Winemaking Flashcards
Name the components of a grape
Skin, Pulp, Stems, Seeds
Describe Photosynthesis and the result?
- Sunlight + Carbon Dioxide + water -> Sugar (glucose) + oxygen
- Glucose combined with nutrients from soil stored in grape
- More sunlight, more photosynthesis
What are the steps of the grape ripening
Flowering -> Fruit Set (grape formation) -> Véraison (ripening, change of colour) -> Ripe Grapes -> Extra ripening
What are the different climate types?
- Cool <= 16.5 (average growing season temp)
- Moderate 16.5-18.5
- Warm 18.5-21
- Hot >21
In which region is wine grown?
Between 30-50degrees latitude
What is the difference between weather and climate?
weather - day to day changes during a season, climate - long term weather profile
What influences climate?
Rivers/Sea/Lake, Slope, Aspect, Cloud, Fog, Mist, Mountains, Soil, Air, Altitude, Latitude
What influences weather?
Temperature, Sunlight, Drought, Rain, Hail, Frost
What are typical vineyard activities?
Training/Pruning, Irrigation, Spraying, Yield Management, Harvesting
What harvesting methods exist?
Machine, Hand
Why yield management?
By cutting away grapes the concentration in the remaining grapes is increased leading to a more complex wine
Why is spraying used?
Fungicides, Pesticides, Herbicides
What is training/pruning done for?
To manage the growth of the vine in a certain way for optimal exposure / canopy management
Describe alcoholic fermentation
Sugar in graps + yeast = Alcohol + Carbon Dioxide (produces heat and results in flavors)
What are the steps in the production of red wine?
Crushing -> Alcoholic Fermentation -> Pressing -> Storage / Maturation -> Packaging
What are vessels used in the production of wine and for what purpose?
Inert (Stainless Steel/Concrete): can be airtight, used for fermentation/maturation, no flavours added to wine
Oak: Flavour, Oxygen, Softer tannin
What is blending?
Blending together a selection of grapes (assemblage) / vintages to achieve a certain style, maintain consistency across vintages or to enhance complexity
What does a wine need to allow aging?
Flavour concentration, Flavours that can develop in a positive way, High acid, tannin and/or sugar
What is véraison?
the ripening of the grapes, colour turn from green to golden/Black, sugar increases, acid lowers
What is fruit set?
vine flowers become grapes
What happens during extra ripening?
Earlier stages - riper aromas, higher sugar
Later stages - Raisining, dried-fruit aromas
What are the necessary conditions for botrytis/noble rot?
Damp/misty mornings, dry/warm afternoons
Ripe grapes
How do you make icewine?
Grapes freeze on vine during winter
Picked and pressed while frozen (water remains in ice leaving highly concentrated juice)
Icewine/Eiswein as result
What are the steps in the production of white wine?
Crushing -> Pressing -> Alcoholic Fermentation -> Storage / Maturation -> Packaging
What are potential adjustment options during winemaking?
Adding Sugar
Adding Acid