Chapter 2 - Tasting Wine

Question 1

2 components of volatile acidity wine fault

Answer 1

1. acetic acid: vinegar taint
2. ethyl acetate: nail polish remover smell

Question 2

2 components to consider when smelling wine – evaluating the wine’s “bouquet”

Answer 2

1. Primary aromas: the actual scents associated with the grape (and all its environmental effects)
2. Secondary or tertiary aromasa: more complex aromas that emerge from chemical changes of fermentation, aging (barrel and/or bottle, and through various winemaking techniques, to culminate in what is known as the wine’s bouquet.

Question 3

2 reasons to smell wine by taking quick sniffs, making an assessment, and moving on, rather than sniffing a single wine for an extended period

Answer 3

Fatigue: When smelling an aroma for a long time, the nose will be come less sensitive to other smells
Adaptation: When smelling an aroma for a long time, the nose will stop sensing that aroma

Question 4

2 ways that tannin helps wine age

Answer 4

1. acting as a natural preservative
2. suppressing oxidation

Question 5

6 wine faults

Answer 5

1. Volatile acidity
2. Cork taint
3. Heat damage
4. Sulfur
5. Acetaldehyde
6. Brettanomyces

Question 6

Acetaldehyde fault

Answer 6

a darkening or browning appearance caused by over-oxidation

Question 7

Brettanomyces fault

Answer 7

Mold present on grapes used to make the wine; results in a “horse saddle” aroma and flavor

Question 8

Cause of sedimentation in red wines

Answer 8

Tannin (in combination with color pigment) polymerizes

Question 9

Chemical associated with “corked wine”

Answer 9

2,4,6 trichloroanisole (TCA); result of mold present when barrels treated with chlorine; wet cardboard or wet dog smell

Question 10

Definition of “flat” or “flabby” wine

Answer 10

White wine: lacking in adequate acidity
Red wine: lacking in acid and/or tannin

Question 11

definition of “maderized”

Answer 11

term for heat damaged wine; brownish rim around white or red wine; caramel taste

Question 12

Factors that cause a white wine to have a green-to-straw-yellow color

Answer 12

1. Is youthful
2. Was aged in stainless steel
3. Made from grapes grown in cold climates

Question 13

Mercaptans fault

Answer 13

strong cabbage or onion skin smell

Question 14

Steps in wine tasting

Answer 14

1. Look
2. Smell
3. Taste
4. Spit or swallow

Question 15

Sulfur fault

Answer 15

perception of of rotten eggs or burnt matches or prickly sensation in nose when smelling wine

Question 16

Taste types/components

Answer 16

1. Sweet (tip of tongue)
2. Sour (mid sides of tongue)
3. Salty (not usually tasted in wine except Manzanilla Sherry)
4. Bitter (back of tongue)
5. Umami (not typically discussed when tasting wine)

Question 17

Three components to evaluate when looking / visually examining wine

Answer 17

When tilting glass and looking at wine against a white background
1. Clarity (particles, cloudiness)
2. Density or intensity of color at center of wine
3. Hue of color: evaluate color at rim / edge of the wine

Question 18

Types of tannin

Answer 18

1. condensed tannin (or unripe tannin): present in skins, seeds and stems; tends to taste slightly harsh on the palate (particularly if the grapes were harvested too soon before they had an adequate chance to ripen); less likely to benefit and soften from aeration associated with aging and decanting.
2. hydrolyzable tannin (or ripe tannin): extracted through oak barrels; softens from aeration during the aging process

Question 19

U.S. laws / threshold for labeling wine “contains sulfites”

Answer 19

> = 10 PPM

Question 20

wine flavor duration

Answer 20

0-5s = short
6-10s = medium
>= 10s = long