1 - SAT Flashcards
What’s the purpose of the SAT?
- The accurately describe a wine.
2. To use that description to make reasonable assumptions about the wine.
What considerations should be taken when tasting wine?
- Lighting (to see colour/hazy/sediment/intensity)
- Space (for glassware, notes
- No strong odours (perfume, strong flavours)
- Glassware (Bowled bass, tapered sides)
- Hydration (Impairs ability to taste accurately)
- Spitoon
- Clean Palate (Toothpaste, strong flavours)
- Notation Instruments.
What’s the difference between lemon and gold?
Gold has a hint of orange in it.
Whats the difference between purple, ruby, garnet and tawny?
Purple has a blue hue.
Ruby is Red
Garnet has a hint of orange/brown but is still mostly red.
Tawny has a hint of orange/brow n and is mostly brown
Brown has no red hue.
What is salmon?
Salmon has a hint of orange.
What is the mnemonic for remembering red colours?
P.urple R.ubies G.arner T.enacious B.ooties
What might petillance be indicative of?
A fault (MLF or re-fermentation in the bottle.)
What types of wine is petillance added to as a featuere and why?
Light bodied, unoaked whites to add freshness and texture.
Name 7 faults with wine and how they are identified.
- TCA (Trichloroanisole) - Corked - Difficult to detect at low levels. Wet cardboard smell. Muted fruit and the wine smells less fresh.
- Reduction - Stinky character. Rotten eggs, boiled cabbage, boiled onions, blocked drains. Pleasant at low level s adding character and complexity. May dissipate once wine is opened.
- Oxidation - Deeper colour, more brown than should be. Aroma of toffee, honey, caramel or coffee. Lacking in freshness and fruitiness. Failure of closure.
- Volatile Acidity - Nail polish remover/vinegar. Low levels make wines seem fragrant and complex.
- Brettanomyces - Yeast. Gives wine plastic/animal smells. Sticking plasters, hot vinyl, smoked meat, leather, sweating horses. Some enjoy.
- SO2 - Highest in sweet wines. Gives acrid smell of extinguished matches. Low levels: masks fruit. Insufficient levels leads to oxidation.
- Out of Condition - Lost vibrancy and freshness. Taste dull and stale. Too old or badly stored.
Name 3 types of wine that are described as dry but are actually off-dry?
Dry Alsacian Gewurztraminers
Brut Champagne
Inexpensive Reds and Whites
Name 3 types of acids in wine and their source
Malic and Tartaric Acid from grapes
Lactic Acid from MLF bacteria.
Whats the difference between VA and acids found naturally in wine.
Wine acids are odourless, unlike VA which smells like nail polish remover or vinegar.
What do tannins do in the mouth? And what effect does this create?
They bind to saliva and leave mouth feeling dry and rough.
What do tannins contribute to a wine?
They add to the textural richness of a wine.
What is the difference between ripe and unripe tannins?
Ripe tannins add velvety richness to a wine whereas unripe tannins are more aggressively astringent.
