Vinification

Question 1

What is vinification?

Answer 1

Once the grapes arrive at the winery the process of vinification begins. The process involves decisions and practices made in the winery by the winemaker that affect quality and style.

Question 2

List the factors of vinification.

Answer 2

1. Pre-Fermentation
2. Fermentation
3. Types of Winemaking - White, Rose, Red - Sparkling - Dessert and Fortified
4. Fermentation Vessels
5. Aging and Maturation
6. Important Vinification Terms
7. Preparation for Bottling
8. Packaging

Question 3

List the factors of pre-fermentation.

Answer 3

1. Sorting (sorted to remove excess - leaves, branches, damaged fruit, random unwanted items)
2. De-stemming (obvious. Can elect against this.)
3. Crushing (crushing to release juice. Be gentle or unwanted bitterness and tannins!)
4. Fermentation (sugar + yeast = alcohol + CO2). This also creates flavors, aromas, and heat.

Question 4

What are the winemaking steps for white & rosé wine?

Answer 4

1. Harvest (red or white grapes)
2. De-stem or Whole Bunch
3. Crush
4. Press juice from skins (must) allowing skin contact (limited for rosé)
5. Fermentation
6. Aging
7. Fine and/or Filter
8. Bottle

Question 5

What are the winemaking steps for red wine?

Answer 5

1. Harvest (red or white grapes)
2. Crush
3. De-stem or Whole Bunch
4. Skins and seeds macerated with juice (must)
5. Fermentation
6. Press juice from skins
7. Aging
8. Fine and/or Filter
9. Bottle

Question 6

List the primary factors of a fermentation vessel.

Answer 6

1. Size
2. Shape
3. Material

Question 7

Name three sizes/shapes of vessels?

Answer 7

1. Foudre: 1000+ liter (large)
2. Barrique: 224 liter (small)
3. Egg-shaped

Question 8

Name three vessel materials?

Answer 8

1. Wood
2. Stainless Steel
3. Concrete

Question 9

What does barrel aging do?

Answer 9

1. Evaporation of excess water.
2. Oxidation: Causes color change in wine (white = darken pale yellow to gold. red = lighten).
3. Textural: Aging in oak softens wine.
4. Flavor Changes: Vanilla, Oak, Toast, Spice (Cinnamon, Clove, Allspice), Coconut

Question 10

What are the primary barrel considerations?

Answer 10

1. How old is the barrel.
2. Type of wood.
3. Financial Considerations (Oak chips are cheaper).
4. Size of Barrel.

Question 11

What is another name for a new oak barrel and how does it impact a wine?

Answer 11

• “First use” - Will impart the most flavor and aroma

Question 12

What is another name for an older oak barrel and how does it impact a wine?

Answer 12

• “Used” - Imparts little to no flavor or aroma after 4-6 years of use. - STILL impacts oxidative flavors and textural effects

Question 13

When is a barrel rendered neutral?

Answer 13

After its fourth to sixth use.

Question 14

How do neutral barrels impact a wine?

Answer 14

1. No longer impart flavors or aromas from the barrel.
2. Do impart oxidative flavors.
3. Do impart textural effects

Question 15

How does barrel aging affect the color of a wine?

Answer 15

Red wines grow lighter in color. White wines grow darker in color, from pale yellow to gold.

Question 16

What are the main types of wood used for barrel aging?

Answer 16

1. American Oak (Bold, more intense flavors of vanilla, toast, and spice).
2. French Oak (Subtler aromas of vanilla, toast, and spice).
3. Slavonian (from northeastern Croatia)
4. Hungarian

Question 17

What is Malolactic Fermentation?

Answer 17

Tart malic acid, which occurs naturally in grapes, are converted to softer-tasting lactic acid. “Malo” or “ML” is a process that occurs naturally in both red and white wines. No flavor is imparted to red wines, but ML can impart buttery or buttered popcorn flavors and a creamy texture to white wines.

Question 18

Describe Carbonic Maceration.

Answer 18

Tanks filled with whole berries are blanketed under CO² gas. Grapes begin to ferment from the inside (intracellular fermentation). Berries at the bottom of the tank are crushed and ferment normally. Unique aromas and flavors are produced. Most commonly used in Beaujolais region of Burgandy, France.

Question 19

What is Intracellular Fermentation?

Answer 19

The process by which sugars inside the grapes are converted to alcohol in the absence of yeast.

Question 20

What is Lees Contact?

Answer 20

A winemaking decision to leave white and sparkling wines in contact with the yeasts that produced the fermentation. Over time autolysis occurs. This is when yeast cells die and release flavor components into the wine, giving additional richness, creaminess, and texture.

Question 21

Where and why is lees contact often used?

Answer 21

Cold climate growing regions to derive more expressive aromas and flavors.

Question 22

What is lees?

Answer 22

After fermentation, yeast cells die and settle to the bottom of the tank or barrel. The accumulated material is known as lees.

Question 23

What is “sur lie aging”?

Answer 23

A decision to leave fermented wine in contact with the lees for an extended period of time to impart additional aromas and flavors.

Question 24

What types of flavors and aromas are imparted through “sur lie aging”?

Answer 24

1. Bread Dough
2. Yeast
3. Toast
4. Subtle white flowers
5. Nuts (blanched almonds, pine nuts, peanut shells)

Question 25

What is must?

Answer 25

Unfermented grape juice.

Question 26

What are two common must adjustments?

Answer 26

1. Chaptalization: Addition of sugar to increase final alcohol content. 2. Acidification: Addition of tartaric acid to increase acidity to achieve improved balance.

Question 27

Describe the steps to prepare for bottling. (5)

Answer 27

1. Fining: Clarify the wine for attractiveness. 2. Filtration: Extracts yeasts and other microbes. Assures wine does not re-ferment. 3. Packaging: Bottle, Tetra Pak, Keg, Can 4. Closures: Cork, Screw Cap, Glass "Vino-Lok" 5. Capsules and Labels: Bottles are finished off with labels to identify the wines and also to enhance attractiveness and increase sales.

Question 28

What is cold stabilization?

Answer 28

A process that causes tartrate crystals to precipitate out of the wine at a very low temperature (25ºF).