Ch 21 - Sensory Evaluation of Wine Flashcards
Chemical, physical, or thermal activator that can produce a sensory response
Stimulus
Molecules that are able to become airborne
Volatile Compounds
Neurological response to a stimulus in the environment
Sensation
Brain’s interpretation of any information gathered by the senses
Perception
Smallest amount of stimulus necessary to trigger an UN-identifiable sensation
Detection Threshold
Smallest amount of stimulus necessary to trigger an identifiable sensation
Recognition Threshold
Sensory organ for smell
Olfactory Epithelium
Term used for the combination of tastes, aromas, and other sensations experienced in wine
Flavor
Humans are most sensitive to this taste component
Bitter
Humans are least sensitive to this taste component
Sweetness
Taste of glutamic acid; sometimes called the “protein taste”
Umami
What does a very pale yellow/green color suggest about a wine?
Could be a young white wine from a cool growing region, or a white wine made from grapes that haven’t reached optimal ripeness.
What is standard hue for most young dry white wines
Yellow
What does a deep/golden yellow color suggest about wines?
Could be a young white wine from a warmer growing region, could have spent some time in barrels
What does an amber gold color suggest in wine?
May be indicative of a maderized or oxidized white wine
What does an inky purple color suggest in wine?
Could be a young red
What does a brick-red color suggest in wine?
Could be an older, mature red
What does a ruby-orange color suggest in wine?
Could be a high-acid red
What does a black/blue color suggest in wine?
Could be a low-acid red
What does a rust color suggest in wine?
Could be an oxidized red wine
Average recognition threshold for sugar in wine
1%
Very few people would notice sweetness in wine below a residual sugar threshold of what %?
0.5%
Perception of sweetness in wine can be masked by what other factors?
tannins or acidity
How do wine tasters refer to the thickness or viscosity of wine?
as “body”
Way to describe young red wines with high levels of tannin
astringent
How wines with high ABV will be perceived by tasters
May produce a hot tactile sensation, a sweet taste, and for some hypersensitive tasters even a bitter sensation
Size of a standard ISO wine tasting glass
6.5 oz
Longest-lasting taste sensation, often the last to fade
bitterness
related group of wines for tasting
a flight
Description of unfiltered or unfined wines
turbid
Slow, thick tears in a glass can indicate what
high levels of alcohol or high levels of residual sugar
a quick sniff is done first to analyze a wine for what
potential faults or off-odors
What aromas are associated with the recognizable grape variety
Primary aromas
What aromas are associated with the winemaking techniques (e.g. use of oak)
Secondary aromas
Scent of an aged wine (aromas associated with chemical reactions that occur while aging)
Tertiary aromas or “Bouquet”
When is it possible to taste umami in wine?
For wines that have undergone sur lie aging long enough for yeast cells to decompose
Manzanilla Sherry can have this taste component (which is otherwise rare in wines)
Saltiness
Source of the umami taste component
amino acids
