Wset Advanced: Section 46 Sparkling Wine

Front 1

List the regions in France that make sparkling wine.

Back 1

Champagne
Loire Valley (Sparkling Saumur, Cremant de Loire, Sparkling Vouvray)
Alsace (Cremant d’Alsace)
Burgundy (Cremant de Bourgogne)
Languedoc-Roussillon (Blanquette de Limoux)

Front 2

What is the name for the sparkling wine of Spain?

Back 2

Cava

Front 3

What regions of Italy make sparkling wine?

Back 3

- Asti
- Prosecco
- Franciacorta (Methode Champenoise)
- Lambrusco

Front 4

What is the German term for sparkling wine?

Back 4

Sekt

Front 5

What countries of the New World make sparkling wine?

Back 5

- Australia (Tasmania & Yarra Valley)
- California (Carneros)
- Oregon
- New Zealand (Marlborough)
- South Africa

Front 6

Describe the Traditional Method for making sparkling wine.

Back 6

1. Hand-picked grapes; weighed
2. Press
3. First fermentation
4. Blending
5. Liqueur de tirage
6. Bottling (crown cap and plastic cup)
7. Second fermentation
8. Materation in bottle > yeast autolysis
9. Riddling
10. Disgorgement
11. Dosage
12. Corking and dressing

Front 7

What is sparkling wine known as in France and Luxembourg?

Back 7

Cremant

Front 8

What is sparkling wine known as in South Africa?

Back 8

Cape Classique

Front 9

What is the goal of the first fermentation of still wine?

Back 9

Crisp to high acidity with moderate alcohol

Front 10

What vitification methods can be used for the still wine to produce sparkling wine?

Back 10

- Some can ferment some of base wine in old oak casks; stainless steel is more common.
- Wines can undergo ML

Front 11

What is assemblage?

Back 11

Blending

Front 12

What is non-vintage wine?

Back 12

Goal: reflect house style; consistent over the years

Front 13

How is consistency maintained for NV wine?

Back 13

Proportion of production may be stored in bulk as a reserve to be used in the future.

Front 14

What percentage of wine must come from a particular year if the year is stated on the label? Are there any restrictions for vintage wine? What are the characteristics for vintage Champagne?

Back 14

100%

- Even in best years, must not sell no more than 80% of crop as vintage wine; reserve for future blending

- Fuller, more fruit intense, toastier

Front 15

What method(s) are used to produce rose wine?

Back 15

- Outside Champagne: saignee method
- In Champagne: Blend red and white base wines (up to and including the time of adding liqueur de tirage)

Front 16

What is the saignee method?

Back 16

Remvoing must after a very short period of skin contact

Front 17

What are the flavor characteristics of Blanc de Blancs?

Back 17

Crisp and light in body with fresh citrus and apple fruit.

Front 18

What are the flavor characteristics of Blanc de Noirs?

Back 18

Full-bodied, with rich fruit and a long finish.

Front 19

What is liqueur de tirage?

Back 19

- Cocktail of wine, sugar, yeast nutrients, and a clarifying agent

Front 20

What sets off the second fermentation?

Back 20

Liqueur de tirage

Front 21

What flavor characteristics does yeast autolysis impart?

Back 21

Yeast, bread, biscuit, and toast notes

Front 22

How long does autolysis last?

Back 22

- 4 - 5 years typically
- Can last for as long as 10 years

Front 23

What is the minimum time NV Champagne needs to remain on the lees?

Back 23

15 months

Front 24

What is the minimum time vintage Champagne needs to remain on the lees?

Back 24

3 years

Front 25

What is the minimum time Cava and New World quality sparkling wine need to remain on the lees?

Back 25

9 months

Front 26

What is riddling?

Back 26

Moves the sediment in the bottle to the neck

Front 27

What happens during the second fermentation?

Back 27

- Carbon dioxide dissolves into the wine.
- Dead yeast cells break down and release compounds that contribute to flavor of wine.

Front 28

What is remuage?

Back 28

Riddling

Front 29

What is the relationship between time spent on lees and aging when disgorged?

Back 29

The longer the wine spends on its less, the quicker it will age when disgorged.

Front 30

What is disgorgement?

Back 30

- Neck of bottle frozen in brine solution
- Ice holds sediment in place
- Crown cork removed and plug of ice is ejected
- Plastic cup is retained

Front 31

What is liqueur d'expedition?

Back 31

Mixture of wine and cane sugar solution used to replace wine lost because of disgorgement.

Front 32

Dosage

Back 32

- Sugar used in the liqueur d'expedition
- Amount used influences sweetness of final sparkling wine

Front 33

What are the terms used to describe sweetness of sparkling wines (total sugar content of finished wine)?

Back 33

Brut Nature = bone dry (0 - 2 g/l)
Extra Brut = very dry (0 - 6 g/l)
Brut = very dry to dry (0 - 15 g/l)
Extra-Sec/Extra Dry = off-dry to medium dry (12 - 20 g/l)
Sec/Dry/Secco/Seco/Trocken = medium-dry (17 - 35 g/l)
Demi-Sec/Riche/Halbrocken/Semi-Dulce/Abbocato = sweet (33 - 50 g/l)
Doux/Sweet/Dolce/Doce/Dulce = luscious (50+ g/l)

Front 34

What are the steps of the transfer method?

Back 34

- Same as traditional method up to the stage of riddling
- Entire contents opf bottle are disgorged into tank under pressure
- Filtered in bulk
- Rebottled into a fresh bottle

Front 35

Why are sparkling wines produced under Transfer Method less expensive than those made with traditional method?

Back 35

- Large batches can be easily tested > easier to ensure quality

Front 36

What are the disadvantages of the Transfer Method?

Back 36

- Quality of the bubbles may be affected

Front 37

Describe the Tank Method.

Back 37

- Second fermentation takes place in sealed tank
- Dry base wine is placed with sugar, yeast, nutrients, and clarifying agent in tank
- Sediment removed by filtration under pressure
- Wine is bottled

Front 38

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the Tank Method?

Back 38

- Reduced production costs
- Produces larger, uneven bubbles
- Do not have flavor from yeast autolysis (this may be desirable for sparkling wines made from aromatic varietals such as Muscat and Riesling and for fruitier wines such as Prosecco)
--- No tank method sparkling wine can be of AC status in France

Front 39

Describe the Carbonation method.

Back 39

- Carbon dioxide from a cylinder is injected into chilled vat of still wine

Front 40

What are the characteristics of sparkling wine made by Carbonation?

Back 40

- Bubbles are large and disappear quickly

Front 41

What is cuve close?

Back 41

Tank Method of making sparkling wine.

Front 42

Describe the Tank Method.

Back 42

- Second fermentation in sealed tank rather than in bottle
- Dry wine placed with sugar, yeast, nutrients, and clarifying agent in tank
- Sediment removed by filtration
- Wine bottled

Front 43

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the Tank Method?

Back 43

- Reduced production costs
- Larger, more uneven bubbles
- Does not have flavor imparted by autolysis (could be advantage: sparkling wines from aromatic varietals such as Riesling and Muscat; fruitier sparkling wines such as Prosecco)

Front 44

What sparkling wines typically use the Tank Method?

Back 44

- Prosecco
- Sekt

Front 45

What is the Asti method?

Back 45

- Variation of Tank Method
- Does not involve production of still base wine
- Sweet juice from pressed grapes fermented and chilled and filtered to stop fermentation
- Sugar and yeast added to must
- Put into sealed tanks to continue fermentation
- Wine chilled
- Filtered to remove live yeasts
- Bottled under pressure

Front 46

What is Sekt?

Back 46

Wine that has been made sparkling in Germany. May or may not come from German grapes.

Front 47

What is Deutscher Sekt?

Back 47

Sekt that has come from German grapes.

Front 48

What varietals are used to make Deutscher Sekt?

Back 48

- Best from Riesling
- Some from Muller-Thurgau
- Increase in Chardonnay, Auxerrois, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Noir

Front 49

What is Deutscher Sekt bA?

Back 49

Deutscher Sekt if all grapes come from one of the 13 anbaugebiete.

Front 50

Name the main Champagne regions.

Back 50

- Marne Valley
- Montagne de Reims
- Cote des Blancs
- Sezanne
- The Aube

Front 51

What is the climate like in Champagne?

Back 51

- Marginal climate
- Cold winters
- Warm summers

[Difficult for grapes to achieve full ripeness > light, crips wine, high in acidity and low in alcohol > ideal base wine]

Front 52

Describe the soil in Champagne.

Back 52

- Subsoil mainly chalk
- Kimmeridgean marl in Aube (retains water well -- low average rainfall)

Front 53

What grape varieties are used in Champagne?

Back 53

- Chardonnay (lighter than in Burgundy, acidity, floral, citrus fruit; adds freshness and finesse)
- Pinot Noir (great body and length; backbone)
- Pinot Meunier (late budding and early ripening; easy to drink, fruity)

- Montagne de Reims: Over half Pinot Noir
- Vallée de la Marne: Over 60% Pinot Meunier
- Côte des Blancs: Over 95% Chardonnay

Front 54

What is echelle des crus?

Back 54

- System to rate each village in Champagne for quality on a percentage scale.
- Whole village is rated
- Not all plots within a village rated 100% will be of a high level of potential
- Will be some outstanding sites within villages that have low ratings

Front 55

What are the levels of echelle des crus?

Back 55

- Grand Cru: 17 villages rated 100%
- Premier Cru: 43 villages rated 90% - 99%
- Lowest rating is 80% (most outside of Marne)

Front 56

Describe the viticulture for Champagne.

Back 56

- Vineyard rows planted maximum 1.5m apart
- Vines planted 0.9-1.5m apart
- Pruning: Taille Chablis for Chardonnay; Cordon Royat for Pinots
- Both have a lot of old wood to help frost resistance, grow second crop
- Vines trained low and spur pruned

Front 57

How is Champagne vinificated?

Back 57

- All grapes picked by hand
- Immediately taken to press-house and weighed
- Pressed quickly
- Amount of juice that can be extracted is strictly controlled
- Cuvee and taille from each variety and village stored and fermented separately
- Fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats or in new oak barrels
- Second fermentation in chalk cellars (with constant, cool temperature of 10 - 12 degrees Celcius)

Front 58

What is the relationship between the pressure of which grapes are pressed and the final characteristics of the sparkling wine?

Back 58

- The harder the grapes are pressed, the harsher the tannins.
- Gentle pressings rich in sugars and acids.

Front 59

What are the two classes for the juice from pressing of the grapes used to make Champagne?

Back 59

- Cuvee (first 80 liters of any 100 pressed)
- Taille (the balance)
- Any juice after taille must be sent for distillation

Front 60

What is Prestige Cuvee?

Back 60

Produced from highest quality base wines; blended with great care; may or may not be vintage wines; aged longer before release and support further aging

Front 61

What are the characteristics of the Champagne trade?

Back 61

Growers:
- 5000 growers represent 3% of sales
- In best villages will have “cru” term on label
- Also sell their grapes to cooperative cellars or to Champagne Houses

Cooperative Cellars:
- Process at some stage over half of Champagne’s wines
- Only 7% sold under co-op label

Negociant Houses:
- 264 Houses, own 12% of vineyard area, 97% of export sales
- One of these houses alone represents 13% of that volume - MOET
- Top brands referred to as “Grande Marques”

Front 62

What do RM, RC, CM, NM, and MA mean if appear on bottle of Champagne?

Back 62

- RM = made by the grower
- RC = co-operative member who sells a co-operative produced Champagne under his own brand name
- CM = co-operative cellar (group of growers who produce Champagne under own brand name)
- NM = Champagne house (buys grapes in bulk; most well-known brands)
- MA = brand name not owned by the producer (owned by a supermarket or wine merchant)

Front 63

Why have Champagne houses established wineries in other regions?

Back 63

- Production of Champagne is limited because of the geographically constrained vineyards
- Is a luxury product and many governments strictly limit importation

Front 64

Describe Cremant wines.

Back 64

- Sparkling wines made by Traditional method that are not produced in Champagne region
- Controls on yields of juice, time spends on lees, and proportion of grape varieties in blend.

Front 65

What varieties are used to produce Cremant?

Back 65

- Alsace: Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay (Muscat and Gewurztraminer forbidden)
- Bourgogne: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay; can use Aligote
- Limoux: Mauzac, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc
- Loire: Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc
- Saumur: Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc
- Vouvray: Chenin Blanc

Front 66

Where is Cava made?

Back 66

- Majority in Penedes in Catalunya
- Some made in Rioja and Navarra

Front 67

How is Cava made?

Back 67

- Made by traditional method
- Must spend 9 months in bottle before disgorgement

Front 68

What are the flavor characteristics of Cava?

Back 68

Dry and low in acidity with some characteristics inherent from yeast autolysis.

Front 69

What grapes are used to make Cava and what are their characteristics?

Back 69

Xarel-lo:
- Adds body and power
- Provides earthy tones


Parellada:
- Adds softness and aroma
- Classic apple character

Macabeo (Viura):
- 50% of the blend
- Provides lift to the fruit, but is neutral itself

- Chardonnay may be used for fruit and acidity