Winemaking Flashcards
What are some ways to prevent the oxidation of grapes before fermentations? What is this style of winemaking called?
- antioxidants (SO2) are used
- grapes are picked at night when temps are cooler. The effect of Oxygen is reduced because chemical reactions occur more slowly at lower temps.
- winery equipment is filled with either So2 or Nitrogen before they are used for processing or wine making.
- Protective or anaerobic winemaking.
What are important decisions in white winemaking? (“winemaker’s choice”)
- Skin contact
- Clarity of juice
- Fermentation temperature
- Fermentation vessel
- Use of lees
- Malolactic Fermentation (MLF)
- Maturation options
What is the optimal temperature range for white wine fermentation? What happens at the extreme ends of this range?
- 12-22 C (53-71 F)
- Too cold: pear drop aromas form, no varietal fruit character
- Too high: complex non-fruit aromas form, loss of varietal fruit character
What are the key components to producing high-volume, inexpensive white wines?
- Neutral-flavored grape varieties
- Protective winemaking
- Destemming
- Possible acidification
- Aggressive clarification (centrifuge)
- Stainless steel / inert vessels
- Cool fermentation
- Commercial yeast
- No MLF
- Racked off lees immediately after fermentation
- Stabilization, fining, and sterile filtration
- SO2 levels topped up at bottling
What are the key components to producing premium, aromatic white wines?
- Protective winemaking
- Little to no skin contact
- Gentle clarification (settling)
- Inert vessels
- Cool fermentation
- No MLF
- Commercial or wild yeast
- Little to no lees contact (except for Riesling)
- Bottled shortly after fermentation (except for Riesling)
What are the key choices under consideration when producing premium, non-aromatic white wines?
- Controlled exposure to oxygen during pre-fermentation
- Clarification before fermentation (solids or no)
- Wide range of fermentation vessels
- Wide range of maturation vessels (new or old oak, inert)
- MLF might be encouraged
- Lees contact & lees stirring
What are the key components to producing high-volume, inexpensive red wine?
- Grapes grown in warm, dry, sunny areas
- Grape varieties used that have high concentration of flavor/color/tannin = enough color/structure at high yields
- Protective winemaking
- Acidification possible
- Commercial yeast
- Fermentation at 22-25 C
- Restrained cap management
- No post-fermentation maceration
- Possible carbonic or semi-carbonic maceration
- Oak chips or staves used in place of barrels
- Barrels will be 2nd or 3rd fill
- Stabilized, fined, and sterile filtered before bottling
- Topped up with SO2
What are some of the key components to producing a premium Cabernet Sauvignon?
- Destemmed and crushed to avoid astringency/herbaceousness
- Pre-fermentation maceration to extract color and flavor
- Fermentation warm enough to extract color but cool enough to retain fruit (26-30 C)
- Restrained cap management techniques to avoid high tannins
- Post-fermentation maceration used to soften tannins and extract others in a slower, gentler way
- Oak maturation in 225-litre barrique for 12-18 months
- Blending is often vital
What is the main difference between producing a premium Merlot and a premium Cabernet Sauvignon?
Premium Merlots are produced in much the same way to premium Cabernet Sauvignons. However, the Merlot grape is much more supple than Cabernet, and therefore requires less rigorous extraction.
What are some of the key components to producing a premium Pinot Noir?
- Destemming/Crushing are optional because of less tannins
- Pre-fermentation maceration is common
- Adding whole bunches is becoming more popular (enhances red fruit/florals)
- Common for fermentation temps to run hotter (30+ C) to extract color/flavor/tannins
- Post fermentation maceration not usually practiced
- Matured in oak between 12-24 months
- Not usually blended with other grapes
What are the two dominant styles of winemaking for Syrah?
1) Warm, hot climate fruit = vigorous cap management, maximum color/flavor/tannin extraction, ripe to overripe grapes, high amount of new oak
2) Moderate to hot climate fruit = picking early, gentle cap management, some whole bunches, post-fermentation maceration, larger and/or older oak vessels
What are some of the key components to producing a premium Grenache?
- Destemmed and crushed
- Pre-fermenation maceration (allows flavor and color to come out before alcohol goes up)
- Whole bunches optionally added
- Gentle cap management (more finesse)
- Post-fermentation usually not done, but winemaker’s choice (used if more structure is desired)
- Matured in large vessels made from old oak (new oak overwhelms fruit)
- Usually blended with other varieties
What is the the general objective of doing whole bunch fermentation? What two outcomes can this technique have on the grapes?
To create an oxygen-free environment for the uncrushed fruit, which promotes:
- Intracellular fermentation
- Development of fruity aromas inside the berry
During carbonic maceration, an oxygen-free environment allows for intracellular fermentation to begin inside individual grapes. What level of alcohol does the interior of the grape need to reach before the skin splits and the juice is released?
2% ABV
Fill-in-the-blank: Carbonic maceration extracts _____ but not _____
Color; tannin
