31319 - Special Techniques

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, the students will:

- know the theoretical and practical basis of sparkling and dessert wine production, together with distillates, principle of distillation and brewing of beer  

- acquire the ability to analyze and solve technological problems connected to those productions

- possess the ability to communicate his knowledge with appropriate terminology 

- understand the importance of life-long learning process

Course contents

1. Sparkling Wines

- Introduction:

Data on world production, statistics and european framework realted to sparkling wines. The phenomena behind foam, perlage and CO2 dissolution in wines. 

- Classic or Traditional Method:

Grapes choice and hervasting procedure. Base wine production: grape crushing and alcoholic fermentation. Wine blending. Secondary fermentation: Yeast choice and sugars addition, importance of yeasts lees, riddling and disgorgement. Bottling and corking.

- Autoclave (Charmat-Martinotti) method:

Grape choice and base wine production. Secondary fermentation in closed tank, isobaric filtration and bottling. Asti Method. Semi-sparkling wines.

2- Passito and Dessert Wines

- Legal framework of Passito and dessert wines 

- Grape withering: raisining in the field, in "fruttaio" and in withering chambers. Modification induced in the grapes by the withering.

- Modification induced in the grape by "Noble rot"

- Flor yeasts

- Production schemes and composition of some Passito and Dessert wines: Jerez wines, Marsala, Porto, Tokaj, Sauternes, Amarone.

3- Organic and Biodinamic wines

- Legal framework

- Authorized field interventions and winery practises

- Reduction of the use of sulphites in winemaking

4 - Distillation and Distillates

- Theoretical aspects of distillation

- Distillates coming from grapes and wines: Brandy, Cognac, Grappa

- Distillates coming from other sources: Whisk(e)y, Rhum, Gin, Vodka

5- Rectified and concentrated must (MCR)

- Production of MCR; ion exchange resins.

- chemical-physical characteristics of MCR

- Concentrated must; muted must

6 - Brewing

- Legal definitions and framework (homebrewing, agricultural brewers, etc)

- Beer production

Malt production: barley seed composition, starch composition, germination, drying and toasting. Pale and dark malt.

Wort production: milling, influence of water, decoction and infusion, filtration, worth boiling, hopping, whirlpool, high and low fermentation, secondary fermentation, fining/maturation and bottling.

Readings/Bibliography

Slides from the lessons, downloadable for UNIBO students from VIRTUALE (https://virtuale.unibo.it/).

 

Other books for personal deepening:

Handbook Of Enology : Principles, Practices And Recent Innovations  Volume 1 - Chapter 31: Sparkling Wine Production- Editor V. K. Joshi, Asiatech Publishers Inc, 2011 ISBN: 818-7-680-245

F. Mencarelli, P. Tonutti. Sweet, Reinforced and Fortified Wines -
Grape Biochemistry, Technology and Vinification, 2013, Wiley ISBN 978-0-470-67224-2

ROGER BARTH, THE CHEMISTRY OF BEER -The Science in the Suds -2013, Wiley ISBN 978-1-118-67497-

Teaching methods

Apart from frontal teaching lessons, seminars will be held by consultants or researcher from other universities

Assessment methods

The course is part of a modular course entitled: ENOLOGY.

At the end of the course, a writtten test will be held, based on 12 questions with multiple choice and 3 open questions. Each correct answer gives 1.75 or 3 points (depending if mulple choice or open questions) to sum 30 points as a total.

Students can improve their grade via oral examination during the summer session (June and July).

Off-course students or who haven't taken the exam will be examined during the official sessions via oral exams.

During the COVID lock-down, all the exams will be held on-line by means of ZOOM or TEAMS platforms.

Teaching tools

PowerPoint slides and on-line tools provided by the IOL platform from UNIBO.

Office hours

See the website of Fabio Chinnici