Sherry

Question 1

Almacenista

Answer 1

Bodegas that warehouse soleras

Question 2

Climate of Jerez

Answer 2

• Hot Mediterranean, with Atlantic influence
• Hot dry summers
• Mild rainy winters

Question 3

Poniente

Answer 3

• A cooling humid breeze brought by the Atlantic

Question 4

Levante

Answer 4

• Hot drying wind from north Africa
• Make grapes transpire faster

Question 5

Primary goal for making the base wine for (dry) Sherry

Answer 5

Making a blanc canvas to take on flavours during the maturation process

Question 6

Two zones of production in Jerez

Answer 6

1. Jerez Superior - with better vineyard sites with albariza soil; 90% Jerez’s plantings are found here
2. Jerez Zona - with

Question 7

Pagos

Answer 7

• Smaller areas of vineyards thought to have unique characters
• Can legally name the pago on the label

Question 8

Albariza

Answer 8

• Soil unique to Jerez
• Mixture of limestone, silica and clay
• Effective at retaining and gradually release water
• Forms a crust when dry, further protecting evaporation
• Making high density planting and yields possible in Jerez (avg 70 hL/ha)

Question 9

Barros

Answer 9

Soil type in Jerez; has higher clay content

Question 10

Arenas

Answer 10

Sand soil in Jerez

Question 11

Three types of soils in Jerez

Answer 11

1. Albariza - white limestone, silica and clay soil
2. Barros - similar to Albariza but with more clay
3. Arenas - sandy soil

Question 12

Three grape types used in Sherry

Answer 12

1. Palamino, aka Palomino Fino or Listan - 99% planting
2. Moscatel, aka Muscat of Alexandria in France, or Moscatel de Chipiona - good on arenas soils
3. Pedro Ximenez - neutral; 1% of Sherry production by volume

Question 13

Max yield allowed in Jerez and the reality

Answer 13

Capped at 80 hL/ha and 60-70 hL/ha

Question 14

Hazards in Jerez

Answer 14

• Drought
• Grape moth
• High lime content causing chlorosis

Question 15

Harvest time in Jerez for Palomino

Answer 15

• First week of August usually
• As soon as 12% potential abv is reached
• Total acidity should be around 5 g/L with pH of 3.3-3.5

Question 16

Skin contact is ______ for Sherry making.

Answer 16

Skin contact not desirable, especially for biologically aged wines - phenolic compounds can restrict the growth of flor yeast

Question 17

Three fractions of must in Jerez

Answer 17

Free run - lightly pressed / primera yema - hard presses

Question 18

Oloroso wines tend to be made using ______ press.

Answer 18

Later and harder pressings

Question 19

Albariza soil is dusty. Therefore ______ is necessary before fermentation.

Answer 19

Clarification is necessary before fermentation can start

Question 20

Three methods of clarifying must to make Sherry

Answer 20

1. Cold settling
2. Centrifugation
3. Flotation

Question 21

Most producers use ______ yeast when making Sherry.

Answer 21

Cultured yeast - for that blank canvas

Question 22

Fermentation temperature for Sherry is _____ °C, for a reliable ferment to dryness.

Answer 22

22-26 °C

Question 23

Malolactic conversion is ____ as acidity is already low and buttery flavours are not wanted.

Answer 23

Malolactic conversion is prevented

Question 24

First Classifcation

Answer 24

• After fermentation, each batch of base wine will be tasted and sent for analysis for the First Classification, where the winemaker decide on how to age them, ie biologically or oxidatively.
• Fortification takes place after this

Question 25

Wines destined for biological ageing will be fortified to ______ % abv.

Answer 25

15-15.5% abv for the optimal growth condition for flor

Question 26

Wines destined for oxidative ageing will be fortified to _______ % abv.

Answer 26

17% abv so that floor can't grow

Question 27

A neutral grape spirit of _____% abv is used to fortify Sherry.

Answer 27

95% abv

Question 28

Sobretablas

Answer 28

The stage after fermentation and entering into the Solera system

Question 29

Second Classification

Answer 29

- Months after the First Fermentation - Wines will be tasted and sent for analysis again - Those for Fino and Manzanilla will have flor growing on them already

Question 30

Maturation for Sherry must take place in one of three municipalities

Answer 30

1. Jerez de la Frontera 2. El Puero de Santa Maria 3. Sanlucar de Barrameda Together they are called Zona de Crianza * Moscatel can be matured inChipiona and Chiclana de Frontera

Question 31

Butts

Answer 31

600L old wood vessels used to mature Sherry

Question 32

Historically, oak used for butt tend to be from....

Answer 32

America - brought back by the Spanish conquest

Question 33

Bodegas have _____ ceilings and ______ walls to keep temeerature constant.

Answer 33

High ceilings & thick walls

Question 34

Solera is a _______ blending system

Answer 34

Fractional blending system

Question 35

Components of the solera system from top to bottom

Answer 35

Solera 1st criadera 2nd criadera (Sobretablas)

Question 36

No more than _____ % can be take from each barrel in the solera system

Answer 36

No more than 40%

Question 37

Flor is comprised of four strains of....

Answer 37

Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Question 38

Ideal growing environment for the flor

Answer 38

1. No more than 16% abv 2. Plenty of oxygen - don't fill up and don't seal the bungs! 3. 16 -20°C 4. Moisture level above 65%

Question 39

Flor consumes ______ and release _______.

Answer 39

Alcohol -> Acetaldehyde

Question 40

Some common aromas attributed to acetaldehyde

Answer 40

- Apple skin - Bruised apple - Olive brine - Nail polish

Question 41

Flor also eats ______ to give the wine a ______ body.

Answer 41

Eats glycerol to give a lighter body

Question 42

In oxidative ageing, and estimate of _____% of volume is lost every year.

Answer 42

3-5% of wine will be transpired

Question 43

As wine ages oxidatively, components in wine also increase

Answer 43

1. Glycerol - fuller rounder body 2. Flavors 3. Alcohol level 4. Depth of colour - lemon to gold, amber then brown

Question 44

Finishing of most Sherries include....

Answer 44

1. Tartrate stabilisation via contact 2. Fining 3. Filter - unless en rama

Question 45

Manzanilla's flor is thicker and results in a wine _______ and ________ than Finos.

Answer 45

Lighter and fresher

Question 46

Maxium RS for dry sherries

Answer 46

5 g/L

Question 47

Manzanilla Pasada

Answer 47

Manzanilla that underwent a short period of oxidative ageing

Question 48

Naturally sweet sherries are laid out to dry in the sun ______ weeks

Answer 48

2-3 weeks, developing a raisin flavour

Question 49

Fermentation for PX and Moscatel naturally stops at _____ % abv.

Answer 49

4-6% abv, because it's too sweet!

Question 50

VOS

Answer 50

Vinum Optimum Signatum / Very Old Sherry - 20+ yo

Question 51

VORS

Answer 51

Vinum Optimum Rare Signatum / Very Old Rare Sherr - 30+ yo

Question 52

Three types of Bodegas in Jerez

Answer 52

1. Bodegas de la Zona d Produccion / Production Bodega 2. Bodegas de Crianza y Almacenado / Ageing and Storage Bodega 3. Bodegas de Crianza y Expedicion / Ageing and Shipping Bodega

Question 53

Cultivated land ownership by type in Jerez

Answer 53

40% Members of coops 28% Independent grower 22% Shippers, eg. Gonzales Byass, Barbadillo and the Estevez Group

Question 54

Production Bodegas

Answer 54

- Press grapes & ferment into base wine - Usually coops themselves - May or may not sell their wines

Question 55

Ageing and Storage Bodegas

Answer 55

Or just Almacenistas, must be within the Zona de Crianza

Question 56

Ageing and Shipping Bodega

Answer 56

- Permitted to export or sell DO wines - Can mature and well wines - Must be within Zona de Crianza