Winemaking Flashcards
Put the below in the correct order for RED winemaking:
-Alcoholic fermentation
-Pressing
-Packaging
-Crushing
-Storage/maturation
-Crushing
-Alcoholic fermentation
-Pressing
-Storage/maturation
-Packaging
Which step in the winemaking process involves splitting the grape skins to release some of the grape juice?
Crushing
Which step in the winemaking process involves crushed grapes being squeezed in a machine in order to extract as much liquid as possible?
Pressing 
What is needed for alcoholic fermentation to take place? (2)
Sugar in the grapes and yeast
What is produced during alcoholic fermentation? (3)
Alcohol
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
Heat
For a dry wine, when will the fermentation stop naturally?
When the yeast have consumed all the sugar
What does the level of alcohol which can be created during fermentation depend on?
The level of sugar in the grapes
What is the range of alcohol in most dry wines?
11.5% - 16% abv
What will happen to the structure and flavours of a wine as it matures for an extended period of time?
Flavours will develop from primary to tertiary (dried fruit, leather, earth, etc.)
Tannins will soften and become more integrated
What category of flavours will maturation in oak vessels add? What are some examples of flavours?
Secondary flavours
Vanilla, cloves, coconut, cedar, charred wood, smoke, chocolate, coffee
Other than glass bottle, what are some other packaging options for wine?
Bag-in-box, plastic bottles, bricks (like Tetra Pak)
What needs to be extracted from the skins of the grapes during red wine fermentation?
Tannins and colour
What is something that is created during fermentation which helps with extraction?
Heat gets created during fermentation and helps extract tannins and colour (but that’s not enough, winemakers will need to intervene to increase extraction)
What 2 methods can winemakers use to help extraction during red winemaking?
Punching down
Pumping over
What is the name given to the grape skins that float to the top during fermentation?
Cap
What is the name of the technique where a plunger is used to push the cap down into the liquid?
Punching down
What is the name of the process where liquid is pumped from the bottom of the fermentation vessel through a hose and sprayed over the cap?
Pumping over
What are the 2 methods of making rosé? Describe them.
Blending: Blending white and red wine together
Short maceration: Made with black grapes and starts just like red winemaking, but wine is drained off the skins after just a few hours, then fermentation continues without skins at white wine temperatures.
Which rosé winemaking method is not permitted in many parts of Europe?
Blending
Are rosé wines typically stored or matured in oak vessels?
No
Put the below in the correct order for WHITE winemaking:
-Alcoholic fermentation
-Pressing
-Packaging
-Crushing
-Storage/maturation
-Crushing
-Pressing
-Alcoholic fermentation
-Storage/maturation
-Packaging
What is any sugar left after fermentation usually called?
Residual sugar
What are the different methods of concentrating the grape sugars? (3)
Extra ripening/late harvest
Botrytis/Noble Rot
Frozen grapes
Name 4 methods of producing sweet wines.
-Concentrating grape sugars
-Removing the yeast (filtration)
-Killing the yeast (adding spirit)
-Adding sweetness to a wine
Name an example of wine with medium sweetness made by filtering out the yeast.
White Zinfandel
Name an example of a sweet wine made by adding alcohol (killing yeast) during fermentation.
Port
What are the 2 types of adjustments a winemaker can make to the juice or wine to influence its style?
Sugar adjustment
Acidity adjustment
In what sort of climate or vintage conditions might a winemaker need to increase the sugar in the grape juice?
Cool
What sort of adjustment can a winemaker make to the wine in a warm climate or particularly warm vintage
Add acid
In what sort of climate or vintage condition might a winemaker need to neutralise some of the acid in the wine?
Cool
Why are warmer fermentation temperatures needed for red winemaking?
To help extract tannins and colour
What types of aromas/flavours can cooler fermentation temperatures produce?
Fruity
Name 2 inert materials used for storage and fermentation vessels.
Stainless steel
Concrete
Why would winemakers choose to use inert vessels? (2)
-They don’t add any flavours to the wine
-Can be made air tight to avoid oxygen to be in contact with wine
True or false: oak vessels can be used only for storage and not for fermentation.
False
Name 2 reasons why winemakers might choose to use oak barrels?
-Add flavours from the oak (secondary flavours)
-Add oxygen
How will the oxygen during barrel aging affect the wine?
Add tertiary flavours (dried fruit, nuts, etc.)
Soften tannins
If a winemaker wants to make the wine age more rapidly, should they use small or large barrels?
Small.
More surface area in contact with the barrel, therefore more oxygen contact.
Will large oak barrels impart a lot of secondary/oak flavours to the wine?
No, large barrels not usually used for imparting flavours from the oak itself (smaller surface area ratio)
Which will impart more secondary flavours to the wine: new oak barrels or oald oak barrels?
New
What sorts of flavours will an oak barrel with a high toast level impart to the wine?
Sweet spice and charred wood
Name 2 more affordable oak alternatives.
chips
staves
When does malolactic conversion take place?
After fermentation
What impact does malolactic conversion have on the wines? (2)
Lowers the acidity
Add flavours of butter and cream
Why might winemaker choose to stop malolactic conversion from taking place?
Preserve acidity
Preserve primary characteristics (for example in aromatic grape variety)
What is the name given to the dead yeast cells that drop to the bottom of the vessel after fermentation?
Lees
What will aging a wine in contact with lees do to the wine? (2) What can be done to increase this impact on the wine?
Increase the body
Add secondary flavours of biscuit and bread
Can increase by stirring the lees
What are some reasons why blending takes place during winemaking?
-House style
-Consistency
-Add complexity
During the blending process, what could be blended together?
-grape varieties
-vineyard sites
-vintages
-winemaking options
What can be described as the process of making a wine perfectly clear?
Clarification
What is a reason why some winemakers choose not to clarify their wines?
They feel some clarification methods can take something away from the character fo their wines.
What does a wine need in order to be able to mature in bottle? (3)
-Enough flavour concentration
-Flavours that can develop in a positive way
-High acidity, high tannins or high sugar
What happens to the appearance of a white wine as it ages?
-Becomes deeper in colour
-Colour changes from lemon to gold to amber
What happens to the appearance of a red wine as it ages?
-Becomes paler in colour
-Colour changes from ruby to garnet to tawny and eventually brown
What happens to the tannins when a red wine ages?
They become softer and smoother
