Wine Flashcards
How many volatile compounds produce the scent in wine?
~200.
Wine, like ketchup, is a “__________”.
High amplitude product.
What 2 factors strongly influence the taste of wine?
- Smell
2. Context
What is meant by the term “empyreumatic”?
The smell of burnt organics.
What does Riesling (old), often taste of?
Petroleum.
What are the 2 kinds of grapes? What differentiates these?
- Table
- Wine
Difference is in sweetness. Wine grapes start out sweeter (I think).
Where did grapes first originate?
In ancient Persia. They were brought to the Mediterranean.
What does “akratidzomai”, the ancient Greek word for breakfast, translate as?
“To drink undiluted wine”.
In the ancient world wines were mostly drunk locally. When they were exported how was this accomplished?
By storing them in amphorae (same as for olive oil), which made them taste of turpentine from the tar sealant used.
How much did the ancient Greeks dilute their wine?
3:1 with water.
What allowed the ancient Greeks to commit so much of their arable land to wine and olive growth?
They were a mercantile nation. They imported wheat from Egypt/Russia and so kept their own land for growing luxury goods which they got rich off.
Before wine and olive oil, what were the ancient Greeks known for producing?
Iron products (ex: armour, tools, etc).
What followed from the expansion of wine production in ancient Greece?
Dionysiac cults which incorporated wine into religion. Basically just drinking and orgies.
Why did the Greeks call Italy “Oenotria”?
Translates to “land of wine”. Wine grows well here.
What did Pliny the Elder conclude about wine storage? What was his opinion on wine growing in general?
Knew that wine storage changed the taste. “Growing wine is a lot of labour just to make people behave like animals”.
How did Eubulus (poet) describe the first 3 drinks in his “stages of inebriation”?
“First 3 drinks belong to scintillating conversation”.
How did Eubulus (poet) describe the 4th drink in his “stages of inebriation”?
“4th drink belongs to hubris”.
How did Eubulus (poet) describe the 5th drink in his “stages of inebriation”?
“5th drink belongs to shouting”.
How did Eubulus (poet) describe the 6th drink in his “stages of inebriation”?
“6th drink belongs to revelry”.
How did Eubulus (poet) describe the 7th drink in his “stages of inebriation”?
“7th drink belongs to black eyes”.
How did Eubulus (poet) describe the 8th drink in his “stages of inebriation”?
“8th drink belongs to summonses”.
How did Eubulus (poet) describe the 9th drink in his “stages of inebriation”?
“9th drink belongs to bile”.
How did Eubulus (poet) describe the 10th drink in his “stages of inebriation”?
“10th drink belongs to madness”.
How did wine spread to Gaul (modern-day France)?
Julius Caesar conquered Gaul, brought wine to what had previously been a beer drinking region.
When did wine growing in Gaul collapse? What event coincided with this?
In the 4th century along with the Roman Empire.
After the collapse of the Roman Empire, what kept wine cultivation going?
Because it was needed for holy mass in Roman Catholicism, the churches kept growing wine after the collapse of Rome.
After the Dark Ages, why did wine grown in Bordeaux get shipped to England?
Because Bordeaux was under English rule for ~200 years.
After the 11th century, what was the name of the royal house which France and England shared?
Plantagenet (ex: Richard the Lionheart, Eleanor of Aquitane, etc).
What Bordeaux wine was popular in England around the 11th century?
Red wines - “claret”.
Why were French vintners in Bordeaux incentivized to improve their product?
Because they wanted to appeal to the wealthy English market.
What happened to English wine imports from Bordeaux after Bordeaux was taken over by the French?
The English continued to import Bordeaux wine for several hundred years.
What effect does purely local consumption of wine have on the wine produced?
Shipping costs are nonexistent, so it stays cheap. But there is no incentive to improve the wine.
Why does France have so many small vineyards, as compared to the large farms in other parts of the world?
Because of wine’s high value, a landowner could survive even with far less property.
What system did the French create in the 19th century to control wine production? What 6 factors does this address?
The AOC (appellation d’origine controlee)
- Grape variety
- Location
- Method of production
- Method of storage
- Taste/smell qualities
- Vintner (they eventually die though)
How many varieties of wine are there?
~10 000 varieties.
How does the growing climate affect wine?
Changes the flavour. (sugar, pH, alcohol content, etc)
What effect does too much sun during growth have on the wine that is produced?
Excess sugar, high pH, uninteresting high-alcohol product.
What effect does not enough sun during growth have on the wine that is produced?
Too little sugar, low pH, too low in alcohol (tastes thin).
Besides climate, what other environmental factors can affect the flavour of wine?
Any of:
- Plant density
- Plant age
- Fertilizer
- Soil
- Grafting stock
- Variety of grape
What are some examples of grape varieties used in red wine?
Any of:
- Pinot noir
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Gammay
What are some examples of grape varieties used in white wine?
Any of:
- Chardonnay
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Riesling
What is the idea behind “terroir”?
Grapes grown in one place are inherently better than grapes from another place.
What do many people think about terroir?
That it is a bad idea. Good wine-making has little to do with the idea of terroir/wine identity.
When did the first vineyards get planted on Vancouver Island?
In the late 1980s.
Why is Vancouver Island’s climate not suited to wine-making? What wines are made here?
We have cool evenings and early rains. Can only really make decent white wines which have been adapted to cooler temperatures.
Book: What was found in ancient jars as a marker of grapes?
Tartaric acid
Book: Name for the ancient art of wine making?
Science of enology
Book: What converts grape juice into wine and who discovered it?
Yeast
Louis Pasteur
Book: What is the cultivation of grapes known as?
Viticulture
Book: When is wine fermentation completed?
When there are no more fermentable sugars in the wine
Book: What did Dom Perignon say to describe drinking champagne?
Drinking stars!
What is the minimum sucrose volume needed in wine grapes?
10%
Book: What is notable about the wine grape Vitus labrusca?
It is the only native North American grape used to make wine.
