Certified Sommelier Exam (CMS 2) > Fortified Wines > Flashcards

Fortified Wines Flashcards

(72 cards)

Study These Flashcards
1
Q

Name the top 6 fortified wines from around the world.

A
  1. Port
  2. Sherry
  3. Madeira
  4. Marsala
  5. Vin Doux Naturels
  6. Rutherglen Muscat
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Fill in the blank.

Porto is the same geographical area as ______ DOP.

A

Douro DOP

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What are the 3 subregions of Port?

A
  1. Cima Corgo
  2. Baixo Corgo
  3. Douro Superior
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is the dominant red grape variety used to make Port?

A

Touriga Nacional

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Where is Madeira located?

A

Island located near North Africa.

Madeira is Portugese!

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is the main city on the island of Madeira?

A

Funchal

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is the climate of Madeira?

A

Hot Subtropical

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

The 4 main styles of Madeira are also the names of the grapes – also known as varietal styles.

What are the 4 varietial styles of Madeira from driest to sweetest?

A
  1. Sercial
  2. Verdelho
  3. Boal
  4. Malmsey (Malvasia)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Where in Spain in Sherry located?

A

Southwest Spain

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What are the 2 DOs of Sherry?

A
  1. Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
  2. Sanlúcar de Barrameda (which is on the coast)

Sanlúcar is cirlced on this map.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is the main white grape used to make dry styles of Sherry?

A

Palomino

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Where is Marsala located?

A

Sicily, Italy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is the DOC of Marsala?

A

Marsala DOC

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Name 2 AOPs in France that make fortified wines (include the regions in which they’re nested).

A
  1. Banyuls AOP (Roussillon)
  2. Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise AOP (Southern Rhône)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is the main red grape that goes into Banyuls AOP?

A

Grenache

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is the main white grape that goes into Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise AOP?

A

Muscat

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Name 2 countries in the Southern Hemisphere that make fortified wine.

A
  1. Australia
  2. South Africa
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Where is fortified wine made in Australia?

A

Rutherglen (Victoria)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What is the grape used to make Rutherglen Muscat?

A

Muscat à Petits Grains Rouge

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Where is fortified wine made in South Africa?

A

Klein Karoo (Western Cape)

Many are made with Muscat.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What is the climate of Sherry?

A

Hot Maritime

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What is the climate of Port?

A

Warm to hot Mediterranean

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What is the soil type in Port?

A

Schist

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What is the soil type in Madeira?

A

Volcanic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
What are the 3 soil types found in Sherry?
1. Albariza (chalk) 2. Barros (clay) 3. Arenas (sand)
26
Fortified wines are fortified before, during, or after fermentation, depending on the style. When is Port fortified?
During fermentation.
27
Port's fermentation is short -- two-to-three days -- and the goal is to maximize extraction of color and flavor. Fortification occurs when approximately \_\_\_\_ of the sugar content has been converted to alcohol.
One-third
28
Fortified wines are fortified before, during, or after fermentation, depending on the style. When is Madeira fortified?
During fermentation.
29
# Select the correct answer. After the fortification process, Madeira: a. is not exposed to oxygen or heat b. is oxidized and exposed to heat
b. oxidized and exposed to heat ## Footnote This is how it achieves its nutty, distinctive character.
30
For sweeter styles of Madeira (Boal, Malmsey), when are these fortified -- closer to the beginning or end of fermentation?
Beginning of fermentation.
31
For drier styles of Madeira (Sercial, Verdelho), when are these fortified -- closer to the beginning or end of fermentation?
End of fermentation.
32
What is the estufagem process in Madeira?
When **the wine is heated to a temperature of 45-50°C (113-122°F) in stainless steel vats and held there for at least three months** -- during this period sugars in the wine will slowly caramelize. ## Footnote This is a more affordable way to make Maderia. The estufa is a stainless steel vat that warms the wine by circulating hot water through serpentine coils inside the tank.
33
What is the Canteiro process in Madeira?
* The wines are **cask-aged for a period of at least two years in lodge attics**. * In this manner, the wine is exposed to the gentler, natural warmth of the sun as it undergoes a much slower process of maturation, preventing the burnt caramelization of sugars and resulting bitter flavors associated with rapid heating. ## Footnote Canteiro method is used for better wines.
34
Fortified wines are fortified before, during, or after fermentation, depending on the style. When is Sherry fortified?
After fermentation.
35
How does Sherry achieve its distinctive nutty character?
Oxidation
36
What is flor?
A film-forming yeast necessary in the maturation of Sherry. ## Footnote Flor forms a film on the surface of the Sherry that protects the liquid from rapid oxidation.
37
What is the scientific name of the yeast found in flor?
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
38
Sherry is made via biological or oxidative aging. What is biological aging in Sherry?
When the Sherry wine is aged under flor -- it's a slow, protective aging process that keeps Sherry light in color (e.g. pale straw) and tasting like freshly cut apples and raw almonds. ## Footnote The solera system is integral to biological aging, as flor requires certain nutrients and oxygen to survive. The movement of wine from one butt to another provides oxygen necessary to keep the flor alive.
39
What 2 styles of Sherry are made using biological aging?
1. Fino 2. Manzanilla
40
What food would you pair with Fino or Manzanilla Sherry?
* Pan con tomate * Sardines * Grilled octopus * Olives * Almonds
41
# Fill in the blank. After fermentation, Fino and Manzanilla are fortified to \_\_\_\_% ABV, an alcholic strength at which flor thrives.
15-15.5% ABV
42
What is oxidative aging in Sherry?
Once the wine is fermented dry it is fortified to a range of 16-22% ABV then left in large oak butts to oxidize. ## Footnote Palomino is prone to rapid oxidation.
43
What is a Solera system?
* A **fractional blending system**. * This is **how it works**: * The new vintage wine enters an upper scale, or tier, of butts known as a criadera. * Several descending criadera scales separate the young wines from the solera (the tier of butts from which wine is drawn and bottled). * There may be as few as 3-4 criaderas or as many as 14. For every liter of wine drawn from the solera, 2L must remain; thus the solera butts are only partially emptied and are refreshed with wines from the first criadera. * The first criadera is then refreshed with wines from the second criadera, and so forth. In this manner a solera will theoretically continue some small portion of its original wine, regardless of its age. ## Footnote Solera wines are often marked with the year the solera was started.
44
What is the term used for moving Sherry from one criadera to another?
Running the scales.
44
Name 2 styles of oxidative Sherry.
1. Oloroso 2. Amontillado
45
What foods would you pair with Oloroso or Amontillado Sherry?
1. Duck 2. Steak 3. Foie Gras 4. Caramelized onions
46
What is the 5th, not-as-noble grape variety grown on the island of Madeira?
Tinta Negra
47
Besides Palomino, name 2 other grapes used in Sherry production.
1. Moscatel 2. Pedro Ximénez ## Footnote Both make sweet Sherries.
48
What are the 2 Muscat grapes used in fortified wine production in Klein Karoo?
1. Muscat de Frontignan 2. Muscat à Petits Grains
49
Port aging historically occurred in the Port lodges of this city, a suburb of Oporto.
Vila Nova de Gaia
50
Port is made into 2 general styles. What are these styles?
1. Ruby 2. Tawny
51
What are the 4 types of Ruby Port?
1. Basic Ruby 2. Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) 3. Single Quinta 4. Vintage
52
How long does Late-Bottled Vintage Port (LBV) spend in cask prior to bottling?
4-6 years ## Footnote The wines obtain some of the mellowed tones of a Tawny Port while retaining the youthful fruit and directness of a Ruby Port.
53
# True or False. LBV Port is always the product of a single vintage.
True
54
# Select the correct answer. LBV Ports: a. do not require decanting and do not usually improve with additional bottle age b. require decanting and need decades to improve in bottle
a. do not require decanting and do not usually improve with additional bottle age
55
What is a Single Quinta Port?
* Often, if a Port house cannot confidently declare a vintage, it may nonetheless showcase the fruit of one of its better estates as a vintage wine. * Single quinta wines are made in the same fashion as Vintage Ports, and will improve with additional bottle age.
56
Give 2 examples of Single Quinta Ports.
1. Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas 2. Dow’s Quinta do Bomfim
57
Does mature Vintage Port require decanting?
Yes, as it will develop a significant deposit in the bottle.
57
What is a Vintage Port?
A Port house will usually declare a vintage **only in exceptional vintages** (typically 3-4 years out of every decade). ## Footnote Must be authorized by the IVDP. Vintage Port will continue to develop in the bottle for decades, shedding brash fruit in favor of more complex attributes. Vintage Port is the most expensive style of Port to purchase and constitutes approximately 1-3% of production. Even at 30-year old a Vintage Port can show a deepa opaque red color, a bright fruit character, high tannins, high acidity, and loads of extraction.
57
What is Colheita Port?
A vintage-dated Port that spends a minimum of 7 years in cask, though many stay in cask for decades.
57
Does Palo Cortado Sherry fall under biological or oxidative aging?
Biological ## Footnote This is a rare and rich style of Sherry. The wine starts to age biologically but then is fortified to at least 17% abv, destroying the flor that protects it from oxygen, and then ages oxidatively.
57
When must Vintage Port be bottled by?
July 30 of the 3rd year after harvest. ## Footnote It is aged in cask before being bottled.
57
What is Cream Sherry?
A darker, denser product of blended Oloroso. ## Footnote It is sweetened then blended.
57
What are the 3 sweetness levels of Marsala?
1. Secco 2. Semi-Secco 3. Dolce
57
What is the proper temperature range for serving Tawny and Vintage Ports, Sweet Sherry, and Sweet Madeira?
55°- 62°F / 13°- 17°C
57
What is the proper temperature range for serving Dry Sherry and Dry Madeira?
48°- 55°F / 9°- 13°C
57
After opening, what is the general shelf life for Fino and Manzanilla Sherry?
Treat these like white wines -- so, up to about a week in the fridge.
57
After opening, what is the general shelf life for Oloroso, Amontillado, and PX Sherry?
Several months if kept in a cool place.
57
After opening, what is the general shelf life for Madeira?
It's literally been cooked, so several months or even a year (or years!) depending on how it's stored.
58
After opening, what is the general shelf life for Ruby, Single Quinta, and Vintage Ports?
Treat these like red wines -- so, up to a week (they're not purposely oxidized the way Tawnies are, so they won't last as long).
59
After opening, what is the general shelf life for Tawny and Colheita Ports?
Several months or even years depending on how they're stored.
60
After opening, what is the general shelf life for Vin Doux Naturels?
A few weeks to a few months depending on how they're stored.
Certified Sommelier Exam (CMS 2)
flashcards
Decks in class (49)
# Cards
Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2026 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions