archaeological evidence also show?
The wreck of the Titanic holds the oldest wine cellar in the world but archaeological evidence suggests that wine making originated around 7000BC in the country of Georgia (not the state). A more traceable story begins about 1100BC with the Phoenicians and the Greeks who started cultivating vines in Italy, France and Spain. ‘New world’ countries only started producing wine around the 16th century following European colonisation.
Traditionally what are ‘old world’ wines like?
Old world wines are traditionally more ‘terroir’ (which means ‘land’) and structure driven. The French in particular believe that the soil the vine is planted in makes a difference to the taste of the wine. They tend to be lighter bodied, with more herb and mineral components.
Traditionally, what are ‘new world’ wines like?
New world wines are typically more fruity as their climates are warmer and tend to result in riper fruit with more alcoholic, full bodied and fruit centred wines.
What does acidity do?
The acidity of a white wine is one of its most appealing characteristics, enhancing its refreshing, crisp qualities as well as enabling it to be paired with foods so successfully.
What does a good wine have?
Good wine has a proper balance between acidity and the sweet and bitter sensations of the fruit.
What does too much acidity lead to?
Too much acidity (years with poor sunshine for example) will make the wine seem harsh or bitter.
What does too little acidity result in?
Too little acidity, the consequence of picking too late (so grapes that are too ripe), results in wines lacking in structure - they can seem flabby or dull.
What does the ‘body’ of a wine refer to?
The body of a wine refers to the fullness, weight and total mouth feel.
What does a wine’s weight depend on?
A wine’s weight will depend on its alcohol content.
What will a higher alcohol content mean?
The higher the alcohol (13.5 to 15% abv - alcohol by volume) the higher the sensation of fullness in your mouth.
What will a lower alcohol content mean/
Light bodied wines (11.5 to 13% abv) feel more like water in your mouth, full bodied more like milk.
What does the term ‘legs’ mean?
The term ‘legs’ as it relates to wine is a fitting description for those streaks of wine that slowly stream down the inside of a glass once the wine has been given a swirl. The French also refer to them as ‘tears’. Although they can be used in a general way to indicate the alcohol content of a wine (the more alcohol, the more legs) they are not representative of quality or sweetness.
What would have been done to a wine to make it taste oaked?
A wine that tastes oaked will have been put into a barrel to mature.
What factor can change the ‘oaked’ taste?
Depending on how charred the oak barrels were you can get mild flavours of vanilla and toast all the way to roasted coffee and burnt toast.
What is another way some wines are oaked?
Some wines can also be oaked with ‘oak chips’ added to the wine, rather than the flavour coming from the barrel - this is a cheaper option and they can be overpowering in their oakiness.
What are non-oaked wines made in?
Non-oaked wines are made in stainless steel vats.
Where is the Riesling grape from?
Germany - One of the most ancient varieties
What type of white wine does a Riesling grape produce?
A lighter style white wine
What is Riesling wine usually like?
Often low in alcohol and high in acidity.
Why can the aromas from a wine made from the Riesling grape vary so much?
Because it’s so good at expressing the terroir where it is grown, its aromas can range from floral and fruity (apples, peaches, honeysuckle) to mineral and spicy and occasionally petrol!
Where is Riesling allowed to be grown, outside of Germany?
The only region of France that is allowed to grow Riesling is Alsace, which once belonged to Germany.
What kind of reaction does wine made from the Chardonnay grape provoke?
It provokes a reaction in people very similar to Marmite: you either love it or hate it!
What is a common reason for people disliking Chardonnay?
This reaction normally comes from people’s dislike of the oak that a lot of new world and fine old world producers use.
What does unoaked Chardonnay taste like?
Unoaked Chardonnay, fermented in stainless steel, is crisp with citrus fruits and refreshing acidity.
Where is Chablis from?
The Burgundy region of France
What is Chablis from Burgundy made from?
Is actually made from Chardonnay but is much less oaky than its family in other areas of Burgundy and very different from the new world wines.
What is the Melon (Melon de Bourgogne) grape used to produce
Used to produce Muscadet
Where is the Melon grape grown?
Grown almost exclusively in the Loire Valley
What does the Melon grape taste like?
Relatively neutral tasting grape with a touch of citrus
When should Muscadet made to be drunk?
Muscadet is made to be drunk when young
What does Sur Lie mean?
Sur lie indicates that the wine has been allowed to stay in contact with the dead yeast cells left over after fermentation, giving it a fuller feeling in the mouth and a more intense taste.
What is the Muscadet grape used for?
Used for a lot of sparkling wines (Asti Spumante in Italy for example) or sweet dessert wines
What does the Muscadet grape taste like?
Sweet and grapey
What are Muscadet and Chablis good for?
Both Muscadet and Chablis are a good choice for a wine to be drunk with light or creamy fish dishes, being high in acidity. Muscadet has been described as ‘the perfect oyster wine’.
Is the Garganega grape an old or new variety?
Old variety
Where is the Garganega grape from?
North east Italy
Primarily, what is the Garganega grape used to make?
Used to make Soave
