CSW Viticulture & Winemaking 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which viticultural practice is used to remove unwanted shoots growing from the base or trunk of the vine?
- Topping
- Suckering (desuckering) (Correct answer)
- Tipping
- Hedging
Correct answer: Suckering (desuckering)
Suckering removes non-productive shoots (suckers) from below the graft union or along the trunk to direct the vine's energy into fruit-bearing wood.
Question 2: What winemaking technique involves fermenting white wine in oak barrels rather than stainless steel tanks?
- Barrel fermentation (Correct answer)
- Cold fermentation
- Carbonic maceration
- Flash détente
Correct answer: Barrel fermentation
Barrel fermentation allows the wine to integrate oak flavors gradually during fermentation and enables stirring of lees (bâtonnage) for added complexity.
Question 3: What is the term for the hollow depression found in the bottom of a wine bottle?
- Punt (Correct answer)
- Bead
- Ullage
- Tirage
Correct answer: Punt
The punt (or kick-up) is the indentation in the base of the bottle; it adds structural strength and helps collect sediment in older red wines.
Question 4: Which disease, caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea, is deliberately cultivated to produce certain sweet wines?
- Powdery mildew
- Downy mildew
- Noble rot (Correct answer)
- Pierce's disease
Correct answer: Noble rot
Noble rot (Botrytis cinerea under favorable conditions) dehydrates and concentrates sugars and flavors in grapes, enabling production of great sweet wines like Sauternes and Trockenbeerenauslese.
Question 5: In sparkling wine production, what is 'disgorgement' (dégorgement)?
- The addition of the liqueur de tirage to initiate secondary fermentation
- The removal of yeast sediment from the bottle neck after riddling (Correct answer)
- The blending of base wines from different vintages
- The dosage addition that determines final sweetness
Correct answer: The removal of yeast sediment from the bottle neck after riddling
Disgorgement expels the frozen plug of yeast sediment from the bottle neck after riddling has collected it there, then the bottle is topped with dosage and recorked.
Question 6: What does 'diurnal temperature variation' (DTR) contribute to wine quality?
- Higher sugar levels from warm days
- Preservation of natural acidity and aromatic complexity from cool nights (Correct answer)
- Increased tannin extraction from warm nights
- Faster ripening from extreme heat swings
Correct answer: Preservation of natural acidity and aromatic complexity from cool nights
Large diurnal swings allow grapes to accumulate sugars during warm days while cool nights slow respiration and preserve natural acidity and delicate aromatics.
Question 7: Which winemaking additive is primarily used to clarify wine by attracting and precipitating suspended particles?
- Tartaric acid
- Bentonite clay (Correct answer)
- Potassium sorbate
- Copper sulfate
Correct answer: Bentonite clay
Bentonite is a negatively charged clay that binds to positively charged proteins and other particles, causing them to flocculate and settle out of the wine.
CSW Viticulture & Winemaking 4
Which viticultural practice is used to remove unwanted shoots growing from the base or trunk of the vine?