The Beer Brewer

Sherry type wines produced outside Spain often utilize different production techniques than those described in previous sections.

A baking process is employed in to produce Sherry wines in California and Australia. Base wine is produced from red or white varieties with a pH of 3.6 and fermented to dryness. Fortification of the wine occurs (with neutral spirit), to a level dependant upon style, before being filled into tanks and exposed to a heat source (49°C) for a month, which may be a heated room or steam filled coil inserted within the barrel. Oxidation of the wine rapidly occurs, (particularly if oxygen is introduced in the system) which lead caramelisation of the wine and the production of Maillard type compounds that color the wine. Similarly oxidation of ethanol occurs, leading to the formation of required acetaldehyde. There is little or no loss of volatile and total acids during this process. The coarse/strong flavors produced by baking require maturation of the wine, often in oak barrels, for a period of six months. Quality Sherry styles may receive up to three years maturation. Blending and sweetening with fortified grape juice occurs prior to bottling.

Submerged culture type processes are used to produce Sherry style wine in Australia, although some non blended solera type wine is produced. Base wine of pH 3.2 is fortified to 15% alcohol, inoculated with flor yeast and added to a vessel equipped with aeration and agitation devices, to continually disperse the suspended yeast throughout the whole volume of wine rather than allowing a film to form. Temperature is maintained around 15°C. This system rapidly creates high acetaldehyde levels.

Fortification again occurs, post flor treatment, raising alcohol to 17 – 19%, before the wine is blended with baked sherry types, on account of its lack of complexity.

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