Sparkling wines

Session 8
Fortified wines

Issue 1 © WSET 2019

 Sparkling wine

sugars in carbon
yeast alcohol
grapes dioxide

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 Sparkling wine
second fermentation

CO created by fermentation is trapped and

dissolved in wine
• bottle fermentation • tank fermentation

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 Bottle fermentation
traditional method
base
wine

yeast sugar

second fermentation riddling

and yeast autolysis

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 Bottle fermentation
traditional method

wine sugar

riddling disgorgement dosage resealing

(removal)

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 Bottle fermentation
traditional-method sparkling wines
FRANCE AND
NORTH-EAST
SPAIN
Paris CHAMPAGNE
Champagne
• Pinot Noir
• Chardonnay
FRANCE
• Meunier

Bordeaux

Cava
Marseille
• local varieties
• Chardonnay
SPAIN CATALUNYA
Barcelona • Pinot Noir
Madrid

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 Bottle fermentation
traditional-method sparkling wines

FRANCE
USA
SPAIN

SOUTH AUSTRALIA
AFRICA
WORLD WINE NEW
REGIONS ZEALAND

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 Bottle fermentation
traditional-method sparkling wines

• Brut
• Demi-Sec

• Non-Vintage/Vintage
• Traditional Method/
Méthode traditionnelle

• Méthode Cap Classique

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 Tank fermentation
tank method
dry base wine

yeast + sugar added

sealed tank

second fermentation

lees removed (filtration)

bottled under pressure

dry sparkling wine

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 Tank fermentation
Prosecco
NORTHERN ITALY

PROSECCO
Milan Verona
Venice

Turin

ITALY

• grape variety: Glera • dry or off-dry

• light- or medium-bodied • fruit flavours: apple, melon
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 Tank fermentation
Asti method
grape juice

partial fermentation in
pressurised tank

tank sealed to retain

CO2

fermentation stopped
by filtration before
fermentation is
complete

low-alcohol sweet
sparkling wine

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 Tank fermentation
Asti
NORTHERN
ITALY

Milan Verona Venice

PIEMONTE
Turin

ASTI

• grape variety: Moscato(Muscat) • pronounced floral and fruit

• sweet flavours: grape, pear,
peach, blossom
• light-bodied
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 Sparkling wine
opening a bottle of sparkling wine

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 Sparkling wine tasting
Prosecco Cava Champagne Asti

Colour

Aromas/
Flavours

Quality

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 Fortified wines
Fortified wines are wines that have had additional alcohol
added to them.

Timing of fortification
• fortification during fermentation to stop the
fermentation; this produces a sweet fortified wine

• fortification of a dry wine after fermentation is

complete; this produces a dry fortified wine

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 Styles of Sherry

Dry Sherry FRANCE

• Palomino grape

Barcelona

Sweet Sherry Madrid

PORTUGAL
• dried Pedro Ximénez SPAIN

grapes Lisbon

Blended Sherry JEREZ

• blend of dry Sherry SPAIN AND

with a sweet PORTUGAL

component
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 Sherry
main dry styles
dry white wine
biologically aged oxidatively aged

fortified to around fortified to around

15% abv 17% abv

aged under flor in refortified to aged without flor in

solera system around 17% abv solera system

aged without flor in

solera system

Fino Sherry Amontillado Sherry Oloroso Sherry

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 Sherry
blended styles

Fino Sherry Amontillado Sherry Oloroso Sherry

sweetened sweetened sweetened

Pale Cream Medium Sherry Cream Sherry

Sherry

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 Port
FRANCE

PORT Barcelona

Madrid

SPAIN
PORTUGAL
Lisbon

SPAIN AND
PORTUGAL

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 Port
winemaking
rapid extraction
of colour and tannin

partial fermentation

fortified during
fermentation

sweet fortified wine

maturation

Port
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 Styles of Port

Vintage Port
Ruby Port styles
• Ruby Port
• Reserve Ruby Port
• Late Bottled Vintage Port
(LBV)

Tawny Port styles

• Tawny Port
• age stated

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 Fortified wine tasting
Sherry Port

Colour

Aromas/Flavours

Quality

Issue 1 © WSET 2019