1
Q
Where is Sherry made?
A
Around the city of Jerez in Andalusia, Spain
2
Q
When was the first mention of Sherry?
A
100 BCE
3
Q
When was the Consejo Regulador established?
A
1935 (registered in 1933)
4
Q
What do the Consejo Regulador do?
A
Set regulations to control the production and trading of Sherry wines.
5
Q
What is the climate of Jerez?
A
Hot Mediterranean
6
Q
What is the altiude of Jerez?
A
0 to 90m
7
Q
What is the name of the cool damp wind in the summer in Jerez?
A
Poniente
8
Q
What is the name of the hot drying wind from North Africa that affects Jerez?
A
Levante
9
Q
Why is the Levante wind an issue?
A
Too much heat and wind can make the grapes transpire more quickly, concentrating sugars. This can make it more difficult to ferment base wine to dryness
10
Q
Why is sunburn an issue in Jerez?
A
Jerez experiences a high number of cloud free days, meaning sunlight hours in the growing season are high
11
Q
What is the Zona de Produccion or Marco de Jerez?
A
The zone in which grapes can be grown for DO Sherry or DO Manzanilla Sanlucar de Barrameda
12
Q
Where is Pedro Ximinez generally grown?
A
Montilla
13
Q
What is a pago?
A
A smaller delimited area of Jerez thought to produce wines with different characteristics from the others
14
Q
What is the key soil type of Jerez?
A
Albariza, a mixture of limestone, silica and clay
15
Q
What are the key features of Albariza soil?
A
The limestone is made from shells of aquatic microorganisms and so is porous, allowing it to act like a sponge during the rainy season
It forms a crust when it dries, helping reduce evaporation from the soil surface
The light colour means that it reflects sunlight back onto the vine canopy, contributing to ripening
16
Q
Why does Jerez have higher planting densities than other hot, dry regions?
A
The albariza soil’s ability to retain water means they are able to get higher planting densities and yields
17
Q
What is the planting density of Jerez?
A
3,500 to 4,000 vines per hectare
18
Q
What are the other soil types in Jerez?
A
Barros - greater clay content
Arenas - sandy
19
Q
What is the most planted grape in Jerez?
A
Palomino - 97% of plantings
20
Q
What are key features of the Palomino grape?
A
Mid to late ripening
Drought resistant
Neutral variety
Loses acidity quickly
21
Q
Where is Moscatel generally grown?
A
Chipiona
22
Q
What is the main soil type of Chipiona?
A
Arenas
23
Q
What are the main features of the Moscatel grape
A
Late ripening
Well adapted to heat and drought
Aromatic grape
24
Q
What are the main features of the Pedro Ximenez grape?
A
Neutral variety
Thin skinned
Small berries
25
How does PX wine get it's main flavours?
From the grapes being dried in the sun to concentrate the sugars
26
What is the original training system used in Jerez?
Vara y pulgar (head trained, replacement cane pruned)
27
What is aserpia?
The process of creating troughs or gullies in the soil along the contour of the slopes after harvest
28
What is the effect of aserpia?
The troughs slow run off, allowing water to percolate into the soil more deeply
29
What are the rootstocks used in Jerez?
333EM
41-B
13-5 EVEX
All hybrids of vinifera and berlandieri
30
When does harvest typically start in Jerez?
First week of August
31
What are the primera yema?
The lightest juice pressings
32
What are the segunda yema?
The later press fractions, often used to make Oloroso
33
What are the prensas?
The final press fractions
34
Why is the clarification of must important for Sherry?
Albariza soil is dusty so it's important to remove these particles from the must
35
Why are cultured yeasts used for the base wine?
They can help increase the reliability of fermenting to dryness
36
Why does MLC not occur?
The regions climatic conditions result in low acid levels and Palomino has very low levels of malic acid
37
What is the first classification?
When the wine is decided whether the batch of wine will be used for biological ageing oxidative ageing
38
What happens to a wine destined for biological ageing?
The wine is fortified to 15-15.5% abv, the optimal alcohol level for flor yeast to grow
39
What happens to a wine destined for oxidative ageing?
The wine is fortified to 17% abv, at this alcohol level flor yeast are unable to survive
40
What alcohol level is the base wine fortified with in Sherry?
95% abv grape spirit
41
What happens after the wine is fortified?
The base wines are at a stage called sobretablas
They are stored as a single vintage before joining their appropriate solera system
42
What happens at the second classification?
Wines that have been marked for biological ageing in the 1st classification will be tasted an analysed
Those that have developed a full layer of flor and have remained fresh will be classified as Fino or Manzanilla
43
What happens to wines that are slightly less delicate at the second classification?
They may be marked as Palo Cortado
44
How long are the grapes for naturally sweet sherries dried in the sun?
2 to 3 weeks
45
At what percentage does the fermentation generally stop for a naturall sweet Sherry and why?
4 - 6 % abv due to the very high sugar levels
46
Are PX wines matured in a solera system?
Generally yes
47
When is an inexpensive sweetened Sherry likely to be sweetened?
Just before bottling
48
Are sweetened Sherries further matured in a solera system?
Mid priced and premium wines are likely to be sweetened and then matured further in their own solera system
49
What is the Zona de Crianza?
The three municipalities where maturation of DO wines have needed to be matured in.
Now wines are allowed to be matured anywhere in the Production Zone
50
Where do the wines of DO Manzanilla - Sanlucar de Barrameda have to be matured?
They must be aged within the municipality of Sanlucar de Barrameda
51
What is the most commonly used cask size used for maturation in Jerez?
600L butts
52
What oak are the Sherry butts made from?
American Oak
53
What attributes do the ageing bodegas have to create the optimum conditions?
Thick walls to keep temperatures constant
Tall buildings with high ceilings
Small windows high up near the roof to allow cool damp winds to enter
Floors made of earth that can be regularly wetted during summer to lower temps and increase humidity
54
Why are temperatures and humidity important in a bodega?
They are both important for the growth and maintenance of flor
55
Which part of the solera system is the solera?
The part that contains the oldest wine
56
Do wines in a criadera contain wines of one vintage or multiple vintages?
Multiple vintages
57
Is the 1st criadera older or younger than the 2nd criadera?
Older.
1st criadera is the next oldest wine from the solera
2nd criadera has younger wine than the 1st
3rd criadera has younger wine than the 2nd and so on
58
What is the maxium amount of wine that can taken from a solera system in a year?
No more than 40% can be removed for blending in a year
59
Do wines have to pass through a whole solera system before being bottled?
No
60
How many strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae make up flor? Where are they found?
4 strains
Found on the skins of the grapes in the region and also present in the ageing bodegas where the wine is matured
61
Why does a biological wine need to be at a maximum of 15.5% abv?
Flor yeast struggle to survive at alcohol levels above 16% abv
62
Why is it important not to add SO2 to the wine when ageing biologically?
Flor will be inhibited
63
What does flor need to survive?
Oxygen (headspace in the barrel)
Temperature and humidity
Nutrients
64
What influences does flor have on wine?
Protects the wine from oxidation
Consume alcohol in the wine and release acetaldehyde
Consume glycerol, giving the wine a lighter body
Lowers levels of acetic acid
65
Apart from maintaining style and quality, a solera system also has what important function in biologically aged wines?
Young wines are rich in nutrients (alcohol, glycerol, acetic acid) that the flor yeasts consume. The blending of young wines into older wines helps replenish nutrient levels in older wines
66
Why are smaller proportions of wine usually removed from Fino and Manzanilla solera systems more frequently through the year?
Nutrient supply
So they can remove, bottle and ship smaller volumes more quickly so the wines are fresher at the point of sale (the wines do not improve with age and should be consumed ASAP after bottling)
67
Why do alcohol levels increase in oxidatively aged Sherries?
Water is lost from barrels at a quicker rate than ethanol
It's estimated 3-5% volume is lost every year
68
Why are oxidatively aged Sherries more concentrated?
Evaporation
Glycerol levels rise
Acetaldehyde decreases slightly
69
Why is filtration important for biologically aged Sherries?
To remove flor yeasts, stopping them from redeveloping once a bottle is open
70
Describe a Fino or Manzanilla Sherry
Biologically aged, must spend their entire ageing process under flor
Pale lemon in colour, dry, light to medium bodied
Low acidity, low alcohol
Flavours of apple, almond, bread dough
71
Describe an Amontillado
Must have attributes from both biological and oxidative ageing
Will always show elements of flor yeast with aromas like apple, almond and fresh bread as well as oxidative notes like spice, herbs and tobacco.
Alcohol is always above 16%
The palate will be completely dry and will have a lighter body due to the flor yeasts consumption of glycerol
72
Describe a Palo Cortado
Made from wines that were designated for biological ageing at the 1st classification but didn't develop proper flor
Made from fino quality base wine but aged oxidatively
Aromas similar to an Amontillado but a palate closer to Oloroso
Dry on the palate, alcohol between 17 and 22%
Slightly fuller, rounder body than an Amontillado
73
Describe an Oloroso
Brown in colour, have dried fruit flavours of raisin or prune plus oxidative caramel and walnut flavours
Final alcohol between 18 and 22%
74
What does en rama mean?
A wine that is the best representation of wine straight from the barrel.
Sherries that can be filtered but do not undergo any other stabilisation process. Most bodegas do not filter their en ramas
75
What is the minimum RS level for PX and what is the typical RS level?
Minimum 212 g/L
Typical 450 - 500 g/L
76
Describe a PX wine
Full bodied, with a syrup like consistency
Low in acidity with pronounced aromas and flavours of raisins, molasses and liquorice
Alcohol between 15 - 22%
77
What is the minimum RS level for Moscatel and what is the typical RS level?
Minimum 160 g/L
Typical 325 - 375 g/L
78
Describe a Pale Cream Sherry
Must have undergone a period of biological ageing prior to sweetening
RCGM is usually used so that it doesn't add colour or flavours
Final sweetness between 45 - 155 g/L
Very light flor character
Medium-sweet to sweet
79
Describe a Medium Sherry
Made from a blend of biologically and oxidatively aged wines
Usually blended with PX for sweetening
Range from 4 - 115 g/L of sugar
80
Describe a Cream Sherrry
Made from Oloroso
Usually blended with PX for sweetening
Must have between 115 - 140 g/L of sugar
81
What is the minimum average age of a VOS?
20 years or more
82
What is the minimum average age of a VORS?
30 years of more
83
What is a Production Bodega?
(Bodegas de la Zone de Produccion)
They press grapes and ferment must into base wine
They may also fortify the base wine depending on the style and timing of fortification needed
Often owned by a company on one of the other registers, others are independent
Can also sell their own wines
84
What is an Ageing and Storage Bodega? (Bodegas de Crianza y Almacenado)
Also called almacenistas
Ageing an storage bodegas mature and when needed for certain styles, fortify wines
Matured wines must be sold to ageing and shipping bodegas
85
What is an Ageing and Shipping Bodega?
(Bodegas de Crianza y Expedicion)
The only bodegas permitted to sell bottled wines from DO Jerez
Also called shippers
Also permitted to mature wines
Wines from almacenistas may be blended with a shippers own stock to make up volumes
86
What is the function of the Consejo Regulador?
They maintain the vineyard and bodega registers
Set production parameters such as yields and minimum alcohol levels for base wines
Oversees the rotation of stock in bodegas
Verifies the authenticity of age-dated Sherries
Major promotional body
D5 : Fortified Wines
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