Fortified Wines

Front 1

Define vermounth

Back 1

Fortified wine flavored by maceration with additional herbs/spices. An aromatized wine.

Front 2

What is quinquinas?

Back 2

Fortified wine flavored by maceration with additional herbs/spices. Cinchona bark is the essential flavoring element.

Front 3

What are the 3 main methods of fortification? List an example of each.

Back 3

1) Arrest a wine's fermentation through adding spirit while sugars remain (e.g. Port)
2) Fortify wine after fermentation concludes (e.g. Sherry). Produces a dry fortified wine, although the winemaker may add sweetened wine or grape syrup.
3) Fortify the wine prior to fermentation...produces a mistelle rather than a fortified wine, formerly known exclusively as vins de liqueur (e.g. Ratafia, Pineau des Charentes, Floc de Gascogne, Macvin du Jura)

Front 4

When was the Douro first demarcated?

Back 4

1756

Front 5

Who protects/enforces Port production?

Back 5

Douro Port Wine Institute (aka Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto (IVDP),) a government-run regulatory body that supervises the promotion, production, and trade of all Porto and Douro DOP wines. Both growers and shippers must submit to its authority.
The IVDP absorbed the powers of the Commissao Interprofessional da Regiao Demarcada do Douro in 2003, which in turn replaced the Casa do Douro in 1995.

Front 6

What is Casa do Douro?

Back 6

Syndicate of growers’ guilds established in 1932 that assumed control over the regulation of viticulture. It lost many of its regulatory functions after it bought controlling shares in Royal Oporto, a port shipper and the surviving remnant of the Companhia Geral dos Vinhos do Alto Douro, the original oversight “company” established in the Douro in 1756.

Front 7

What is lei do tergo?

Back 7

Decree in Port production enforced by the IVDP. It requires Port houses to restrict sales of Port to 1/3 of a house's total inventory annually.

Front 8

In addition to the lei do tergo, what does the IVDP do for consumers?

Back 8

Guarantees label integrity and age designations, and samples all appellation wines for authenticity

Front 9

What is beneficio?

Back 9

In port production, the IVDP grants each grower a beneficio authorization, which is the maximum amount of wine that may be fortified in a given year.

Front 10

How is beneficio determined?

Back 10

It is based on a matrix of 12 factors. Each factor has a min and max point score associated with it, and there are a total of 2,361 points available.
Vineyards that score:
over 1,200 points - “A” grade
1,001-1,200 - “B”
801-1,000 - "C"
601-800 - "D"
401-600 - "E"
400 or less continues to “F”, the lowest grade.

Front 11

What factors are scored in beneficio?

Back 11

Seven soil and climate factors:
1) location
2) altitude
3) exposure
4) bedrock
5) rough matter
6) slope
7) shelter.

Five factors relate to the vine itself:
1) type of vine
2) planting density
3) yield
4) training system
5) vine age

Front 12

What are max yields in the Douro for red grapes?

Back 12

55 hl/ha

Front 13

What are max yields in the Douro for white grapes?

Back 13

65 hl/ha

Front 14

What are the preferred red grapes for Port and how much of the blend must they constitute?

Back 14

Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Cao, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Amarela, Tinta Francisca, Bastardo, Mourisco Tinto

Min 60% of the blend

Front 15

What are the preferred white grapes for Port?

Back 15

Gouveio, Malvasia Fina, Viosinho, Rabigato, Esgana Cao, Folgasao

Front 16

What is vinhos ao alta?

Back 16

viticulture practice in which vines are planted in a vertical row leading directly up the slopes, rather than traditional terracing practices

Front 17

Define patamares

Back 17

Common viticulture arrangement in Porto, involving wide terraces that can be navigated by tractor

Front 18

Douro: machine or hand harvesting?

Back 18

Hand

Front 19

Define lagares

Back 19

Low, open granite troughs that were traditionally used in Port production for foot-crushing and fermentation. Now only used in small quintas that carry on the practice, sometimes set to music for the benefit of worker and tourist.

Front 20

What are autovinifiers?

Back 20

An Algerian vinification technology in which the fermenting wine would be pumped over the cap by virtue of its own buildup of gas. These were common during labor shortages in the 1960s and 1970s, and were useful in the remote Douro Valley, although temperature control and other improvements are now widely incorporated.

Front 21

List two newer alternatives for autovinifiers in Port production

Back 21

Automated treading machines (developed in 1990s) and open-top fermenters with pump-over systems

Front 22

Discuss the Port process once the grapes enter the winery

Back 22

De-stem (fully or partially)
Crush (lagares, autovinifiers, treading machines, open-top fermenters w/pump-over)
Fermentation (short, 2-3 days process with the goal of maximizing color and flavor extraction)
Press the wine off the solids when desired rs is reached
Prepare for fortification
Fortify to 19-22% (when approx 1/3 of sugar content has been converted to alcohol)

Front 23

Define beneficio

Back 23

In port production, this is the fortification of wine with spirit. It occus when approx 1/3 of the sugar content has been converted to alcohol. This halts fermentation, kills yeast, and preserves sweetness in the Port.
Known in French as mutage.

Front 24

Define aguardente

Back 24

"Burning water"; this is the 77% abv neutral grape spirit that is added during beneficio to fortify a wine.
The spirit is raw and uncomplicated; it is a young, fiery alcohol that contributes nothing to the character of the wine, rather it imparts the robustness necessary for the new Port to reach a proper maturity.

Front 25

How much aguardente is added to base wine during beneficio?

Back 25

This depends on a number of calculations. For most Port, aguardente will be added to the fermenting wine in a 1:4 ratio, although lower alcohol (and drier) styles of white Port are produced.

Front 26

How does maceration differ for red/rose/white port?

Back 26

White and rosé Ports—the latter a category pioneered in the late 2000s by Croft—are made with lesser degrees of maceration, but otherwise all Port wines essentially follow this guideline of production.

Front 27

What determines the final style of Port?

Back 27

The choices following fortification, namely the length of aging and the type of vessel.

Front 28

Define pipe

Back 28

The traditional barrel used for both aging and shipping Port wine. It varies in size: pipes used in the Douro Valley usually hold 550 liters, whereas pipes in Vila Nova de Gaia may often contain 620 liters.
The size of a pipe used for shipping Port is set at 534.24 liters, although pipes used for shipping Madeira or Marsala are smaller.

Front 29

what is torna viagem?

Back 29

"round trip" - refers to the lengthy ocean voyages through the tropics wherein madeira was subjected to repeated heating and cooling

Front 30

where may Madeira DOP wines be produced?

Back 30

on the island of Madeira itself, or on the neighboring Porto Santo, the only other inhabited isle in the Madeira archipelago

Front 31

what is poisos?

Back 31

terraces found on the island of Madeira. these terraces are supported by walls of basalt stone. the poisos ring the island's perimeter like steps on the nearly vertical mountainside, and support viticulture

Front 32

how are the vineyards trained in Madeira?

Back 32

in a pergola system, with vines suspended on low trellises known as latadas, in order to combat the dangers of fungal disease in the damp subtropical environment

Front 33

what is the climate of madeira?

Back 33

damp, subtropical. reaches high altitude, the perpetual cloud cover over its mountainous interior results in abundant rainfall on the higher peaks

Front 34

what are latadas?

Back 34

in madeira, low trellises where vines are suspended within a pergola network

Front 35

what are levadas?

Back 35

canals... a system of levadas are fed by the rainfall that hits the peaks of Madeira. this makes agriculture possible

Front 36

describe harvesting in Madeira

Back 36

mechanization is impossible due to the obstacle of the terraces and small vineyard sizes (Average grower's estate is 0.3 hectares, often separated among several plots) --> production is concentrated in several large companies

Front 37

name the regulatory body of madeira

Back 37

Wine, Embroidery, and Handicraft Institute of Madeira (IVBAM) regulates harvesting and production methods of Madeira wine

Front 38

name the three types of companies involved in Madeira trade, and give examples of each

Back 38

1) production companies: make the wine... most based in Funchal, Madeira's capital. currently 8 production companies listed with the IVBAM, but only 6 actively export wine. Vinhos Justino Henriques is the largest, and is responsible for half of the island's exports. the Madeira wine Company is 2nd. Henriques and Henriques is the largest independent producer.
2) shipping companies: trade wine rather than make it. usually based in london. selects wine from a producer, who then bottles under the shipper's brand. e.g. Broadbent Selections buys wine from Justino's
3) Partidistas: store wine and sell it at maturity to other traders for a profit. (Similar to almacenistas of Sherry)

Front 39

discuss the Madeira Wine Company

Back 39

was formed as an association of exporters and producers in 1913. commands 2nd largest Madeira market share. produces recognizable like Blandy's and Cossart Gordon

Front 40

name 5 Madeira producers

Back 40

•H.M. Borges (founded 1877)
•Henriques & Henriques (founded 1850)
•Madeira Wine Company (originally formed in 1918 as the Madeira Wine Association, the MWC formally changed its title in 1981)
•Pereira D'Oliveira (founded 1850 as a partidista)
•Vinhos Barbeito (founded 1946)
•Vinhos Justino Henriques (founded 1870)
•Faria & Filhos (founded 1949)
•Artur de Barros e Sousa (founded 1922, does not export)

Front 41

list the noble white grapes of Madeira and one synonym for each

Back 41

1. Sercial (Esgana Cao)
2. Verdelho (Gouveio)
3. Boal (Bual, Malvasia fina)
4. Malmsey (originally Malvasia Candida, now Malvasia Branca de Sao Jorge)
*but these 4 account for a small minority of production&

Front 42

name the workhorse production grape of Madeira

Back 42

Tinta Negra (fka Tinta Negra Mole)... a red crossing of Pinot Noir x Grenache
accounts for nearly 85% of production
capable of producing good quality wine across a range of sweetness levels
Madeira wine without a variety on the label is likely Tinta Negra (actually can't put this name on labels)

Front 43

discuss Madeira DOP regulations on varietal listing

Back 43

Must be 85% of a grape to state it on the label if the wine is a multi-vintage blend. Must be 100% of the stated variety if a vintage is indicated.
Not allowed to list Tinta Negra though.

Front 44

name 3 American hybrid grapes that were introduced to Madeira during the phylloxera crisis of the 1870s

Back 44

Cunningham, Jacquet, Isabella

Front 45

name the two noble grape varieties of the 19th century that were not replanted after phylloxera

Back 45

1. Bastardo (Red): Virtually extinct.
2. Terrantez (White): Very small yield; difficult to graft. Prized but commercially insignificant. Produces wines at a sweetness level comparable to Verdelho.

Front 46

discuss harvesting order of Madeira grape varietals

Back 46

Sercial and Verdelho are harvested last, and are separated from their skins prior to fermentation, whereas Boal and Malmsey are picked first, and may undergo a shorter fermentation on the skins

Front 47

when is Madeira fortified?

Back 47

Fortification occurs with 95% abv grape spirit, imported from France
FOR SWEETER STYLE: fortification occurs during fermentation. Malvasia may only ferment for a few hours prior to fortification, so that most of the sugar remains. MEDIUM DRY/DRY STYLES: fermentation continues for a longer period of time, but even the "dry" wines of the island contain significant amounts of residual sugar.

Front 48

name the two modern heating methods that lend Madeira its distinctive character

Back 48

1. estufagem
2. canteiro

Front 49

describe estufagem

Back 49

Most wines are transferred to the estufa, a SS vat that warms the wine by circulating hot water through serpentine coils inside the tank. In this method, the wine is heated to a temperature of 45-50° C (113-122°F) and held there for at least 3 months; during this period sugars in the wine will slowly caramelize and give the estufa wine its distinctive character.
Once the Estufagem process is completed, the wine enters a period of rest (estágio) for a minimum 90 days before being transferred to cask for aging. Estufagem wines may not be released until two years after the harvest.

Front 50

name the period of rest for wines that undergo the estufagem process, and how long do the wines stay in this period?

Back 50

estagio... minimum 90 days

Front 51

describe the more delicate version of the estufagem process

Back 51

wines are placed in armazens de calor, rooms warmed by nearby tanks or steam pipes rather than the direct heat of the estufa. this variant is chiefly used by the madeira wine company. uses lower temps over a longer period of time (sometimes up to 1 yr)

Front 52

name and describe the best method of heating madeira

Back 52

Canteiro. wines are cask-aged for at least 2 years in lodge attics. the wine is exposed to the gentle, natural warmth of the sun as it undergoes a slower process of maturation, preventing the burnt caramelization of sugars and resulting bitter flavors associated with rapid heating.
although canteiro wines may be bottled at minimum 3 yrs of age, the best Vinhos de Canteiro will remain in cask for 20 yrs or more, developing into the rarest and most treasured wines of the island - frasqueiras

Front 53

name the rarest/most treasured madeiras, developed after 20+ yrs in the canteiro system

Back 53

frasqueiras

Front 54

describe sercial

Back 54

The driest varietal Madeira, Sercial displays searing acidity and, over time, its youthful citrus notes evolve into a more complex almond bouquet. Sercial is a suitable aperitif, and often a good accompaniment to light soups and consommés. While considered "dry", these wines may still contain around 40-45 grams per liter of residual sugar.

Front 55

describe verdelho

Back 55

Verdelho produces a medium dry wine of high acid, with a smoky, honeyed character. The wines are slightly fuller in body than Sercial.

Front 56

describe boal

Back 56

Boal produces a medium sweet, rich style of wine, in which the acidity is still powerful enough to dominate the finish. Highly aromatic, the wines tend to display classic chocolate, roasted nut, and coffee notes. With age, Boal tends to be the darkest Madeira wine in color.

Front 57

describe malvasia/malmsey

Back 57

The Malvasia wines represent the sweetest and softest style of Madeira. On the nose, Malmsey evokes toffee, vanilla, and marmalade aromas. The wine can frame a cheese course or dessert flavors of nut, caramel, and dried fruits equally well.

Front 58

define rainwater

Back 58

a multi-vintage blend
A popular style in the US, Rainwater Madeira is usually 100% Tinta Negra, and the youngest wine in the blend is a minimum three years old. The wine is medium dry, and light in style.

Front 59

define seleccionado

Back 59

a multi-vintage blend
Such bottles are often labeled “Finest”, “Choice”, or “Select”, and include a blended wine that is 3-5 yrs old. These wines are dominated by the Tinta Negra grape, heated in Estufagem and aged in tank rather than cask.

Front 60

define reserva madeira

Back 60

a multi-vintage blend
Reserve (Reserva): Madeira that is 5 years of age or older (but below 10 years of age) may use this designation.

Front 61

define special reserve (Reserva especiale) madeira

Back 61

a multi-vintage blend
Madeira that is 10 years of age or older (but below 15 years of age) may use this designation. Wines of this category (and all older designations) are often made of a single noble variety, heated by the Canteiro method.

Front 62

define extra reserve madeira

Back 62

a multi-vintage blend
Madeira that is 15 years of age or older (but below 20 years of age) may use this designation.

Front 63

define solera madeira

Back 63

a multi-vintage blend
Madeira wines produced by fractional blending and the Canteiro method. The EU does not permit its production, but the wines are still available on the island. A maximum 10% of a solera's stock may be drawn off each year, and only 10 total additions may be made to each solera. Solera wines will be bottled with the starting date of the solera, but wines added to the solera may actually be older than the original wine—a solera on Madeira often served to extend the lifespan of a particular vintage, when there was little or no wine to sell in the following year. To accomplish this, producers refreshed soleras with stocks of older, rather than younger, wines.

Front 64

list 7 types of multi vintage blend madeiras

Back 64

rainwater
seleccionado
reserve
special reserve
extra reserve
20 yrs old, 30 yrs old, over 40 yrs old
solera

Front 65

list 3 types of vintage-dated madeiras

Back 65

colheita (harvest)
frasqueira
vinho da roda/vinho da torno/vinho da volta

Front 66

define colheita madeira

Back 66

Colheita Madeira is produced from a single vintage (85% minimum required) and is aged for a minimum 5 years prior to bottling.
It may be a blend or a single varietal wine. Colheita offers the consumer a “vintage” Madeira without the extended cask aging, complexity, or cost of a true Vintage Madeira, or Frasqueira.
The word "harvest" is sometimes used in place of "Colheita", but producers are not allowed to use the word "vintage" on labels

Front 67

define frasqueira madeira

Back 67

Vintage Madeira aged for a minimum 20 years in cask. Frasqueira, like Colheita, may be produced from a single variety or a blend.
Since only a minimum 85% of the vintage is required, these wines are topped up with younger wines throughout the aging process.
Vintage wines are produced by the Canteiro method and may be aged for additional time—sometimes decades—in glass demijohns after the period of cask aging. Frasqueira is the epitome of Madeira, and one of the world’s legendary and long-lived wines.

Front 68

define vinho da roda madeira

Back 68

An exceptional rarity, wines so labeled underwent an ocean journey across the equator. Shortridge Lawton, now a brand of the Madeira Wine Company, produced wines in this traditional style as late as the early 1900s

Front 69

what is sherry?

Back 69

a fortified wine from Andalucia on the southern coast of Spain

Front 70

in what province does Jerez lie?

Back 70

Cadiz (coastal province)

Front 71

which river flanks Jerez to the NW?

Back 71

Guadalquivir River

Front 72

which town marks the SE border of the triangular sherry production region?

Back 72

Chiclana de la Frontera

Front 73

name the 3 towns that are the center of Sherry production

Back 73

Jerez de la Frontera
El Puerto de Santa Maria
Sanlucar de Barrameda
*DO regulations require that Sherry be matured in and shipped from one of these three municipalities

Front 74

list the 2 DO zones of sherry production

Back 74

Jerez-Xeres-Sherry & Manzanilla-Sanlucar de Barrameda
*they share an identical production zone and similar production guidelines, but the latter must be aged in the seaside town of Sanlucar de Barrameda

Front 75

describe the climate of Jerez

Back 75

On the coast, the cool Atlantic breezes alleviate the heat of the region, but the effect quickly dissipates as one moves inland: summer average temperatures may be nearly 20° F higher in Jerez de la Frontera than in Sanlúcar de Barrameda.
The hot, dry levante wind intensifies the region’s heat. Said to drive men mad, the howling levante blows from the east and essentially cooks the grapes on the vine during ripening.
The humid Atlantic poniente wind alternates with the levante, and promotes the growth of flor, a film-forming yeast necessary in the maturation of Sherry.

Front 76

name/describe the two winds of Jerez

Back 76

Levante: hot/dry, intensifies heat and cooks the grapes
Poniente: humid from the Atlantic, promotes the growth of flor

Front 77

list the 9 towns of Sherry production and their respective provinces

Back 77

•Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz)
•El Puerto de Santa María (Cádiz)
•Sanlúcar de Barrameda (Cádiz)
•Chiclana de Frontera (Cádiz)
•Puerto Real (Cádiz)
•Rota (Cádiz)
•Chipiona (Cádiz)
•Trebujena (Cádiz)
•Lebrija (Seville)

Front 78

identify the soil types of Jerez

Back 78

1. albariza
2. barros
3. arenas

Front 79

describe albariza

Back 79

a chalky, porous, limestone-rich soil of brilliant white color, produces the best Sherry.
The moisture-retentive albariza retains water from autumn and winter rains, while the friable soil structure allows vine roots to penetrate deeply in a search for water trapped beneath its baked, impermeable surface during the arid growing season.
The snow-white albariza soils are concentrated on the gentle slopes of Jerez Superior, a sub-region between Sanlúcar de Barrameda and the Guadalete River, which flows into the Bay of Cádiz just to the south of Jerez de la Frontera. 80% of the appellation’s vines are located in Jerez Superior, and most pagos (vineyards) are located within the area of Jerez de la Frontera, including Macharnudo, Añina, and Carrascal. Macharnudo, at over 2000 acres, is the largest pago in Jerez

Front 80

describe barros

Back 80

higher proportion of clay than albariza; prominent in low-lying valleys

Front 81

describe arenas

Back 81

sandy arenas soils are most common in coastal areas

Front 82

list the authorized grapes (and a synonym of each) of sherry production

Back 82

palomino (listan)
pedro ximenez (px)
moscatel (muscat of alexandria)

Front 83

describe palomino as it relates to sherry production

Back 83

neutral grape that usually yields lackluster, low-acid table wines, is overwhelmingly preferred for Sherry and constitutes approximately 95% of the vineyard acreage in Jerez.
Two sub-varieties, Palomino Fino and Palomino de Jerez, are encountered in the region, but the former is more prevalent, prized for its higher yields and disease resistance
Palomino may be "sunned" but rarely for longer than 24 hours and often not at all

Front 84

describe moscatel as it relates to sherry production

Back 84

predominantly used for sweetening Sherry; varietal bottlings are extremely rare in Jerez. Moscatel is mainly cultivated in the arenas soils near Chipiona.
Generally, growers submit it to the soleo process for a period of one to three weeks, in which grape bunches are dried in the sun on esparto grass mats prior to pressing

Front 85

describe pedro ximenez as it relates to sherry production

Back 85

predominantly used for sweetening Sherry; varietal bottlings are extremely rare in Jerez. Plantings of Pedro Ximénez in Jerez have diminished so greatly that the Consejo Regulador has granted special dispensation allowing producers to import Pedro Ximénez must from the nearby Montilla-Moriles DO.
Generally, growers submit it to the soleo process for a period of one to three weeks, in which grape bunches are dried in the sun on esparto grass mats prior to pressing

Front 86

name and describe the traditional vine training method in Jerez

Back 86

vara y pulgar
growers prune alternate spurs each year: one year’s vara (stick) will be pruned back after harvest to become the following year’s pulgar (thumb)

Front 87

describe viticultural practices of palomino

Back 87

harvest typically occurs in late August
many of the region's vineyards are harvested by machine
Max yields are set at 80 hl/ha in Jerez Superior and 100 hl/ha elsewhere in the region.

Front 88

describe grape crushing in sherry production

Back 88

Although modern mechanical methods now reign, grapes were traditionally crushed and pressed under the feet of pisadores (laborers) wearing zapatos de pisar—cowhide boots with angled nails on the soles.
Palomino Fino, the grape used for the majority of Sherry wines, must be pressed quickly after picking as it is prone to rapid oxidation. A maximum 72.5 liters of juice may be pressed from 100 kg of grapes; any additional amount is relegated to the production of non-classified wines or distillate.

Front 89

what are the stages of quality for must in sherry production?

Back 89

The must (mosto de yema) is divided into three stages of quality:
1. the primera yema (free-run juice, accounting for 60-70% of the total mosto de yema)
2. segunda yema (press wine)
3. mosto presna (poorer quality press wine for distillation).
The free-run primera yema and pressed segunda yema are fermented separately.

Front 90

describe sherry base wine vinification

Back 90

Before fermentation commences, the must is acidified—Palomino provides a notoriously low-acid must—and sulfured, then allowed to settle.
Traditionally, producers adhered yeso (plaster) to the grapes prior to pressing, which aided clarification and—when combined with cream of tartar—produced tartaric acid. Today, most producers add tartaric acid directly and utilize a system of racking (desfangado) to clarify the must before fermentation begins.
Classically, Sherry base wines underwent alcoholic fermentation in new American oak butts of 600 liters, a seasoning technique that would both impart tannin to the wine and leech oak flavor, neutralizing the wood before it was employed in the aging processes. Today, however, most Sherry is fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks of 50,000 liter capacity.

Front 91

describe the stages of sherry base wine fermentation

Back 91

Divided into two stages:
1. the tumultuous fermentation, a hot and vigorous initial phase lasting up to a week
2. the lenta, or slow fermentation, in which high temperatures subside and any remaining sugar in the wine is converted to alcohol over a period of weeks.
The delicate base wine of 11-12.5% abv is then separated from its lees, and the process of transformation begins.

Front 92

at the conclusion of sherry base wine fermentation, the wine is classified. each tank is either classified as _____ and marked with a _________, or as ________, and marked with a ________

Back 92

palo
vertical slash
gordura
circle

Front 93

defeine mitad y mitad

Back 93

mixture of grape spirit and mature sherry used to fortify sherry base wines. used rather than direct grape spirit to avoid shocking the young base wines.

Front 94

describe the path of wines labeled as gordura

Back 94

fortified to 17-18%, which precludes the growth of flor. will become oloroso sherries, making their future certain. transferred to old sherry butts of used american oak. undergoes oxidative aging. these wines are produced from the pressed segunda yema must.

Front 95

describe the path of wines labeled as palo

Back 95

fortified to 15-15.5% abv with mitad y mitad. destined to become fino or manzanilla styles. transferred to old sherry butts of american oak where they undergo biological aging.

Front 96

describe flor

Back 96

At the heart of the biological aging process in Sherry is the film-forming yeast known as the flor del vino—the “flower”. While the normal yeasts responsible for alcoholic fermentation die as the wine’s sugar is wholly consumed, a specialized set of yeast species (of the genus Saccharomyces) arrives to metabolize glycerin, alcohol, and volatile acids in the wine.
Humid air carried on the poniente wind, a moderate temperature between 60°-70° F, an absence of fermentable sugars, and a particular level of alcoholic strength (15-15.5% abv) are prerequisites for the development of flor.
As flor requires contact with oxygen, it forms a film on the surface of the wine that will protect the liquid from oxidation. The flor grows vigorously in the spring and autumn months, forming a frothy white veil over the wine’s surface; in the heat and cold of the summer and winter it thins and turns gray. In the past, the growth of flor determined a particular wine’s future; it was a mysterious gift. Today, producers are much more aware of the process, and plan each wine’s future accordingly. Wines destined to undergo biological aging are sourced from grapes grown in the finer albariza soils, and are produced from the primera yema, whereas those destined for the oxidative aging path of the Oloroso are produced from the pressed segunda yema must.

Front 97

what are the requirements for the development of flor?

Back 97

Humid air carried on the poniente wind
a moderate temperature between 60°-70° F
an absence of fermentable sugars
a particular level of alcoholic strength (15-15.5% abv)