Chapter 10

Question 1

T/F: Tasting dessert wines requires careful pacing because those wines are all higher in alcohol content than table wines.

Answer 1

False, on two counts: First, only fortified dessert wines are higher in alcohol content than table wines, and second, the stronger flavors and high sugar contents of dessert wines are also fatiguing to the palate-in addition to the alcohol content of the fortified wines.

Question 2

T/F: When tasting dessert wines, take small sips to avoid palate fatigue.

Answer 2

False, You can take big sips if you spit, cleanse your palate more often, and take more breaks

Question 3

You would expect a Sauternes-style California late-harvest wine to be made from which grape varieties?
A. Gewurztraminer and Sylvaner
B. Sauvignon Blanc and/or Semillon
C. White Riesling
D. Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc
E. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay

Answer 3

Sauvignon Blanc and/or Semillon

Question 4

T/F: Color that extends all the way to the rim reflects deeper color intensity and is associated with greater overall flavor concentration and quality in ports.

Answer 4

True for ports and wines in general

Question 5

Why is it especially important to catch your first impressions when tasting port? ____

Answer 5

It’s because with repeated sniffing the alcohol will begin to interfere with your ability to smell

Question 6

What textures should you expect in a young port and an old port?

Answer 6

A young port- or young red table wine for that matter- should be astringent because it posses tannins for longevity and an olde wine should be velvety smooth because the tannins have polymerized, softening the texture and ,very likely, forming a sediment

Question 7

T/F: Compared to a glass of plain water, an alcohol solution should seem sweeter, smoother, heavier, and warm?

Answer 7

True

Question 8

Why do winemakers dilute wine spirits with water when they taste them?

Answer 8

For two reasons: 1. The high alcohol content of wine spirits can interfere with a winemaker’s–or anyone else’s–odor perception 2. Diluting a solution that has a high concentration of alcohol changes the spectrum of perceptible odors. The spirits will be diluted in the wine and must be diluted for tasting to observe the “new odor spectrum” that will be part of the wine