WSET Level 3 Ch 31-45 Flashcards
What are the wine laws designated by in the US?
AVAs (American viticultural areas)
Where in the USA is the cold ocean current crucial, the valleys act like funnels for cool air and the areas with no ocean influence are hot?
California
What black grape is the main grape grown in the Russian River Valley, Los Carneros and Santa Maria Valley?
Pinot Noir
What grape is designated as California’s “own”?
Zinfandel
Carneros and Russian River Valley are known for refined versions of what white grape?
Chardonnay
Where in California are Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino?
The North Coast
In California, the temp goes up as you move farther…
North
What grapes are grown in Los Carneros in the southernmost part of the North Coast?
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
What grape are Stags Leap, Yountville, Oakville and Rutherford known for in Napa?
Cabernet Sauvignon
Saint Helena and Calistoga are the farthest north in Napa. What wines are they known for?
Full bodied Cabernet, Syrah and Zinfandel
Where is the Russian River Valley in California?
Sonoma
What is Dry Creek Valley known for?
Old vine Zinfandel
What is Alexander Valley known for?
Rich, full cabernet
What is the difference geographically between Sonoma Valley AVA and Sonoma Coast AVA?
Sonoma Valley is south near Napa (similar styles) and Sonoma Coast runs west and grapes are planted on slopes to ripen
What cool AVA in Mendocino focuses on aromatic grapes?
Anderson Valley
Where are Santa Cruz Mountains, Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties located in Cali?
Central Coast
Santa Cruz AVA has infertile soil and is known for some of California’s most elegant…
Cabernets
Monterey AVA has a strong Pacific influence and what grapes are grown on the coast and further south?
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on the coast and Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah further south
What is Santa Lucia AVA known for?
High quality Chardonnay
What is the eastern part of Paso Robles known for?
It’s hot, sunny and fertile so high volume wines are made
What is the western part of Paso Robles known for?
It’s cooled by the ocean and makes quality Zinfandel and Rhone Varieties
Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara County and Santa Rita Hills are known for?
Premium Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
Santa Ynez is known for?
Syrah, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
Where are Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys and Lodi located in Cali?
The Central Valley
What is most of the Central Valley of Cali known for?
Inexpensive, high volume wines
Why is Lodi unique in the central valley?
It lies east and is cooled by the ocean breezes - makes some of the best old vine Zinfandel in Cali
Where in Oregon lies west of Cascade mountains with long sunny days and cool nights?
Willamette Valley AVA
What is grown in Willamette Valley AVA?
Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris
Where are Umpqua Valley and Rogue Valley located?
Southern Oregon AVA - warmer but hills can be cool
Where in Washington lies east of Cascade mountains with a rain shadow?
Columbia Valley AVA
Where are Yakima Valley and Walla Walla AVA located?
Columbia Valley AVA
What grapes are mostly grown in Washington state?
Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Chardonnay and Riesling
What moderates the continental climate in Canada?
Large lakes
What grape is used for Icewine in Canada?
Vidal
What grape other than Vidal does well in the Niagara Peninsula and Okanagan Valley?
Riesling
What is the depression between the coastal mountains and Andes called in Chile?
The Central Valley
What is the Climate in Chile
Warm Mediterranean
What flows up from Antarctica in Chile to cool the area?
The Humboldt current
Where are Elqui Valley, Limari Valley and Choapa Valley located in Chile?
Coquimbo region
What is Elqui Valley Chile known for?
Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah
What valley produces Chile’s best Chardonnay?
Limari Valley
Where are the Aconcagua Valley, Casablanca Valley and the San Antonio Valley and Leyda Valley located in Chile?
Aconcagua Region
What grape is successful in the cool areas of the Casablanca Valley, San Antonio Valley and Leyda Valley?
Sauvignon Blanc
What are the top white grapes in Chile?
Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay
What are the top red grapes in Chile?
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Carmenere
What grape is used to make the grape brandy Pisco?
Muscat of Alexandria
What is the southernmost Mallerco Valley known for in Chile?
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
What Valley is known for Sauvignon Blanc in Chile thanks to the cooler weather?
San Antonio Valley
What grapes are the inexpensive wines of the Central Valley in Chile made of?
Merlot and Chardonnay
Where are the Maipo Valley, Cachapoal Valley, Colchagua Valley, Curico Valley and Maule Valley located in Chile?
Central Valley
What is Maipo Valley in Chile known for?
Cabernet Sauvignon
Where are Itata Valley, Bio Bio Valley and Mallerco Valley located in Chile?
Southern Region
What is mostly grown in the southern region of Chile?
Pais and Muscat de Alexandria
What keeps the vineyards cool and hydrated in Argentina?
Altitude and irrigation
What is a parral in Argentina?
Vertical trellises/pergolas
Top black grapes in Argentina?
Malbec and Bonarda
Top white grapes in Argentina?
Torrontes and Chardonnay
What province in Argentina has some of the highest vineyards in the world?
Salta Province
What grape dominates in the Salta Province and specifically Cafayate?
Torrentes (does well in high altitude)
What is Famantina Valley in La Rioja Province known for?
Large volumes grown on the valley floor
What is the second more important province in Argentina known for Syrah?
San Juan Province
What causes the desert like conditions in Mendoza?
Rain shadow from the Andes
What is Lujan de Cuyo known for in Mendoza?
Malbec
Where are Maipu, Uco Valley and Tupungato located in Argentina?
Mendoza
Where are Rio Negro and Neuquen province in Argentina?
Patagonia region
What is the climate in Australia and what are the major risks?
Warm/hot with drought and bushfire risks
What are the two main black grapes in Australia?
Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon
What are the four main white grapes in Australia?
Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Riesling
What are the classic regions in Australia for Riesling?
Eden Valley and Clare Valley
What cooler regions of Australia are known for Pinot Noir?
Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula and Tasmania
Where in Australia is warm, dry and the heartland of fine wine production, particularly Shiraz, Cabernet, Grenache and unoaked Semillon?
Barossa Valley
Where is South Australia is high altitude and is known for Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir?
Adeliade Hills
Where in Australia has a moderate maritime climate with terra rossa soil and is known for Cabernet?
Coonawarra
Where do reds like old vine Shiraz, Grenache and Cabernet thrive in South Australia?
McLaren Vale
What is the coolest zone in Australia?
Victoria
Where are Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, Geelong, Heathcote and Goulburn Valley in Australia?
Victoria - a lot of Pinot and Chardonnay - listed from least to most inland
What is the style of Hunter Valley Semillon?
Light body, low alc, high acid - can age 20-30 years - picked early intentionally
What region of Australia is hot and humid with cloud cover and ocean breezes? Also known for Semillon
Hunter Valley
Where in Western Australia has a warm climate, high rainfall and makes Cabernet blended with Merlot and Chardonnay blended with Semillon?
Margaret River
What is the new region in Western Australia that makes shiraz, Cabernet and Reisling?
Great Southern
Where in Australia is cool maritime that is known for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sparkling?
Tasmania
What is the climate in New Zealand?
Maritime
What are the top white grapes in New Zealand?
Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris
What are the top black grapes in New Zealand?
Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet and some Syrah
On what island are Auckland, Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa in New Zealand?
North island - from most north (hot and wet) to south
What is Gimblett Gravels in Hawke’s bay known for?
Gravel soil and Bordeaux style blends
What has Martinborough in Wairarapa on the southern tip of the north island gained global recognition for?
Pinot Noir
On what island are Marlborough, Nelson, Canterbury and Central Otago in New Zealand?
South Island (cooler)
What is the difference in style between the Wairau Valley and Awatere Valley in Marlborough?
Wairau makes more tropical style Sauvignon Blanc, Awatere is more herbaceous style
For what purpose are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grown in Marlborough?
Sparkling production
What area in Canterbury is cool because of the ocean but warmed by winds and known for high quality Riesling?
Waipara valley
What is the different climate type of Central Otago? What is the area known for?
Continental, full bodied Pinot Noir because of intense sunshine
Why do grapes for sparkling wine need to be low sugar?
There are two fermentations
What are the 5 methods to make sparkling wine?
Traditional, Transfer, Tank, Asti and Carbonation
Traditional method sparkling is sold in the bottle that the second fermentation takes place…true or false?
True
What flavors should the base wine have in traditional method sparkling?
Neutral
What is added to the base wine before the second fermentation for traditional method?
Liqueur de tirage (mixture of yeast, sugar, wine, yeast nutrients and clarifying agents)
How is the bottle stacked for second fermentation and what is inside the bottle for traditional method?
Horizontal, a little cup to catch the sediment
What kind of cap is used on the second fermentation for traditional method?
crown cap
What is yeast autolysis?
The yeast die after fermentation and the wine ages on the lees for 4-5 years with traditional method
What is the process of slowly positioning traditional method bottles vertically?
Riddling
What was the old fashioned way of riddling called?
Pupitre
What is the process of disgorgment?
The neck of the bottle is submerged in a very cold brine and it freezes the neck of the wine and when the cap is removed, the frozen sediment and plastic cup shoot out
What is the wine topped off with after disgorgment?
liqueur d’expedition or dosage (wine and sugar mixture)
Why is the transfer method different than the traditional method?
The wine is not riddled, it is removed from the bottle after yeast autolysis, filtered, has dosage added and put in a new bottle
True or false - only the first fermentation takes place in a steel tank for the tank method
False - both do
What sparkling method is good for aromatic varieties and retains fruit flavors?
Tank
Where is the Asti method used?
Piemonte
How many fermentations take place in the Asti method?
one
The juice for Asti is stored until needed and then what is the process?
It is heated up to start fermentation in pressurized tanks - it ferments until ~7% and is the filtered and bottles for immediate sale
What is the cheapest method for sparkling wine?
Carbonation - injected into still wine
What are the sweetness levels of sparkling wine?
Brut Nature (0-3g/L), Extra Brut, Brut, Extra-Sec, Sec, Demi-Sec, Doux (50+g/L)
Sparkling rose sometimes uses blending for color - true or false?
True - also short maceration
What grape does Montagne de Reims and Cote des Bar mostly use in Champagne?
Pinot Noir
What grape does Cote de Blancs and Cote Sezanne mostly in Champagne?
Chardonnay
What are the chalk soils in Champagne good for?
Drainage and water retention
What is the first liquid off the press called in Champagne?
Cuvee - the best will only be made of this
How long must non-vintage Champagnes be aged?
15 months, 12 on the lees
How long does Vintage Champagne need to be aged?
36 months
What is the minimum time spent on the lees for Cremant sprakling?
9 months
What are the most important Cremant ACs?
Cremant d’Alsace, Crémant de Bourgogne, Cremant de Loire
What region in France is next largest sparkling producer after Champagne?
Loire Valley
What areas of the Loire Valley make sparkling wine?
Saumur and Vouvray
How long does Cava need to spend on the lees?
9 months
What grapes are used in Cava?
Macabeo (viura), Xarel-lo, Parellada
What grapes are used in Rose Cava?
Grenache and Monastrell
What sparkling from Italy is made from Muscat Blanc and meant to be drunk young?
Asti
What is the grape used in Prosecco?
Glera
What areas make up Prosecco DOC?
Veneto and Fruili
What quality makes Conegliano-Valdobbiadene DOCG higher quality Prosecco?
limestone hills
What do the terms Cartizze and Rive mean on Prosecco bottles?
From an exceptional vineyard site
What country has the highest sparkling consumption per capita in the world?
Germany
What sparkling normally uses base wine from Italy or France and uses the tank method?
Sekt
What does Deusher Sekt mean?
Base wine is from Germany
What cool regions in Australia make traditionally method sparkling with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir?
Yarra Valley, Adelaide Hills and Tasmania
What cool region in New Zealand makes the most traditionally method sparkling with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir?
Marlborough
What is traditional sparkling made with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir called in South Africa?
Methode Cap Classique
What AVAs in Cali make the best traditional method sparkling wine?
Los Carneros and Anderson Valley
What is the climate in Jerez?
Hot mediterranean
What are the poniente and levante?
Poniente is the cool humid wind and the Levente is the hot drying wind
What is the soil in Sherry called and why is it important?
Albariza - high chalk content to keep cool and retain water - forms a crust in the summer to retain water
What are the 3 grapes grown for Sherry?
Palomino (vast majority) , Pedro Ximinex (PX) - thick skin good for drying (sweet) , Muscat de Alexandria (sweet)
What are the two types of aging for dry sherry?
Oxidative and biological
What is the process for Dry sherry up to oxidative or biological aging?
Grapes are pressed and fermented to create a neutral base wine of 11-12% abv
What is sobretabla?
The top row of the solera system, the youngest wine
What is wine for oxidative aging fortified to in order to kill the flor?
17%
What % is wine used for biological aging fortified to keep the flor from dying?
15-15.5%
What are the 600-litre barrels sherry is aged is called?
Butts
How full are sherry barrels in the solera system?
5/6 - for oxygen contact
What are the levels of the solera system called?
Criaderas
Why does new sherry need to be added to the solera system?
The flor feeds off the alcohol and nutrients
What sherries are aged oxidatively without flor?
Oloroso, PX and Muscat
What sherry is oxidatively aged after a period of biological aging?
Amontillado
What two sherries have only biological aging and should be drunk young?
Fino (made inland) and Manzanilla (made on the coast)
What sherry is RARE with both oxidative and biological aging?
Palo cortado
What are the two naturally sweet sherries?
PX (deep brown)and Muscat (more citrus flavor)
What are the sweetened sherries?
Pale cream, medium and cream
What are the aging techniques for each of the sweetened sherry types? What are they sweetened with?
Pale cream - biological - RCGM
Medium - both - PX
cream - oxidative - PX
What are the age indicators of Sherry?
VOS - avg 20 years
VORS - avg 30 years
What are the two cities where Port is made?
Porto and Vila Nova Gaia
What are the three regions of vineyards that make Port each known for? Baixo Corgo, Cima Corgo and Douro Superior
Baixo Corgo - lightest wines
Cima Corgo - most top vineyards
Douro Superior - renowned for quality
What is the bedrock in the Porto vineyards made of that allows the roots to reach the deep water reserves in the hot climate?
Schist
What are narrow terraces supported by stone walls in the Porto vineyards called? They are expensive and hard to maintain
Socalcos
What is the newer method of vineyard organization in Porto vineyards with no walls and terraces wide enough for tractor access called?
Patamares
What are the low angled slopes can use a unterraced system in Porto vineyards called?
Vinha ao alto
What are some qualities of the grapes used in Port?
Thick skinned, high tannin
What are the three methods used to extract color and tannin in Port?
Foot treading, Autovinifiers (CO2 pressure) and Piston plungers
Why are there time constraints around extracting tannin and color while Port is fermenting?
Fermentation is stopped at 5-9% or in 24-36 hours
Where is foot treading done for Port?
in Legares
How is Port fortified to meet the required 19-22% abv?
A spirit or aguardente no stronger than 77% abv is used to do this and a lot is used (up to 20% of the final bottle)
Why is Port normally aged in Vila Nova Gaia with the exception of Tawny?
It’s cooler - Tawny you want the warmth for the loss of color
What type of Port is predominantly fruity with minimal oxygen contact and short aging?
Ruby
Why are some LBVs and all vintage Ports unfiltered?
So they can benefit from bottle aging
What type of Port undergoes long oxidative aging in barrels called pipes? They are fully developed when bottled and shouldn’t be aged
Tawny
What does Reserva mean for Port?
An official tasting panel determines if they are a level above - tawny must be aged 6 years
What does LBV mean for Port?
Late Bottle Vintage means they have been aged in large oak barrels for 4-6 years
What does Tawny Port with an age indication mean?
Shows the average age and are complex - should be consumed soon after release
What does Vintage mean for Port?
Producers must registered within 2 years and bottle within 3 to be labeled vintage - they are harsh upon release but should be aged in the bottle (can be for decades) - normally a blend of the finest wines from the best vineyards a producer has
What are Singe quinta vintage ports?
From a single estate
What are the consistent qualities for all types of muscats?
They all have low to med acidity and have perfumed aromas of orange blossom, rose and grape
Where do Muscats thrive?
Warm to hot climates
What is a notable example for a youthful unaged Muscat from Southern Rhone?
Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise
How is Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise made?
Grapes are picked, crushed (sometimes there is skin contact to enhance aromatic qualities) and cool fermentation is stopped with a 96% abv grape spirit
What is a notable fully developed and aged muscat from Australia?
Rutherglen
How is Rutherglen made?
Ripe and sometimes raisined grapes are picked, grapes are fermented on skins to 2% abv and then undergo oxidative aging for up to decades, sometimes new wine is added before bottling for freshness
What is wine from La Rioja in Argentina labeled?
La Famantina
What is the cold current and the cool wind in South Africa that cool the region?
Benguela current and “The Cape Doctor”
What is the GI system in South Afrtica?
W.O. - Wine of Origin
What is Pinotage a crossing of?
Pinot Noir and Cinsault
What is a Cape Blend?
A blend made with Pinotage
What are the main black grapes in South Africa?
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Pinot Noir in the coolest areas - Bordeaux blends are made
What are the top two white grapes grown in South Africa?
Chenin Blanc and Colombard (for brandy) - Sauv Blanc, Chardonnay and Musct are also grown
What is the Orange River in the Northern Cape known for?
Inexpensive, high volume wine
Where in the Western Cape is moderate to warm with a variety of grapes grown and is known for fine wine - top red wine with Bordeaux style blends
Stellenbosch
What two wines is Constantia known for?
Sauvignon Blanc and Vin de Constance (muscat de alexandria sweet wine)
What region in South Africa used to be known for inexpensive wine and now is known for old vine Chenin Blanc and dry farmed Syrah?
Swartland
What larger, warmer region lies north of Stellenbosch and grows a variety of wines due to the variety of terrain?
Paarl - Cab, Syrah, Pinotage, Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay
What regions in the Breed River Valley have become reliable areas for high volume wine?
Worcester and Robertson
What ward in Walker Bay on the South Coast makes some of the best Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in South Africa?
Hemel-en-Aarde
What grape do Durbanville, Elgin and Elim specialize in?
Sauvignon Blanc
Why is Hunter Valley Semillon famous?
It is harvested early for a low sugar, high acid wine that can be aged for 20-30 years
What flavors does oak bring out in Pinotage?
Chocolate and coffee - they use heavily toasted oak
What % Pinotage does a Cape blend need to be?
75%
What is “California’s” grape?
Zinfandel - ripens unevenly
What is the difference in aspect between Howell Mountain and Mount Veeder?
Howell Mountain has a west facing aspect so it gets more hot afternoon sun - fuller wines
What are the reliable areas of SE Australia known for high volume, inexpensive wine?
Murray-Darling, Riverina, Riverland
