Understanding Wines: Explaining Style and Quality

210 Pages·2016·266.46 MB·English

Understanding
wines:E xplaining
style and quality
An accompaniment to
WSET®L evel 3 Award
in Wines
Understanding
wines:E xplaining
style and quality
An accompaniment to
WSET® Level 3 Award
in Wines
Wine & Spirit EducationT rust
39-45 Bermondsey Street, London SEl 3XF
a [email protected]
wsetglobal.com
o Wine & Spirit EducationT rust2 016
All rights reserved.N o part of this publicationm ay be reproducedo r transmitted in any form or by any means,e lectronico r mechanical,i ncluding
photocopying,r ecordingo r any information storageo r retrievals ystem,w ithout the prior permissioni n writing from the publishers.
A CIP catalogue recordf or this book is availablef rom the BritishL ibrary
ISBN 978 1 905819 39 3
PHOTOGRAPHICC REDITS
1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 52, 53 (Rob Lawson); 15, 17 (Dennis Sterne); 16 (Matt Sills); 22 (Image 1) CIVC; 23 (Image 1) (Elizabeth Clark, Airlie Winery); 24, 47 (Image 1),
48 (Image 1) , 184, 190 (Images 1, 3), 193 (Nicolia Littlewood); 38 (Images 2, 3, 4), 39 (Images 8, 11) (Warman Media); 38 (Image 13) (MontTauch); 38 (Image 14),
39 (Image 7) (BIVB, Bernuy J.L.); 38 (Image 15) (Palliser Estate Wines of Martin borough); 39 (Image 5), 103 (5opexa); 51 (Image 1) (Australian Vintage Limited);
51 (Image 2) (Linda Simpson); 59 (top, middle) (Charles Sydney); 59 (bottom) (Constellation Brands); 61 (Jordan Winery); 69 (Image 1) (Lawson Dry Hills
Wines Ltd.); 71, 108 (David Allen MW);7 8, 81 (top), 122 (Michelle Cherutti-Kowal MW);8 1 (bottom) (Richard Bampfield Mw/Chateau Preuillac); 82 (CIVB);
88 (BIVB/Armellephotographe.com); 95 (Lindsay Oram); 99 (bottom), 102, 104 (Inter Rhone Picture Library (10C hristophe Grilhe)); 105 (CIVPF.MILLO);
112 (GermanW ine lnstitute/www.germanwines.de)1; 14 (0AWMBW erner Garnerith);1 19 (NikosD esyllasW, inesf rom Santorini);1 26 (ConsorzioC hianti
Classico); 130 (©Donnafugata, Piero Lazzari); 131 (© ICEX, Fernando Briones); 135 (© ICEX, Felix Lorrio); 136 (© ICEX, Bodegas Senorio de Arinzano);
137 (© ICEX, Rafael Vargas); 141 (Sogrape); 143 (Sonoma County Vintners); 148 (top) (Carolyn Wells-Kramer); 148 (bottom)l10Joel Butler Mw); 151 (lnniskillin
Wines); 153, 154 (Wines of Chile); 162 (bottom) (WOSA), 172 (Giesen Wines Ltd.); 181 (Azienda Agricola Paolo Zucchetto); 182 (David Milne, Josef Chromy
Wines); 190 (Image 2) (ICEP Portugal); 192 (Images 1, 3) (Symington Family Estate); 192 (Image 2) (Taylor's QAVB).
WSET:2 1 (top), 38 (Images 1, 16), 39 (Image 12), 97, 99 (top), 187 (WSET); 21 (middle), 22 (Image 2), 23 (Image 2), 31, 36, 39 (Images 6, 10 ), 41 (Image 2),
45 (Image 4), 47 (Image 2), 51 (Image 3), 85, 86, 90, 93, 94, 117, 123, 125, 173, 175 (Image 3), 180 (Antony Moss MW);2 1 (bottom), 26, 27, 30, 33, 37, 45
(Images 1, 2, 3, 5), 47 (Image 3), 48 (Image 2), 68, 69 (Image 2), 139, 144, 146, 147, 157 (Images 1, 3), 158, 162 (top), 165, 167, 171, 175 (Image 2) (Michael
Buriak); 39 (Image 9) (Nicholas King); 41 (Image 1) (Angela Fordham); 157 (Image 2) (Janet Bangs); 175 (Image 1) (Harriet Furze).
LABELS
75 (top) (Albert Bichot); 75 (bottom) (Constellation Brands).
MAPS
Maps designed by Cosmographics Ltd
DIAGRAMS AND ILLUSTRATIONS
Diagrams and illustrations produced by CalowCraddock Ltd
Designed by Peter Dolton
Editing and proofreading by Cambridge Editorial Ltd
Productions ervicesb y Wayment Print & PublishingS olutionsL td
Printed and bound by Pureprint Group, Uckfield, UK
iii
Contents
Foreword V 23 Austria 113
Introduction vii 24 Tokaj 116
25 Greece 118
Section 1: Wine and the Consumer
26 Introduction to Italy 120
1 The Systematic Approach to Tasting Wine•
27 Northern Italy 121
2 Wine with Food 11
28 Central Italy 126
3 Storage and Service of Wine 15
29 Southern Italy 129
30Spain 131
Section 2: Factors Affecting the Style, Quality and
31 Portugal 139
Price of Wine
32 Introduction to the USA 142
4 The Vine 19
33 California 143
5 The Growing Environment 24
34 Oregon, Washington and New York 148
6 Vineyard Management 33
35Canada 150
7 Common Elements in Winemaking and 43
Maturation 36Chile 152
8 White and Sweet Winemaking 55 37 Argentina 156
9 Red and Rose Winemaking 63 38 South Africa 160
10 Factors that Affect the Price of Wine 71 39 Australia 164
11 Wine and the Law 74 40 New Zealand 170
Section 3: Still Wines of the World Section 4: Sparkling Wines of the World
12 Introduction to France 77 41 Sparkling Wine Production 173
13 Bordeaux 78 42 Sparkling Wines of the World 179
14 The Dordogne and South West France 83
Section 5: Fortified Wines of the World
15 Burgundy 85
43 Sherry 184
16 Beaujolais 90
44 Port 190
17 Alsace 92
45 Fortified Muscats 195
18 The Loire Valley 95
19 The Northern Rhone 99
Acknowledgements 196
20 The Southern Rhone 102
Index 197
21 Southern France 105
22Germany 108
,
.

V
Foreword
As someone responsible for two of the meatier wine reference books, The Oxford Companion to
Wine and The World Atlas of Wine, I am only too aware of how rapidly the world of wine is now
changing. Updating the Oxford book, for example, generally involves some change to at least
half the entries, and the addition of an extraordinary number of new ones.
This is why the WSETc onstantly works to keep their materials up to date. The world's
premier source of wine education has to be up to date and seen to be up to date with the
myriad developments in wine production and consumption the world over.
The teaching and courses now offered by the WSETa re unrecognisably different from those
I benefited from as I began my wine writing career in the 1970s. I seem to remember that then,
for example, we spent a great deal of time studying the minutiae of Sherry production,
something that is - quite unjustifiably in my view - not exactly in the most sought-after aspect
of wine education nowadays. And even when I did my Master of Wine exams in 1984,
Australian wine was still regarded as at best a novelty, at worst a joke. (Who's laughing now?)
I was thrilled when in 1978 I learned that I had won the top prize for WSET Diploma
students, then called the Rouyer Guillet cup, the forerunner of today's Vintners' Cup. Until then
I was not at all sure what standard my wine knowledge was, but I felt confident that, thanks to
the thoroughness of the WSETs yllabus, I really had covered the ground in its entirety, not just
those little byways that interested me most.
I know that the courses have been constantly adapted, particularly in recent years, to reflect
the sort of wines most often made and drunk now. When people tell me they want to get into
the wine trade, or simply advance their wine knowledge for their personal enjoyment, I always
draw their attention to the WSETc ourses, whether in the UK or further afield.
I'm sure that you will find this book as useful as I found my WSETc ourses.
Jancis Robinson MW
www.jancisrobinson.com

vii
Introduction
Since the Wine & Spirit Education Trust was founded in 1969, the world of wine has grown and
developed out of all recognition. Nevertheless, despite all the change, the most interesting
question remains the same; what are the factors that determine the style and quality of the
wine in my glass? This book, which supports the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines, seeks to answer
this question. Altogether, this programme of study is designed to enable you to develop the
skills to be able to answer this question confidently no matter what the wine you encounter.
In order to be able to develop these skills it is vital that you get to grips with grape growing
and winemaking. This book has a vital role to play. The sections that cover these subjects
explain the key concepts and processes that are involved from bud burst to bottling. This is
supported by a significant number of new illustrations and pictures. Furthermore, throughout
this section we place these techniques in context in order to show you how they are actually
used. In particular, the chapters on winemaking offer a unique insight for a book of this size
into the choices that are made in the winery.
The other chapters on individual wine producing regions and countries have been updated
for this new edition. Each one focuses on the key factors that will remain constant so that you
will have a core of knowledge which, when used in conjunction with the chapters on
production, will mean that you will be able to explain to your friends, customers or colleagues
why the wines they love taste the way they do.
I hope that you enjoy studying for the Level 3 Award in Wines and I wish you every success
in the examination.
l
Ian Harris
Chief Executive, Wine & Spirit Education Trust

THES YSTEMATICA PPROACHT OT ASTINGW INE"
TheS ystematiAc pproactho TastinWg ine®
1
The WSET Level 3. Syst~matic
Approach to Tasting Wine (SAT)
is a tool that allows you to write a complete description of a wine and then use this information to make
an evaluation of its quality and readiness for drinking. It is a very structured and methodical approach to
tasting and is therefore not an approach that is suitable for every occasion. Nevertheless, practising with
the SAT will provide a disciplined and structured template that will remind you to consider all of the
important elements of a wine.
THE PURPOSE OF THE SAT
The SAT is a teaching aid and assessment tool that was
devised by the WSETt o be used in conjunction with its
qualifications. It is designed to develop two fundamental
skills: the ability to describe a wine accurately and the
ability to make reasonable conclusions based on these
descriptions.
THE FORMAT OF THE SAT
The first part of the SAT consists of three sections
entitled 'Appearance; 'Nose' and 'Palate'. This is the
descriptive element of the SAT.E ach section has its
own category headings which appear in the left-hand
column. The right-hand column lists the terms that
you can select to describe each category heading. For
example, to describe the 'Appearance' of a white wine
you might select 'clear'for the category heading
'Clarity; 'pale'for 'Intensity' and 'lemon' for 'Colour'. In
some cases, you are restricted to using the specific
terms as they appear listed, and in other cases the
specific terms are optional. This is explained in more
detail below. components, and draw conclusions about its quality
The second part of the SATc onsists of one section and readiness for drinking.
entitled 'Conclusions'.T his is the evaluative part of the SAT. The examiners recognise that different tasters have
It contains two category headings: 'Quality Level' and 'Level different levels of sensitivity to a wine's structural
of readiness for drinking/potential for ageing'. The right components such as sugar, acidity, tannin and alcohol.
hand column lists the terms that you can select for each However, the examiners expect that through a
category heading. For example, you might select'good'in combination of practice and coaching you will have
the'Quality Level' category and 'can drink now, but has calibrated your palate against those of your educators
potential for ageing' in the 'Level of readiness for drinking/ and peers. In practice, this means being able to classify
potential for ageing' category. In the 'Conclusions' section the levels of a certain wine's components relative to the
of the SATy ou are restricted to using the specific terms as general world of wines.
they appear listed.
The SATi s supported by a second document, the Wine Hyphenated Lines
Lexicon. This appears on the reverse side of the laminated Where terms in the right-hand column of the SATa re
SATc ard. The Wine-Lexicon is a list of descriptive words separated by a hyphen (for example, 'lemon-green -
covering some suggested aroma and flavour terms that lemon - gold - amber - brown' in 'Colour'), you should
may help you to describe the wine you are tasting. select only one of the terms to describe the wine. If you
think the wine sits on the border of'ruby' and 'garnet; you
USING THE SAT must make a decision and select one of them, rather than
In the Level 3 tasting examination the terms you select using a range such as 'ruby-garnet' or'ruby to garnet'. If
to describe and evaluate each wine will allow the the examiner considers that both 'ruby' and 'garnet' are
examiners to assess how accurately you can identify valid descriptions, then marks will be awarded for either
its aroma and flavour characteristics and structural description. If you use a range, for example, 'ruby to