Question 1

Oenology fundamentals: optimal fermentation temperature for red wines During anaerobic fermentation of red wine (to maximize color, flavor extraction, and yeast performance while limiting off-flavors), what temperature range is typically maintained …

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Temperature control is one of the most important variables in red wine fermentation. It influences yeast health, extraction of color and tannins from skins, aromatic complexity, and the risk of microbial or chemical faults. Knowing the common target range used by winemakers helps interpret cellar practices and fermentation kinetics. Given Data / Assumptions: Fermentation referenced is anaerobic alcoholic fermentation of red grapes. Goal is balanced extraction and clean fermentation, not carbonic maceration or cold soaking. Standard stainless steel or open-top fermenters with typical punch-down/pump-over cap management. Concept / Approach: Red wines are generally fermented warmer than white wines to promote extraction of anthocyanins and tannins from skins and seeds. Too cool slows yeast and reduces extraction; too hot stresses yeast, strips aromatics, and can cause stuck fermentations or harsh tannins. A widely used target band for balanced red fermentations is mid-20s °C. Step-by-Step Solution: Identify the objective: robust yeast activity plus good phenolic extraction without stress.Recall typical practice: common ranges for reds are about 24–28 °C; whites are often 12–18 °C.Compare options; 24–27 °C best matches standard cellar targets for many red varieties. Verification / Alternative check: Cellar logs and winemaking manuals frequently cite mid-20s °C for Pinot Noir and 25–28 °C for Cabernet/Merlot. This supports selecting 24–27 °C as a representative range for general red wine fermentation. Why Other Options Are Wrong: 20–24 °C: on the cool side for most reds; extraction may be limited and ferment slower. 27–31 °C: sometimes used briefly for robust reds, but the upper end risks yeast stress. 31–34 °C: excessively hot for routine ferments; increases volatility and stuck-ferment risk. 15–18 °C: typical for whites/rosés, not reds. Common Pitfalls: Confusing cold soak (pre-ferment maceration) temperatures with active fermentation temperatures; assuming “hotter is always better” for color (it is not if yeast are stressed). Final Answer: 24–27 °C

Question 2

Red-winemaking cap management: purpose of punching down In red wine fermentation, what is the main purpose of punching down the cap of skins and seeds that rises to the surface?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: During red wine fermentation, skins and seeds float and form a cap due to CO₂ evolution. Cap management techniques such as punching down and pumping over determine extraction efficiency, temperature homogeneity, and microbial control. Understanding the purpose of punching down is central to cellar operations. Given Data / Assumptions: Red fermentation with a floating cap is underway. Punching down means physically submerging the cap into the fermenting must. Aim is balanced extraction and healthy fermentation. Concept / Approach: Punching down (as with pumping over) redistributes heat, resuspends yeast, improves contact between juice and skins, and extracts desirable phenolics (color and tannin). It also prevents the cap from drying, which would encourage spoilage microbes and hinder extraction. Step-by-Step Solution: Recognize functional goals of cap management: extraction, temperature mixing, yeast resuspension, sanitation.Note that pumping over accomplishes similar ends by drawing juice from the bottom and spraying over the cap.Therefore, punching down serves the same reasons as pumping over and facilitates tannin/color extraction. Verification / Alternative check: Winemaking protocols advise multiple daily punch-downs or pump-overs depending on style; both improve phenolic transfer and fermentation kinetics. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Same reasons only (without extraction) is incomplete; extraction is a core goal. Extraction only ignores other benefits like mixing/oxygenation control. Keeping the cap dry is incorrect; the cap should be kept wet to avoid spoilage. Carbonation is not the purpose; CO₂ is produced by yeast naturally. Common Pitfalls: Over-punching can over-extract harsh seed tannins; under-punching yields weak color and uneven ferments. Adjust schedule to variety and desired style. Final Answer: Both (a) and (b)

Question 3

Malolactic fermentation (MLF) in wine: outcomes and sensory impact Which of the following correctly summarizes key results of malolactic fermentation in winemaking?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Malolactic fermentation (MLF) is a secondary fermentation carried out mainly by Oenococcus oeni and related lactic acid bacteria. It is widely used in red wines and some whites (e.g., Chardonnay) to modify acidity, microbial stability, and flavor. Given Data / Assumptions: MLF occurs after or near the end of alcoholic fermentation. Malic acid is converted to lactic acid and CO₂. Some metabolic by-products affect aroma (e.g., diacetyl). Concept / Approach: Biochemically, MLF decarboxylates malate to lactate, which has a softer taste. This conversion typically lowers titratable acidity and raises pH slightly. Flavor compounds like diacetyl may emerge, contributing buttery aromas in certain styles if not metabolized further by yeast or bacteria. Step-by-Step Solution: Identify the reaction: malic acid → lactic acid + CO₂.Assess sensory/chemical impact: softer acidity, often reduced TA, slight pH increase.Account for by-products: potential diacetyl formation yielding buttery notes. Verification / Alternative check: Cellar monitoring tracks malate depletion by enzymatic assays or paper chromatography; sensory and analysis confirm reduced TA and presence/absence of diacetyl depending on management. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Single components (a, b, or c) are each true but incomplete; all occur in MLF. “Increases malic acid concentration” is opposite to the defining reaction of MLF. Common Pitfalls: Assuming diacetyl is inevitable; it depends on timing, racking, and residual yeast metabolism. Also, MLF can compromise freshness in delicate aromatics if not intended. Final Answer: All of these

Question 4

Classifying beverages: Sherry falls under which category? Identify the correct category for Sherry in the context of alcoholic beverages and fermentation/distillation processes.

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Sherry is a famous fortified beverage produced primarily in Spain. Classification hinges on whether the drink is fermented and consumed as wine, fermented and distilled (spirits), or brewed from grain (beer). Understanding these distinctions is basic to food microbiology and beverage technology. Given Data / Assumptions: Sherry originates from grape must fermented into wine. It is fortified with a distilled spirit but remains a wine style. It undergoes unique biological aging under flor yeast (depending on style). Concept / Approach: Wine is produced by fermentation of grape juice. Fortified wines (e.g., Sherry, Port, Madeira) are still wines that have had a spirit added to raise alcohol and influence style. Beer is from grain mashes; brandy is a distilled spirit made from wine; neutral spirit is highly rectified distillate, not a finished wine. Step-by-Step Solution: Determine base: grape fermentation → wine.Identify process: fortification and aging do not change category from wine to spirit.Conclude Sherry is a type of fortified wine. Verification / Alternative check: Industry definitions and labeling laws categorize Sherry as a fortified wine; analytical composition (alcohol range) is consistent with wine plus added spirit. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Beer: made from malted cereal; not grape-based. Brandy: distilled product from wine; Sherry is not distilled (though spirit is added). None/neutral spirit: do not match Sherry’s production. Common Pitfalls: Confusing “fortified” with “distilled”; fortification adds spirit to wine but does not transform it into a distilled spirit category. Final Answer: Wine

Question 5

Cellar clarification: what does fining a wine mean? Choose the best definition of fining in enology, focusing on how winemakers remove unwanted components from wine.

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Fining is a classic stabilization and clarity technique in winemaking. By selectively binding haze-forming or harsh components, fining improves stability, texture, and appearance before bottling. Given Data / Assumptions: A fining agent is deliberately added (e.g., bentonite, isinglass, gelatin, PVPP). The target may include proteins, phenolics, color, or off-odors. After binding, complexes settle or are removed. Concept / Approach: Fining relies on physicochemical interactions (electrostatic, hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interactions) between the fining agent and target compounds. The complexes then settle (or are filtered) out, leaving wine clearer and more stable. It is distinct from simple filtration or acid adjustment. Step-by-Step Solution: Identify purpose: remove specific unwanted components (e.g., heat-unstable proteins).Recognize mechanism: add a binding agent that forms removable complexes.Select the definition that includes addition of one substance to remove another. Verification / Alternative check: Bench trials are used to determine optimal fining rates, confirming the concept of addition-to-remove via settling/filtration of complexes. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Filtration alone is not fining; it is a separate mechanical process. Adding acid changes chemistry but is not fining. Removing tannin only is not universal; fining may target various compounds. Heat treatment is pasteurization/flash; not fining. Common Pitfalls: Over-fining can strip desirable flavor/texture; always run bench trials to avoid excessive removal of positive compounds. Final Answer: Adding one substance (fining agent) to remove another by binding and settling

Question 6

Wine microbiology: response of wine yeast to sulfur dioxide (SO₂) How do standard wine yeasts (e.g., Saccharomyces cerevisiae) typically respond to sulfur dioxide levels used during winemaking?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Sulfur dioxide (SO₂) is used in winemaking for antimicrobial and antioxidant protection. Its effect varies among microbes; understanding yeast tolerance guides dosing strategies that suppress spoilage organisms while permitting clean fermentations. Given Data / Assumptions: SO₂ exists in molecular, bisulfite, and sulfite forms depending on pH. Winemakers dose SO₂ to inhibit oxidative browning and suppress wild microbes. Commercial wine strains are selected for relative SO₂ tolerance. Concept / Approach: At wine pH, the antimicrobial activity is driven by molecular SO₂. Many lactic acid bacteria and wild yeasts are more sensitive than robust Saccharomyces strains. Thus, appropriate SO₂ additions can suppress undesired flora while allowing inoculated wine yeast to ferment, especially once fermentation begins and CO₂ and ethanol add further inhibitory effects. Step-by-Step Solution: Identify the practical cellar goal: suppress spoilage while enabling fermentation.Recall comparative tolerance: Saccharomyces is relatively SO₂-tolerant versus many spoilage microbes.Select the option reflecting relative resistance at typical usage levels. Verification / Alternative check: Supplier strain sheets and enology texts list “SO₂ tolerance” as a desirable trait; starter cultures commonly initiate fermentation despite standard pre-fermentation SO₂ doses. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Sensitivity at typical doses: inconsistent with routine successful inoculations. SO₂ enhancing enzyme production: not an intended or typical effect. Sterilization or “none of the above”: SO₂ is not a sterilant at enological doses. Common Pitfalls: Overdosing SO₂, especially in high-pH musts, can inhibit even Saccharomyces; dosage must be pH-adjusted and monitored. Final Answer: They are relatively resistant to sulfur dioxide compared with many spoilage microbes

Question 7

Winery measurements: what does a hydrometer measure during crush and fermentation? Choose the parameter primarily measured by a standard winemaker’s hydrometer floated in grape juice or must.

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Hydrometers are simple, essential tools in wineries. By floating in juice or must, they indicate density, which correlates to sugar concentration. This helps determine harvest ripeness, ferment progress, and potential alcohol. Given Data / Assumptions: Instrument is a floating hydrometer or saccharometer calibrated for wine use. Sample is grape juice or fermenting must. Reading is in specific gravity, Brix, or Baumé depending on scale. Concept / Approach: Sugars (glucose and fructose) elevate must density compared with water. As yeast convert sugar to ethanol and CO₂, density falls. Hydrometers thus infer sugar levels (and by calculation, potential alcohol). They do not directly measure acidity, ethanol in finished wine (without distillation correction), dissolved oxygen, or sulfur dioxide. Step-by-Step Solution: Identify what changes density in must: dissolved sugars.Map hydrometer reading scale to sugar units (Brix ~ g sucrose/100 g solution).Select the option reflecting sugar measurement via density. Verification / Alternative check: Refractometers also measure sugar (Brix) optically; hydrometer trends match refractometer readings pre-fermentation, confirming use for sugar assessment. Why Other Options Are Wrong: TA, DO, FSO₂ require titration or specialized probes; not hydrometers. Alcohol content is not directly read by a standard hydrometer in finished wine without distillation/temperature correction. Common Pitfalls: Ignoring temperature correction factors; CO₂ bubbles can cause falsely low density readings during active fermentation—degas samples. Final Answer: Grape sugar via density (specific gravity/Brix)

Question 8

Traditional fermentations: microorganism used in the preparation of “sonti” Identify the primary mold traditionally used as the starter microorganism for producing the rice-based beverage called sonti.

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Sonti is a traditional rice-based alcoholic beverage whose production resembles other Asian koji-type fermentations. Understanding the starter culture highlights the role of molds in saccharifying starches prior to alcoholic fermentation. Given Data / Assumptions: Substrate is cooked rice (starchy, low in fermentable sugars initially). Traditional process relies on a mold (koji) to hydrolyze starch. Yeasts may subsequently ferment released sugars to ethanol. Concept / Approach: Aspergillus oryzae is a classic koji mold that secretes amylases, proteases, and other enzymes to break down rice starch and proteins, producing fermentable sugars and nutrients for yeast. This is analogous to sake production and many rice fermentations across Asia. While yeasts carry out ethanol fermentation, the defining saccharification step is performed by A. oryzae. Step-by-Step Solution: Recognize sonti as a mold-assisted saccharification process.Identify the canonical koji mold: Aspergillus oryzae.Select A. oryzae as the organism used to initiate saccharification before yeast fermentation. Verification / Alternative check: Food microbiology texts describe koji-based rice fermentations (sake, huangjiu, and regional variants) as employing A. oryzae; sonti follows the same principle. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Rhizopus sonti: sounds plausible but is not the standard koji mold. Lactobacillus vermiformis: lactic bacterium; not primary saccharifier. Saccharomyces pyriformis/Zygosaccharomyces: yeasts ferment sugars but do not perform the main saccharification step. Common Pitfalls: Confusing the saccharifying mold (A. oryzae) with the ethanologenic yeast stage; both occur, but the starter is the mold. Final Answer: Aspergillus oryzae

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