Cram.com deck Flashcards
What information on the wine label is important to review before accepting a wine in a restaurant?
- Who made the wine
- Where it was made
- When it was made (vintage year)
- What is in the bottle (grape variety)
- Possibly some indication of special handling, ranking, or classification
What are steps in the ritual of wine service in a restaurant and how should one proceed before accepting a wine?
“• Presentation, uncorking, poured taste, then service to entire table
• Smell and taste to ensure no defects are noticeably present”
What are generally accepted reasons for sending a bottle of wine back in a restaurant? "• Defective odors: • Sulfur dioxide • Hydrogen sulfide • Mercaptans • Oxidized • Maderized • Corked • Dekkera/Brettanomyces • Sorbate • Pediococcus
“• Defective odors:
• Sulfur dioxide—stinging sensation in the nasal passage
• Hydrogen sulfide—rotten eggs
• Mercaptans—essence of skunk and rotting cabbage
• Oxidized—bland, loss of flavor
• Maderized—cooked, sherry-like with nutty flavors
• Corked—musty, moldy
• Dekkera/Brettanomyces—horsey smell and bitter metallic taste
• Sorbate—bubble gum smell
• Pediococcus—dirty socks”
What are generally accepted reasons for sending a bottle of wine back in a restaurant?
“• Defective odors:
• Sulfur dioxide—stinging sensation in the nasal passage
• Hydrogen sulfide—rotten eggs
• Mercaptans—essence of skunk and rotting cabbage
• Oxidized—bland, loss of flavor
• Maderized—cooked, sherry-like with nutty flavors
• Corked—musty, moldy
• Dekkera/Brettanomyces—horsey smell and bitter metallic taste
• Sorbate—bubble gum smell
• Pediococcus—dirty socks”
How does the temperature of a wine affect its taste?
• Affects crispness and acidity
What are the major differences between how white and red wines are made?
• Red wine’s grape skins kept and incorporated, white wine not aged as long as red
Which VITICULTURAL (grape growing) and VINICULTURAL (winemaking) practices effect a wine’s concentration, quality, flavor and price?
“• Viticultural:
• Microclimate (rain, average daily temperature, number of daylight hours, length of growing season), site (soil, slope, elevation, drainage, orientation to sun), marginal climates sometimes produce unique wines but vintage variation is different
• Vinicultural:
• Wine making (science and skill), equipment and facilities ($$$), production capacity and demand”
What do the various grape components contribute to the finished wine?
• Growth of the vines, life of the grape, ripeness of the grape in harvest (contributes to residual sugar, alcohol content which then contributes to body)
What are the major components in wine and how do these influence taste, texture, and shelf life?
“• Alcohol: Body, mouth-feel, and storage life
• Light bodied—7-10%; medium bodied—10-12%; full bodied—12-14.5%
• Organic Acids: crispness, structure, and balance
• Low acidity—flabby, flat taste; correct acidity—crisp, fresh, lively taste; excess acidity—green, harsh, sour taste
• Water: Body
• Residual sugar: Taste, acidity”
How does the winemaker shape or adjust various components in wine?
• Through acidification, chaptalization, amelioration
Appearance of wines
Brilliant, clear, dull, cloudy, precipitated
Smell/Bouquet
Fragrances developed in the wine making and aging process
Taste
Sweet/sour/salt/bitter
Four stages of taste
Attack (introduction), evolution, finish, aftertaste
“Varietal Characteristics:
Chardonnay”
Apple, toasty, vanilla, lemon, sweet clove, buttery or creamy, figs, melons, coconuts, tea, pear, flinty; aged chardonnays: peach, pineapple, sage honey
“Varietal Characteristics:
Riesling”
Fruity, apricot, peach, green apple, floral, lemon, tropical lushness
“Varietal Characteristics:
Viognier”
Lime, kiwi, guava, apricot, acacia, anise
“Varietal Characteristics:
Cabarnet Sauvignon”
Herbaceous, tea, green olives, currants, cassis, bell pepper, spicy
“Varietal Characteristics:
Merlot”
Herbaceous, tea, floral, violet, roses, bell pepper, black pepper, cassis, cherry, peppermint, chocolate
“Varietal Characteristics:
Pinot Noir”
Cherries, wild violets, strawberries, roast coffee, earthy, pepper, leathery, mushrooms, chocolate, berries, pomegranate, caramelized sugar