Winemaking

Question 1

Red wine typical process order?

Answer 1

1. Crushing
2. Alcoholic fermentation
3. Draining
4. Pressing
5. Storage & Maturation
6. Packaging

Question 2

What does the process of winemaking create

Answer 2

1. Heat
2. Alcohol
3. Co2
4. Flavour

Question 3

What is done to red wine to extract tannins

Answer 3

• Punching down
• Pumping over

Question 4

Rose wine process?

Answer 4

• Crushing
• Fermentation
• Draining (short maceration fermentaiton continues off skins)
• Storage/Maturation
• Packaging

Question 5

Rose Blending

Answer 5

Rose can be made from blending white wine with red wine. (not permitted in most of europe)

Question 6

Dry white wine key steps

Answer 6

1. Crushing
2. Pressing
3. Fermentation
4. Storage/Maturation
5. Packaging

Question 7

Sweet Wines how can they be made

4 key points

Answer 7

• Concentrated grape sugars
• Removing the yeast prior to fermentation being complete (Filtered)
• Killing the yeast (Add distilled alcohol) Fortified 15-20% abv
• Adding sweetness to a dry wine (popular with winemakers)

Question 8

Ways of adding sweetness to a dry wine

Answer 8

• Add unfermented grape juice
• Blend sweet wine with dry wine
• Use concentrated grape sugars to make a sweet liquid that is added to the dry wine

Question 9

What option do wine makers have in the process

think additives

Answer 9

Winemakers sometime will
* SUGAR-In cool climate grapes may not ripen so sugar is added to make more alcoholic and make fuller bodied
* ACID
* In warm climates acids can be very low in the grape at ripening, wine would be inbalanced so acid is added
*In cool climates acids can be too high winemakers can neutrlise acid so the wine is not unbalanced

Question 10

Red wine fermentation temperature

Answer 10

Reds are typically fermented at higher temps the white
20c-32c

The higher temps are needed to help extract colour & tannins from the s

Question 11

White wine fermentation temperatures

Answer 11

Temps range 12c-22c
Cooler temps produce more fruity aromas

Question 12

Rose fermentation temps

Answer 12

Same as white wine 12c-22c

Question 13

Two inert fermentation vessels

Answer 13

Stainless steel and concrete

concrete needs to be sealed to be inhert

Question 14

Oak vessels impacts on the wine depends on what?

Answer 14

• if the oak is new or how many times its been used
• The level of toasting(Amout of flame applied that burns the sugars in the wood)
• The size of the barrell
• The time in the barrell
• Oak is waterproof but not airtight.

Question 15

What can oxygen and oak do to a wines flavour wise

Answer 15

• Soften tannins
• Flavours of Caramel
• Dried fruit
• Hazelnut/Almond

Question 16

What is used to impart oak flavours on cheaper wines

Answer 16

• Oak chips or staves are added to the inhert vessel to impart oak flavours at a much cheaper price

Question 17

• What is malolactic conversion
• What can stop Malo if the winemaker wants to have a fresher lighter wine?

Answer 17

Once alcoholic fermentation takes place bacteria in the wine will lower the acidity by conveting Malic acid to Lactic acids.
The wine will then have more buttery flavours.

Malo can be stopped by the winemaker.

Cold Temperature and sulphar will stop Malo

Question 18

Malolactic conversion in Red wine?

Answer 18

• This almost alays happens in red wine.
• The buttery flavours are not noticeble in red wine
• Its is sometimes stopped to preserve fruit freshness and acidity
  (Beaujolais sometime doenst have malo)

Question 19

Lees?

what are they and what can they do to a wine

Answer 19

Lees are the dead yeast. Once all the sugar in the must is consumed the yeast dies.
Leaving a wine on lees or battonage (Stirring) can impart
* increase body of wine
* flavours of bread, toast, brioche, pastry

Question 20

• Describe blending and when does it take place
• What happens in Champagne
  *Grapes and oak key point?

Answer 20

Blending is the process of mixing wine and can happen at any stage
* Champagne blends different years to achieve market expected flavours
* Different grape varieties are blended to create a more complexe wine. Think Bordeaux were Merlot is added to balance the wine add more mouthfeel ect
* Unoaked and oaked wine can be blended to make the best flavour from a vintage

Question 21

What is clarification

Answer 21

This is the process of making the wine clear. This is done by filters but not always as some winemakers believe it can take away from a wine. These wines usually are less than perfectly clear

Question 22

Bottle maturation
* Fruit what happens
* Wine needs what to be able to age?
* What flavours develop (3 red wine)

Answer 22

• Once bottled MOST wines will not improve. Fruit flavours will fade and be replaced with vegetal notes
• Some wines will mature and improve in the bottle over time. These wines often have high tannin and high acid that help to preserve the wine during bottle aging
• Above all a wine that will improve in a bottle needs to have sufficient concentration of flavours.
• Bottle aging changes fresh fruit flavours to more dried fruits and complex mushroom/leather notes

Question 23

Bottle aging common changes to white wine?

colour and 4 flavour clusters

Answer 23

• Colour will go from Lemon to Gold to Amber and the intensity will become deeper
• Tertiary flavours develop like dried apricot-honey-nut and spice

Question 24

Bottle ageing changes to red wine?

colour? tanin? flavours (4)?

Answer 24

• Colour changes from Ruby to Garnet to Tawney and eventually Brown.
• Typically the colour will become paler
• Tannins become softer & smoother
• Tertiary character come through-fig, prune, meat, wetleaves
• Deposits form in the bottle (decant older wines)