Origin, Characteristics and Production of Food and Beverages
Wine Basics 5. Types of Grapes The grapevine belongs to the order Vitales and comes under the Vitaceae family, the so-called vine plants. This large family includes 14 genera. Although several other genera produce edible grapes, the Gattung Vitis is relevant for viticulture. The original wild grapevine has been cultured over the centuries and new varieties cultivated in the meantime. A distinction of the many hundreds or thousands of varieties grown worldwide, is even for a botanist an elusive task, especially as grapes of the same are often named differently in different regions. We differentiate between four types of grapes:
Types of grapes American Hybrid Advantages: Grape (Vitis subspecies Vitis) ______________________________
European Grape (Vitis vinifera)
Hybrids
(interspecific,- cross breeding with other types of grapes vines) (intraspecific,- crossing with the same type of grape vines)
Disadvantages: ______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
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These are cross-breeds between American and European vines or crosses of the respective type of vine. This is done by artificial pollination and subsequent pre-breeding of new varieties from the seeds. Only a few varieties yield a satisfactory quality must (juice) for wine production, most grape juices are used to produce cooking wine or simply for grape juice. Common Varieties: American hybrids - Isabella, Noah, Clinton French hybrids - LĂŠon Millot, MarĂŠchal Foch
Grafted vines
Towards the end of the 19th Century European vines were almost completely wiped out by the phylloxera. This louse arrived from America and attacks the roots of the vine. By connecting a European scion to an American rootstock a vine that is less susceptible to phylloxera was able to be produced. The American vine forms the roots and the European scions grapevine. Almost all the vines which are now used are grafted, except the so-called self rooted or direct producer vines, which, as it were, stand on their own feet.
Grafting punching machine
Young vine sprouts in the nursery
Quelle: Rebschule Vrhpolje, Slowenien
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Origin, Characteristics and Production of Food and Beverages
Wine Basics 6. Grape Varieties Grape varieties are not simply distinguished by the colour of the wine they produce, but according to the skin colour of the grape, which usually determines the colour of the wine. A basic distinction is made only between white and red. In fact, we know if we go by the colour of the grape skin there are white, red and blue grapes. Red grapes actually produce not red, but white wines, because the red colourings in the skin are not intensive enough. Each grape variety has characteristic aromas, therefore you may have two wines produced thousands of kilometres apart but they still have very much in common if they were made from the same grape. Not all wines are based on only one grape variety, for example a red Bordeaux is usually a blend of at least three to five different grape varieties. Today Chasselas, Muller-Thurgau together with Chardonnay, certainly are the main white grape varieties grown in Switzerland. Pinot Noir, Gamay and Merlot are the main red varieties grown in Switzerland. In addition to these six grapes, there are an additional 100 European and inter-specific types of grapes listed by the official wine harvest control of Switzerland.
O4 f Exercise: Create an overview of the grapes from the wine book or web. In your work it should be apparent where these grapes are mainly grown. In addition, edit your work wine list and highlight all the grape varieties that you have reviewed in the overview.
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Origin, Characteristics and Production of Food and Beverages
Wine Basics 7. Grape Quality After the grapes have been picked and have arrived at the winery or in a press house, the quality of the grapes is determined. This is done for various reasons, mainly that many companies, wineries, etc. purchase their grapes from private growers, as they often do not produce their own. They pay the wine growers according to the quality delivered. The quality of the grapes is determined by their sugar content. This is measured using the Oechsle scale (now banned as too vague), using the refractometer, Brix scale or in Austria the Klosterneuburger scale (KMW). The Oechsle-Scale (Hydrometer) The Oechsle scale along with the refractometer is in widespread use in Switzerland, but the reading is only accu-rate at a temperature of 15 °C. With the Oechsle scale, the relative density is measured. It specifies how many grams heavier a litre of grape must is than water. For example, the scale displays 80 °Oe, this means that the grape must weighs 1080 grammes/ litre. Accordingly, the quality of the grapes is higher when the Oechsle content is high. Note: however, that a high Oechsle content is not the aim with all grapes, the wines would otherwise have insufficient acid and lose their character. Calculation of the sugar content in grams
_______________________________
Calculation of sugar content in percent
_______________________________
Calculation of Alcohol in Vol. %
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The Brix-Scale This scale is a new device, which will be used in the future to determine the grape must quality. With this scale, which is similar to use as the refractometer, the solids are measured in a liquid. The information is stated in percentages. Example: 16% Brix = 160 g of solids per litre of grape must. The Refractometer In contrast to the Oechsle scale, the refractometer does not determine the specific gravity, but the sugar content of differently concentrated solutions (refractive index). The biggest advantage of this method are its portability and low fluid requirement for use.
f Exercise: Complete the following table, using the relevant accounting formula. Oe °
Sugar in Grammes
Sugar in %
Alcohol in % Vol.
100 160 24 15 63 160 208
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Origin, Characteristics and Production of Food and Beverages
Wine Basics 8. Wine Making Methods / Types of Wine The wine production (also called wine making, vinification, wine growing, wine pressing) refers to the production of the alcoholic drink "wine" from crushed grapes or grape must. It can be distinguished according to various processes. Five types of wine are distinguished by the following manufacturing processes: White wine, schiller wine, rose wine, red wine and sparkling wine production. Below you can review the three main methods and how they compare. f Exercise: Complete the 3 processes of wine making below using the related specialised texts.
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Red wine
RosĂŠ wine
White wine
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Origin, Characteristics and Production of Food and Beverages
Wine Basics Further types of wine Sparkling wine Sparkling wine is a general term for wines that sparkle with a certain amount of carbon dioxide (often actually mistakenly referred to as carbonic acid), but it is the various manufacturing methods that affect the amount of carbon dioxide in the final product. Continuous Method: Carbonation Injection: Traditional Method: Charmant Process: Method Rural: Method Dioise: Transversage:
Second fermentation in coupled tanks Addition of carbon dioxide injected in making sparkling wines Classical Champagne method, fermentation in the bottle (see reg. 5) Also known as the tank method, the second fermentation is done in tanks The oldest method in which even the first fermentation takes place in the bottle A variation on the Rural Method Fermentation in bottle, removal of yeast in tanks (a combin- ation of the traditional and charmant methods).
Schillerwein In Switzerland (particularly GraubĂźnden), common name for a very bright RosĂŠ that is made from white and red grapes that are mixed before pressing (i.e., not obtained from grape must or wine). The names are derived from the salmon pink "irridescent" colour of the wines. These wines are described in Germany as Rotling and in Austria as Schilcher.
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Sweet wines Designation of wines with high unfermented sugar, pressed from sugar rich grapes. Optimum climatic conditions exist around the Mediterranean, which is why many of the famous sweet wines come from Greece, Spain, France, Portugal and Italy, but also from other countries. Naturally sweet wines Natural sweet wines (French "vin naturellement doux") referred to wines where the fermentation ceased naturally without human intervention, by which the yeasts have so to say done their maximum job. These are Ausbruch (Austria & Hungary), Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese, Strohwein (Austria) and Ice Wine. Fortified wines In a wide variety of sweet wines, the alcohol content is increased by the addition of sprits, but this is also a method to stop the fermentation early. These include versions of Banyuls, Madeira, Malaga, Port Wine, Samos, Sherry, Vin Doux Naturel, Vin Santo and Vin Santo. These wines can reach an alcohol content of 15 to 20% vol.
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Origin, Characteristics and Production of Food and Beverages
Wine Basics 9. By-products of Winemaking f Exercise: complete the following diagram using the definitions on the next page.
65 °C
Mash press
65 °C
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Red wine
White wine
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Origin, Characteristics and Production of Food and Beverages
Wine Basics Definitions Grape must:
Juice from pressed grapes
Grape juice:
Grape must that has been pasteurised (heated to 65°C)
De-stemming:
Separation of grapes from the stems
Mash:
Squashed grapes
Pomace:
The mass left over after pressing the grapes
New wine:
Wine after fermentation is called new wine; it has to age before drinking
Sauser:
Grape juice in fermentation (without the addition of yeast)
Lees/ yeast:
Residues of yeast left in the tank or cask after fermentation. These may be distilled into Drusenschnapps/Hefebranntwein (Yeast Schnapps)
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Grape pomace distillates: Marc, Grappa Cognac Armagnac Cognac and Armagnac are protected names, i.e. only spirits from these regions of France may be called Cognac and Armagnac
Brandy (spirit from Italy and Spain etc.) Asbach Uralt (Germany) Vecchia Romagna (Italy) Carlos I (Spain)
Wine vinegar:
Wine vinegar is a so called fermented vinegar. Acetobacter bacteria convert the alcohol into acetic acid.
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Alcoholic fermentation The phenomenon of alcoholic fermentation is based on the findings of Louis Pasteur in 1870. He proved that there are microscopic fungi on the surface of the grape skin that cause alcoholic fermentation. Based on this knowledge, we now know that a fermentation process would follow even if there was no additional yeast added to the grapes, however this process would be much longer in developing. During the alcoholic fermentation the grape sugar turns into alcohol and carbon dioxide. The highest level of alcohol that yeast can produce is 15 Vol. %. at this point activity ceases. In one litre of freshly pressed-grapes there are about 300 million cells. Blend Blending is the mixing of grapes, grape must or wines (CuvĂŠe, Melange, Marriage, Blend, Blending). In food law the regulations are clearly defined. These regulations are among the strictest in the world and those who have to deal with them realise that first principle is to improve quality. There no rules applied to the limitations of a blend as they are often entirely different. What is fixed, is that a maximum of 15% is allowed without having to make a relevant declaration. A blend however has a huge influence on the character of the wine, and it is for this reason that typically only 5-8% are added, which approximates to the usual "shrinkage" and will only affect the colour, the acidity or the alcohol content. If a CuvĂŠe is produced, the winemakers frequently declare the grape varieties compilation on the back label of the bottle.
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Origin, Characteristics and Production of Food and Beverages
Wine Basics 10. Wine Vessels and Sealing Methods The wine bottle is the most common glass transport and storage vessel for the sale of wine to consumers. A wine label is used to describe its contents. Bottles for wine are made in many sizes and shapes, the most common standard size holds 0.75 litres of wine. This size is the EU standard since 1977. Prior to that most bottles were manufactured in sizes between 0.7 and 0.8. In the U.S. and in Switzerland, this 0.75 litre standard size is not universally used even today. Bottle sizes for Champagne: Name Size in bottles Piccolo Quarter bottle Half bottle Bottle Magnum 2 bottles Jéroboam 4 bottles Réhoboam 6 bottles Mathusalem 8 bottles Salmanazar 12 bottles Balthazar 16 bottles Nabuchadezzar 20 bottles Melchior 24 bottles
Size in litres 0.1875 0.375 0.75 1.5 3 4.5 6 9 12 15 18
Bottle sizes for Bordeaux wines: Name Size in bottles Quarter bottle Half bottle Bottle Magnum 2 bottles Marie-Jeanne 3 bottles Double Magnum 4 bottles Jéroboam 6 bottles Impérial 8 bottles
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Size in litre 0.1875 0.375 0.75 1.5 2.5 3 4.5 6
Bottle sizes for Burgundy wines: Name Size in bottles Quarter bottle Half bottle Bottle Magnum 2 bottles Jéroboam 4 bottles Mathusalem 8 bottles
Size in litre 0.1875 0.375 0.75 1.5 3 6
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