Wine Appreciation 1 - Winemaking
What is Fining?
A clarification technique. Addition of fining agents which bind to particles in the wine and precipitate them out of solution.
What are the percentage ranges of alcohol in sparkling wine, table wine, and fortified wine?
Sparkling wine: 8-12%; Table wine: 8-15%; Fortified wine: 17-22%
Sugar + _____ = _____ + Carbon Dioxide
Sugar + Yeast = Alcohol + Carbon Dioxide
How to remove excess tannins?
Egg whites
What are white crystals in the wine?
"Wine Diamonds" are crystallized tartaric acid.
How many times can a barrel be used before it is considered Neutral?
3 times
What is phylloxera?
A grape louse that nearly wiped out the vineyards of Europe in the 19th century. It attacks the vine's rootstocks and kills it in 3-5 years. There is no cure and it is easily spread.
What is sulfur dioxide?
A natural antioxidant, preservative, and disinfectant
What does acetobacter produce in wine? How to prevent?
Acetobacter produces acetic acid (vinegar). Prevent oxygen exposure by sealing tanks and bottles well.
What is inoculation?
Addition of yeast into wine.
A "dry" wine means what?
All the fermentable sugar has been used by the yeast (usually less than 0.5% left)
What are the effects of oak barrel aging?
Amber color; Dark flavor notes of oak, vanilla, chocolate, toast.
What is the difference between aroma and bouquet?
Aroma is the smell of the grapes; Bouquet is the total smell including fermentation and aging effects
What is "noble rot"? What type of wine is made from the affected grapes?
Botrytis cinerea, a mold that slowly pierces grape skins, allowing their water content to evaporate, increasing concentration of sugar and acid.
Examples of Warm Season Grapes?
Cabernet Sauvignon - R Shiraz - R Zinfandel - R Grenache - R
Examples of Cool Season Grapes?
Chardonnay - W Riesling - W Sauvignon Blanc - W Pinot Gris - W Pinot Noir - R
How can wine diamonds be prevented?
Cold stabilization
What are two factors that affect whether a wine will last more than five years?
Color of the grape, vintage, where the wine comes from, how it was made, and storage conditions
What is vertical tasting?
Comparing wines from different vintages
How to remove rotten egg smell?
Copper sulfides
What happens to the color of white wines as they age?
Gain color; become darker, more yellow, amber, brown
What are three sources of a grape's flavor?
Grape variety*, how and where it was grown, weather and climate during growing. Variety is the most influential factor.
What are three sources that can affect a wine's flavor?
Grapes - variety and growing conditions Fermentation process - sugars, acidity, additives Maturation and aging - Were barrels used?
Effects of warm growing season?
Higher sugar/alcohol, fuller body, flavors of dark fruits Problems retaining acidity
What happens to the color of red wines as they age?
Lose color; become lighter, browner
Effects of cool growing season?
Less sugar, bright fruity flavor, high acidity Problems with yield/too much acid
What are the two acids in grapes?
Malic Acid and Tartaric Acid
Name three grapes that have high tannin.
Nebbiolo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah/Shiraz
How to remove excess acid?
Potassium bicarbonate or malolactic fermentation
What yeast is used to ferment wine?
Saccharomyces cerevisiae, also used in bread, beer, and bourbon.
Where does tannin come from?
Skins, pits and stems of grapes
What is maceration?
Soaking the grape skins to extract aromas, tannins, and color
What grape compounds make wine taste bitter or astringent?
Tannins
What is Chaptalization?
The addition of grape sugar before fermentation. Used in cool regions where full ripeness is not always achieved naturally.
What is malolactic fermentation?
The conversion of malic acid into softer lactic acid. Reduces overall titratable acidity and provides a buttery taste.
What is must?
The mixture of grape juice and skins
What is veraison?
The process before ripening where the skin changes color. Translucent for white, red for black varieties.
Why should you swirl a wine before smelling it?
To allow oxygen to aerate the wine, releasing the esters and aldehydes that combine with oxygen to yield the wine's aroma or bouquet.
What is Racking?
Transfer of wine to a new tank, leaving behind solid material.
The major wine grapes come from what species?
Vitis vinifera
Difference in fermentation temperature between red and white wine?
White wine is chilled before/during fermentation. Reds ferment at a warmer temperature.
Differences between red and white wine-making procedure?
Whites are chilled. Reds are given extra skin contact using a cold soak and maceration.
What is Brettanomyces?
Wild yeast: sweat and leathery smell. Can be prevented by SO2 addition and thorough cleanliness.
What does a vintage on a bottle indicate?
the year the grapes were harvested
What is a corked wine?
a musty aroma caused by the organic compound TCA (trichloroanisole)
What in wine gives it sourness or tartness?
acid
What is residual sugar?
natural sugars in ripe grapes remain undigested by yeast after fermentation
How is white wine made from red grapes?
removing the skins immediately after picking
What are the tastes in wine?
sweet, sour, bitter
What is terroir?
the "somewhereness" of a particular region or vineyard (soil makeup and geography, sunlight, weather, climates, rainfall)
What is Brix?
winemaker's measure of sugar in grapes