Grape Varieties & Still Wines Flashcards

What type of climate is best suited for Zinfandel/Primitivo?

Answer: Warm Climate

Zinfandel (known as Primitivo in Italy) thrives in warm climates, where it can fully ripen and develop its characteristic rich, jammy fruit flavors and high alcohol. Its thin skin and tendency to ripen unevenly also benefit from consistent warmth, though too much heat can lead to over-ripeness.

Which statements about White Zinfandel are true? 1) It is a white wine 2) It is medium-sweet 3) It is high alcohol 4) It is typically aged in oak

Answer: 2 only

White Zinfandel is a rosé wine, not a white wine, made from red Zinfandel grapes with minimal skin contact. It is famously produced in an off-dry to medium-sweet style, typically with moderate alcohol, and is generally unoaked, designed for immediate consumption rather than aging.

Zinfandel grapes can ofted raisin on the vine.

Answer: TRUE

Zinfandel grapes are well-known for their uneven ripening, where some berries on a single bunch can be perfectly ripe while others are still green or have already started to raisin. This characteristic contributes to the complexity of flavors in Zinfandel wines but also presents a challenge for viticulturists.

Which best describes a red Zinfandel? (Primary Flavour - Alcohol - Body)

Answer: Blackberry - High - Full

Red Zinfandel wines are typically characterized by intense dark fruit flavors such as blackberry, black cherry, and plum, often with notes of spice. Due to the grape's ability to accumulate high sugar levels, the wines are usually high in alcohol and possess a full body.

Which Italian region is the source of wines made from Primitivo?

Answer: Puglia

Puglia, located in the 'heel' of Italy, is the primary region for Primitivo production. The warm, sunny climate of Puglia is ideal for this grape, which is genetically identical to California's Zinfandel, allowing it to ripen fully and produce rich, fruit-forward wines.

Just-ripe Riesling produces flavours of:

Answer: Apple, lime, and lemon

When Riesling grapes are just ripe, they exhibit vibrant primary fruit aromas and flavors of green apple, lime, and lemon, along with characteristic floral notes. As the grapes ripen further, these flavors evolve into stone fruit (apricot, peach) and tropical fruit notes.

Naturally high acidity in Riesling means:

Answer: It is suitable for late-harvesting when conditions are right

Riesling's naturally high acidity is crucial for balancing the high sugar levels achieved in late-harvest and noble rot affected wines. This acidity provides freshness and structure, preventing the sweet wines from becoming cloying and allowing them to age beautifully.

Which of the following terms describes a sterile grape juice that can be added to sweeten some Rieslings?

Answer: Süssreserve

Süssreserve is unfermented grape juice (must) that is sterile-filtered and added back to a dry wine before bottling to increase its sweetness. This practice is particularly common in Germany for Riesling, allowing winemakers to adjust the final sweetness level while retaining the wine's natural acidity and fruit character.

What is the determining factor for each of the German Prädikatswein levels?

Answer: Sugar levels

The German Prädikatswein classification system is determined by the ripeness of the grapes at harvest, which is measured by their must weight (sugar content). Each Prädikat level (Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese, Eiswein) corresponds to a minimum required sugar level in the grapes.

In order of least ripe to most ripe, which of the following is correct?

Answer: Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese

The Prädikatswein levels represent increasing ripeness and sugar concentration in the grapes. Kabinett is the lightest and driest, followed by Spätlese (late harvest), Auslese (selected harvest), and Beerenauslese (selected berry harvest), which is a very sweet, concentrated wine often affected by noble rot.

Which Prädikatswein translates to English as “late harvest?”

Answer: Spätlese

The term 'Spätlese' directly translates from German to 'late harvest.' This indicates that the grapes were picked later than the normal harvest, allowing them to achieve higher sugar levels and more concentrated flavors, resulting in a richer wine than Kabinett.