Winemaking / Vinification Flashcards
What are five factors (or questions) a winemaker must consider when going about to make wine?
- What is the goal of the winery?
- What style of wine will be produced?
- What will the price point of the wine be?
- Are there regional wine laws the winery must adhere to?
- Sustainability.
What are the five main winemaking steps of white wine production?
- Crush
- Press
- Fermentation
- Fining/Filtering
- Bottling/Packaging
What are the eight main winemaking steps of red wine production?
- Crush
- Maceration
- Fermentation (with skin contact)
- Pressing
- Aging
- Fining/Filtration
- Bottling/Packaging
- Bottle Aging
What are the six main winemaking steps for rosé wine production?
- Crush (red grape varieties)
- Maceration / skin contact
- (for a short time)
- Pressing
- Fermentation
- Fining/Filtration; Bottling/Packaging
What are the three types of rosé production?
- Maceration
- Blending (often used for sparkling wines)
- Saignée
Saignée (aka ‘bleeding’) is a technique that’s not really used anymore.
What did it do?
It was a concentration technique for red wine production with rosé being the byproduct.
Name three of the most common vessels used for aging wine.
- Concrete
- Stainless steel
- Oak barrels
What is the species of yeast for wine
fermentation?
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Besides oak, name three other woods used to make barrels.
- Acacia
- Cherry
- Chestnut
How many liters does a barrique hold?
225L
How many liters does a puncheon hold?
300L
How many liters does a demi-muid hold?
600L
How many liters does a foudre / botti hold?
1000+ L
In what region will you most likely find botti used in the cellar?
Piemonte
In what regions will you most likely find barriques used in the cellar?
Bordeaux, Rioja
Why do smaller barrels, such as barriques, impart more oaky notes on wine than larger barrels, such as foudres?
Barriques hold a relatively small volume of liquid compared to the surface area of the vessel. This means that any extraction from the wood and exposure to oxygen is greater in small vessels than in large vessels, such as foudres.
What is must (or grape must)?
The mixture of grape juice, pulp, skins and seeds that comes from the crusher.
What is chaptalization?
When the must is enriched either before or during fermentation to increase the alcoholic content of the final wine.
This is seen in cooler climates.
What is acidification?
- Acidification is typically carried out by the addition of tartaric acid.
- Typically done in warm climates without any cooling influences.
Why would a winemaker add water to their grape must?
In warm or hot regions where sugar can accumulate in the grapes quickly, it may be desirable to lower the potential alcohol of the wine slightly by adding water to the grape must.
However, adding water also reduces the intensity of flavor so it must be added judiciously.