Wset Level 4 - Sparkling Wine Questions With Answers.

WSET LEVEL 4 - SPARKLING WINE s s s s s




QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS s s s




What is the impact of cold vs warm climate on sparking wine? - correct answer- In warmer
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areas, the grapes tend to have riper fruit flavours and lower acidity compared to grapes
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grown in cooler sites
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sWhat is the impact of tank vs. bottle fermentation for sparkling wine? - correct answer- This
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may be desirable for short-aged wines (e.g. those made by tank method or with short time on
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the lees in transfer or traditional method), as the fruit will provide the only or dominant
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flavours. However, to make elegant, balanced, long-lees-aged sparkling wines less
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intense fruit flavours are usually preferable. s s s s s




s Why is Chardonnay suitable for sparking wine? - correct answer- This variety is well suited
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s to the production of autolytic styles of sparkling wines; its subtle apple and citrus aromas and
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s flavours compliment rather than compete with the biscuity aromas from yeast autolysis (the
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s breaking down of dead cells). s s s s




Its early ripening is an asset in cool conditions and it also retains the high levels of acidity and
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low levels of alcohol needed in sparkling wines while avoiding under-ripe flavours.
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s What are some of the challenges with growing Chardonnay? - correct answer- As it is early
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s budding, it is vulnerable to spring frosts. It is also prone to coulure and millerandage. It has
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s more disease resistance than Pinot Noir, but is susceptible to powdery mildew, grapevine
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s yellows and to botrytis bunch rot in wet periods before harvest
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s Why is Pinot Noir suitable for sparking wine? - correct answer- It lends body to the blend.
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s What are some of the challenges with growing Pinot Noir? - correct answer- This variety is
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s also an early budding and early ripening variety and is therefore suited to a cool climate.
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s Being early budding also makes it prone to spring frosts. It is prone to coulure. The yields are
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s more moderate than Chardonnay and the quality drops if the yield level is too high. It is thin
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s skinned and more disease prone (downy mildew especially, powdery mildew, botrytis
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s bunch rot, fan leaf and leaf roll). s s s s s s

,What are some of the common grape varieties for sparkling wines? - correct answer-
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Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada in Cava, or Glera in
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Prosecco.

s What is the practice for pressing? - correct answer- It is common to split the juice into
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s different press fractions, and in some regions the maximum amount of press juice (as
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s opposed to free run juice) that can be used is controlled. s s s s s s s s s s




What treatment is typically done to the juice? - correct answer- Nutrients provided by a
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certain amount of grape solids are required for healthy first and second fermentations. If
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there is excessive tannin or colour at this stage, fining (e.g. with casein, gelatine or PVPP
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polyvinylpolypyrrolidone]) may be used
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to amend the juice.
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What yeast strains are typically used for sparking wine? - correct answer- Some strains of
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yeast can promote certain flavours in the wines, for example thiols or esters. This may be
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positive in tank method sparkling wines that are based on fruity flavours. However, these
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flavours are
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generally not wanted in autolytic styles of wine as they may compete with the flavours from
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autolysis. Therefore, these wines will be made using neutral yeast that does not enhance
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these flavours.
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It is common to use the same yeast for both the first and second fermentation; The yeast
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called 'Prise de mousse' (EC1118) is one of the most common commercially-available
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yeasts.
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Do you use MLF for sparking wine? - correct answer- Malolactic conversion may be used to
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reduce acidity in an excessively acidic wine. It can also be used to enhance texture. The
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lactic acid that is produced in malolactic conversion is perceived to be creamier in texture
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than other acids, such as tartaric. (The
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buttery flavours found on white wines that have undergone malolactic conversion are not
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typically found on sparkling wines. This is because diacetyl, which gives the buttery flavour,
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is metabolised by the yeast during the second fermentation.) If malolactic
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conversion does not take place at this stage, there is the risk that it could take place during
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the second fermentation.
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How do you handle the base wine? - correct answer- There are many options open to the
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winemaker for refining and modifying the base wine before it undergoes second
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fermentation.
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Some winemakers choose to mature the base wine in oak and/or leave the wine on its lees.
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s What is the purpose of blending the base wine for sparkling wine? - correct answer- The
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s purpose of blending is for: s s s s




Balance - for example, Pinot Noir can lend more body to a blend, whereas blending in
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Chardonnay can give higher acidity; the same effect could come from using warmer and
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cooler vineyard sites with the same single grape variety
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,Consistency - for example, many sparkling wine producers make a non-vintage blend and, s s s s s s s s s s s s




for this style of wine, consistency of the product from one year to the next is very important
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Style - for example, a producer may choose to make their least expensive wine in an early-
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drinking style, and therefore want to create an approachable style with more ripe fruit and
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less acidity; their top wine may be styled to be suited to longer ageing, both
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on and off the lees, and therefore have more concentrated flavours and higher acidity
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Rosé wines - some rosé sparkling wines are made by blending red and white base wines and
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thus blending defines this style of wine
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Complexity - a greater range of flavours may be captured by blending different grapes s s s s s s s s s s s s s




varieties, vineyard sites and vintages, or blending base wines that have undergone different
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treatment (e.g. oak maturation); for instance, older wines can add more dried fruit
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characters to the fresh fruit of the current year
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Minimisation of faults - if a wine has a minor fault, it can be rescued and sold if it is blended s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s s




with a larger volume of a sound wine
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Volume - in areas with small vineyard holdings, winemakers are likely to blend the wines
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from different vineyards to produce viable volumes of certain wines; blending grape
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varieties or reserve wines can also help to increase volumes
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Price - for example, inexpensive and mid-priced wines in particular may need to be made to a
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certain price point. Blending in cheaper grape varieties, for example Meunier (previously
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known as Pinot Meunier), alongside the more prestigious var
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sWhat is the traditional method of making sparking wine? - correct answer- In the Traditional
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Method, second fermentation occurs in the same bottle in which the wine is later sold. A
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liqueur de tirage is added to the base wine to achieve a second fermentation.
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This is a mixture of sugar, selected yeasts, yeast nutrients and a clarifying agent such as
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bentonite and/or alginate (seaweed extract to facilitate riddling). The amount of sugar used
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depends on the degree of effervescence required. In most fully sparkling wines, enough
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liqueur de tirage is added to supply about 24 g of sucrose per litre. During fermentation, the
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yeast converts the sugar to alcohol (about +1.5 per cent for an addition of 24 g/L) and CO .
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Unable to escape from the bottle, the CO produces a pressure considered appropriate for
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most sparkling wines, namely six atmospheres (also referred to as 'bar'). Less sugar will be
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added if the winemaker wants to create a sparkling wine with lower pressure. The sugar
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added at this stage does not affect the final sweetness of the wine as the yeast ferment the
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wine to dryness.
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s What is prise de mousse? - correct answer- The second fermentation is often called the
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s prise de mousse, which literally means 'capturing the sparkle'. This fermentation requires
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, inoculation of the wine with specially selected sparkling wine yeast. The strains that are
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commercially available have slightly different properties, but all with the aptitude for
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commencing fermentation in wine with 9.5-11% abv, a moderate
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temperature of around 16°C and pH values often below 3, and later withstanding high s s s s s s s s s s s s s




pressure fermentation in bottle. Yeast cells must also flocculate readily to produce a coarse
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sediment that can be efficiently removed by riddling.
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For how long are sparking wines matured in the bottle? - correct answer- The length of time
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for yeast contact during maturation varies. The duration of lees ageing can be a minimum of
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nine months; for example, for Cava. More typical is 15-18
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months, at which point the effects of autolysis become detectable. The length of time
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depends on the style sought (fresh fruit character v. lees-aged character), the price that can
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be attained for the wine at the end of the process and the financial ability to invest in longer
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periods of lees ageing.
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s What are the benefits of lees ageing? - correct answer- The benefits of this lees ageing are
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s derived from autolysis, the enzymatic breakdown of dead yeast cells. Autolysis usually
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s continues for four to five years but has been known to last for ten years. It is best known for
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s producing compounds that add a biscuity complexity. s s s s s s




s What is the effect of riddling and disgorgement? - correct answer- The basic effect is the
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s same for both hand riddling in pupitres or computer-controlled gyropalettes for riddling
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s (remuage). Slow steady inclination towards the vertical (cap down) position and turning s s s s s s s s s s s




s causes the lees to flocculate and gradually fall towards the neck of the bottle. Manual riddling
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s takes up to eight weeks to complete, while riddling using gyropalettes takes three to four
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s days.

s What are the benefits of freezing the neck of the bottle? - correct answer- The bottles are
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s cooled to approximately 7˚C and the necks are immersed in a bath of frozen brine. This
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s quickly freezes the yeast sediment in the neck, easing its extraction and ensuring the
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s sediment does not fall back into the wine when the bottle is turned upright.
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Cooling also increases the solubility of carbon dioxide that reduces the likelihood of the wine
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gushing upon opening. The disgorging machine inverts the bottle (so that it is now upright),
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removes the crown cap and allows the ejection of the frozen yeast plug that escapes under
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pressure.
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Liqueur d'expédition is added before the bottle is fitted with a cork, wire muzzle and metal
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capsule.
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What is Liqueur d'expédition? - correct answer- The liqueur d'expédition is a mixture of wine
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and sugar (the sugar is referred to as the dosage) or RCGM (rectified concentrated grape
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must). It tops up the bottle where some wine may have escaped during disgorgement and
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determines the sweetness of the
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final wine. There has been a growing trend, albeit from a small base, of Brut Nature (no
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dosage) and especially Extra Brut (a dosage that results in a wine with less than 6 g/L final
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sugar). Brut Nature is relatively uncommon because the final wine rarely has sufficient
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