Winemaking / Vinification Flashcards

1
Q

What are five factors (or questions) a winemaker must consider when going about to make wine?

A
  1. What is the goal of the winery?
  2. What style of wine will be produced?
  3. What will the price point of the wine be?
  4. Are there regional wine laws the winery must adhere to?
  5. Sustainability.
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2
Q

What are the five main winemaking steps of white wine production?

A
  1. Crush
  2. Press
  3. Fermentation
  4. Fining/Filtering
  5. Bottling/Packaging
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3
Q

What are the eight main winemaking steps of red wine production?

A
  1. Crush
  2. Maceration
  3. Fermentation (with skin contact)
  4. Pressing
  5. Aging
  6. Fining/Filtration
  7. Bottling/Packaging
  8. Bottle Aging
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4
Q

What are the six main winemaking steps for rosé wine production?

A
  1. Crush (red grape varieties)
  2. Maceration / skin contact
  3. (for a short time)
  4. Pressing
  5. Fermentation
  6. Fining/Filtration; Bottling/Packaging
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5
Q

What are the three types of rosé production?

A
  1. Maceration
  2. Blending (often used for sparkling wines)
  3. Saignée
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6
Q

Saignée (aka ‘bleeding’) is a technique that’s not really used anymore.

What did it do?

A

It was a concentration technique for red wine production with rosé being the byproduct.

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7
Q

Name three of the most common vessels used for aging wine.

A
  1. Concrete
  2. Stainless steel
  3. Oak barrels
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8
Q

What is the species of yeast for wine
fermentation?

A

Saccharomyces cerevisiae

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9
Q

Besides oak, name three other woods used to make barrels.

A
  1. Acacia
  2. Cherry
  3. Chestnut
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10
Q

How many liters does a barrique hold?

A

225L

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11
Q

How many liters does a puncheon hold?

A

300L

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12
Q

How many liters does a demi-muid hold?

A

600L

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13
Q

How many liters does a foudre / botti hold?

A

1000+ L

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14
Q

In what region will you most likely find botti used in the cellar?

A

Piemonte

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15
Q

In what regions will you most likely find barriques used in the cellar?

A

Bordeaux, Rioja

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16
Q

Why do smaller barrels, such as barriques, impart more oaky notes on wine than larger barrels, such as foudres?

A

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.

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17
Q

What is must (or grape must)?

A

The mixture of grape juice, pulp, skins and seeds that comes from the crusher.

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18
Q

What is chaptalization?

A

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.

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19
Q

What is acidification?

A
  • Acidification is typically carried out by the addition of tartaric acid.
  • Typically done in warm climates without any cooling influences.
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20
Q

Why would a winemaker add water to their grape must?

A

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.

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21
Q

What are lees?

A

Dead and dying yeast cells.

22
Q

What is autolysis?

A

The breakdown of dying yeast cells which releases compounds that contribute flavors, body and texture to the wine.

Flavors of autolysis include biscuit, bread dough, and toasted bread.

23
Q

What is malolactic conversion?

aka malolactic fermentation

A
  • The result of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) converting malic acid into lactic acid and carbon dioxide, and it produces heat.
  • It typically happens after alcoholic fermentation and occasionally during it.
24
Q

What is carbonic maceration?

A

Whole, uncrushed bunches into vessels that are filled with CO2 to remove all the oxygen. This causes the intracellular fermentation to start, producing about 2% ABV. At this point, either the grapes are crushed in the normal
way or the grape skins start to split and the grapes release their juice. Normal fermentation commences. The juice is generally drained immediately (no further maceration on the skins), and the grapes are pressed at this stage to separate the juice from the skins. The free run juice and press juice are typically blended. Yeast then complete the fermentation off the skins.

This method extracts color but little tannin.

25
Q

What effect does skin contact have on white wine production?

Or, when making an ‘orange’ wine

A

Their taste profile can be markedly different to typical white wines, as different aromatic and phenolic compounds are extracted from the skins. Orange wines can have notable levels of tannin and characteristics such as dried fruit, dried herbs, hay or nuts.

26
Q

What is pH?

A

A scale of measurement for the concentration of the effective acidity of a solution.

27
Q

Name four benefits of having low pH.

Meaning, a wine that’s higher in acidity.

A
  1. Increases the microbiological stability of wine.
  2. Increases the effectiveness of SO2.
  3. Gives red wines a bright red color.
  4. Enhances a wine’s ability to age well.
28
Q

What is bâtonnage?

A

Stirring of the lees.

29
Q

Name 3 effects of bâttonage.

A
  1. Increase the release of yeast compounds into the wine.
  2. Reduces the development of reductive sulfur compounds and the off-aromas that they can introduce if not appropriately managed.
  3. Add a round, creamy texture to wine.
30
Q

Whole bunch fermentation:

  • How must the grapes be harvested (by machine or by hand)?
  • What flavors do stems add?
A
  • If the winemaker intends to use whole bunches, the grapes must be hand harvested. It is very important that the stems of the bunches are fully ripe.
  • Stems can add flavors that are sometimes described as ‘spicy’ or ‘herbal’ and can also add some tannins. However, unripe stems can add unpleasant green flavors and bitter tannins.
31
Q

What is ‘stem inclusion’?

A

Winemakers can add stems (left over from the destemming process) to crushed fruit fermentations to provide some tannins and spicy flavors.
It is not common to include stems when fermenting grape varieties with naturally high tannins, such as Cabernet Sauvignon.

32
Q

What is the objective of a whole-berry fermentation?

A

To create an oxygen-free environment for the uncrushed fruit. The lack of oxygen has several outcomes:

  • In the anaerobic process, some of the sugar in the grapes is converted to alcohol (this occurs without the involvement of any yeast and is referred to as intracellular fermentation);
  • Malic acid within the grape is broken down to create ethanol, reducing the malic acid levels by up to 50%, lowering the total acidity and raising the pH of the must/wine;
  • Glycerol levels increase, which can add texture, and a range of distinctive aromas is created inside the grape, commonly including kirsch, banana, bubble gum and cinnamon.
33
Q
  • What are the non-fruit aroma characteristics associated with lees/autolysis?
  • Give an example of a leesy or autolytic wine.
A
  • Biscuits, bread dough, toasted bread, peanut shells, blanco tequila.
  • Champagne.
34
Q
  • What are the non-fruit aroma characteristics associated with carbonic maceration?
  • Give an example of a wine made with carbonic maceration.
A
  • Gum drops, bubble gum.
  • Beaujolais Nouveau.
35
Q
  • What are the non-fruit aroma characteristics associated with malolactic conversion?
  • Give an example of a wine made with malolactic conversion.
A
  • Melted butter, movie theater popcorn butter, ghee.
  • (A lot of) Napa Chardonnays.
36
Q

Why are fermentation temperatures for white wines typically cooler than those used in red winemaking?

A

The volatile aroma and flavor compounds that are desired in many white wines are best produced and retained at cool temperatures (around 15°C / 59°F).

37
Q

In some styles of white wines, fruity aromas are not particularly desired; for example, where oak is going to be used to provide flavors.

Why would fermentation temperatures be slightly warmer (17–25°C / 63–77°F and sometimes higher) for these wines?

A

To promote yeast health and avoid the production of certain esters, such as isoamyl acetate (banana-like smell).

38
Q

Why are red wines usually fermented at warmer temperatures than white wines?

A

Higher temperatures help to promote extraction.

39
Q

Select the correct answer.

Winemakers wanting to produce fruity, low tannin red wine will typically ferment at temperatures that are relatively:

a. cool (e.g. 20°C / 68°F)
b. warm (e.g. 30°C / 86°F)

A

a. cool (e.g. 20°C / 68°F)

40
Q

Select the correct answer.

Winemakers wanting greater extraction to produce red wines with the concentration and tannin structure to age may ferment at temperatures that are:

a. cool (e.g. 20°C / 68°F)
b. warm (e.g. 30°C / 86°F)

A

b. warm (e.g. 30°C / 86°F)

41
Q

Winemakers are paying increasing attention to limiting oxygen in filling bottles or other containers.

What are the effects of having too much or too little oxygen exposure to the wine prior to being packaged?

A
  • Too much oxygen will lead to premature browning and oxidised characters (loss of fruit, development of off-flavours including bruised apple).
  • Too little oxygen may lead to reductive characteristics (e.g. onion, rotten eggs).
42
Q

Fill in the blank.

The practice of minimizing oxygen exposure during the winemaking process is called _______ ________.

A

reductive (or protective) winemaking

Reductive winemaking happens in an environment without oxygen.

43
Q

Punching down - is this a gentle or aggressive process?

A

Gentle

44
Q

What is pigeage?

A

The French term for punching down.

45
Q

What is remontage?

A

The French term for pumping over.

46
Q

Describe the technique of pumping over.

A

Juice/wine is taken from near the bottom of the vessel and sprayed over the cap of skins, usually around one-third to one-half of the liquid in the vessel is pumped and sprayed over.

47
Q

Describe what happens during pumpovers.

A
  • The liquid extracts color, tannins and flavors from the cap of skins as it passes through.
  • This technique exposes the must to oxygen, which can be beneficial for yeast health and avoidance of reductive off-flavours such as rotten eggs.

Pumping over is an oxidative process

48
Q

What is cold stabilization?

A

Wine is held at –4°C (25°F) for around eight days so that tartrate crystals form before bottling (because tartrates are less soluble at cold temperatures) and can then be filtered out.

49
Q

What is fining?

A

A procedure in which a fining agent is added to speed up the process of the precipitation of suspended material in the wine.

Fining removes a small proportion of unstable colloids (microscopic particles too small to be removed by filtering) from the wine. It helps to clarify the wine and to stabilise it against the formation of hazes later in the bottle.

50
Q

Give three examples of fining agents.

A
  1. Bentonite (a clay)
  2. Egg whites
  3. Isinglass (derived from fish bladders)

Vegetable protein products are derived from potato or legumes and are suitable for vegetarian and vegan wines.

51
Q

What is filtration?

A
  • The most common way of clarifying wine.
  • A physical separation technique used to eliminate solids from a suspension by passing it through a filter medium consisting of porous layers that trap solid particles, thus making the liquid clear.

Filtration removes the big stuff in wine that you CAN see; fining removes the small stuff in wine that you CANNOT see but can later cloud the wine.

52
Q

What is the difference between free and total SO2?

A
  • Total SO2 refers to the sum of both “free” and “bound” SO2.
  • Free SO2 contains molecular SO2, which is the effective part.