SOMM Wine Production and Winemaking Techniques 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What term describes the process of leaving grape juice in contact with skins to extract color, tannins, and flavor compounds?
- Cold stabilization
- Maceration (Correct answer)
- Malolactic fermentation
- Chaptalization
Correct answer: Maceration
Maceration is the period of skin contact during or after fermentation that extracts color, tannins, and phenolic compounds from grape skins.
Question 2: Which winemaking process converts harsh malic acid into softer lactic acid, reducing a wine's perceived acidity?
- Cold stabilization
- Chaptalization
- Malolactic fermentation (Correct answer)
- Fining
Correct answer: Malolactic fermentation
Malolactic fermentation (MLF) is a bacterial process that converts sharp malic acid into softer lactic acid, reducing tartness and adding creaminess.
Question 3: What is the primary purpose of chaptalization in winemaking?
- To increase a wine's natural acidity
- To raise potential alcohol by adding sugar before or during fermentation (Correct answer)
- To reduce harsh tannins in red wines
- To clarify wine by removing sediment
Correct answer: To raise potential alcohol by adding sugar before or during fermentation
Chaptalization involves adding sugar to grape must to increase the potential alcohol level, legally permitted in cooler climates where grapes may not fully ripen.
Question 4: Which vessel is most commonly used for fermenting white wines when the goal is preserving bright fruit aromas and freshness?
- New French oak barrels
- American oak hogsheads
- Temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks (Correct answer)
- Large open-top concrete vats
Correct answer: Temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks
Stainless steel tanks are inert, allowing precise temperature control without imparting flavor, which preserves the delicate fruit aromatics of white wines.
Question 5: What is 'remontage' (pumping over) in red wine production?
- Transferring finished wine between barrels for blending
- Pumping fermenting juice up and over the floating cap of grape skins (Correct answer)
- Adding sulfur dioxide to the must before fermentation
- Cold pressing whole grape clusters
Correct answer: Pumping fermenting juice up and over the floating cap of grape skins
Remontage involves pumping fermenting juice from the bottom of the tank over the floating cap of skins to extract color, tannins, and promote even fermentation.
Question 6: Which style of wine is most closely associated with the carbonic maceration technique?
- Full-bodied, tannic Cabernet Sauvignon
- Light, fruity, low-tannin Beaujolais Nouveau (Correct answer)
- Sweet, botrytized Sauternes
- Heavily oaked Napa Chardonnay
Correct answer: Light, fruity, low-tannin Beaujolais Nouveau
Carbonic maceration, where whole uncrushed grapes ferment intracellularly in a CO2 environment, produces light, fruity, low-tannin wines characteristic of Beaujolais Nouveau.
Question 7: What is 'mutage,' the technique used in the production of Vin Doux Naturel and Port-style wines?
- Adding unfermented grape juice to sweeten a dry wine
- Adding grape spirit to fermenting must to halt fermentation and retain residual sugar (Correct answer)
- Blending multiple vintages to achieve a consistent house style
- Adding tartaric acid to correct low acidity
Correct answer: Adding grape spirit to fermenting must to halt fermentation and retain residual sugar
Mutage involves adding a neutral grape spirit (alcohol) to actively fermenting must, killing the yeast and preserving natural grape sugars to create naturally sweet, fortified wines.
SOMM Wine Production and Winemaking Techniques 1
What term describes the process of leaving grape juice in contact with skins to extract color, tannins, and flavor compounds?