WSET II Chapter 4 Flashcards
What do all fruit spirit distillers use?
Fruit grown locally
Why do they need to use locally grown fruit?
Because it spoils quickly and puts out an off aroma
What are the two ways to process fruit?
Crushed and pressed to create a liquid to distill
Macerated in a neutral spirit
What grapes to distillers prefer?
White grapes because theyre highly acidic and don’t produce aroma
How are grapes processed?
crushed and pressed to release their juice, skins and seeds discarded
Producers must distill wine
within a few months of fermentation
What is pomace?
Grape skins discarded by winemakers
What does pomace make?
Pomace brandy
Before being fermented what needs to happen to the grape skins?
Adding water
The skin of black grapes
gives wine its color
The skins give pomace brandy
herbaceous and spicy aromas
Why would you macerate fruit into a neutral spirit?
It is difficult to get enough juice out of some fruits to ferment it
Most macerated fruit in neutral spirits are
high quality flavored vodkas
Majority of high quality fruit spirits are made using
pot stills
Most grape and apple brandies are
matured in oak barrels and sometimes matures for decades
France uses grapes to make
Cognac
Armagnac
France uses apples to produce
Calvados
What are the four big companies of Cognac
Remy Martin
Martell
Courvosier
Hennessey
Vs is how many years
2
VSOP is how many years
4
XO is how many years
6
VS means
Very special
VSOP means
Very Special Old Pale
XO means
Extra Old
From top to bottom what are the regions of France
Calvados
Cognac
Armagnac
What is the best area for grapes to make cognac
Grande Champagne
What are the other two subregions important for Cognac
Petite Champagne
Borderies
In order to use Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne and Borderies on a label,
100% of the grapes must come from that region
If a Cognac is a blend of spirits from Grand Champagne and Petite Champagne it can be labeled as
Fine Champange but must have 50% from Grande