CSW Prep - Wine Defined Flashcards
What are the basic steps to categorizing wine?
(1) Red vs. White
(2) Sweet vs. Dry
(3) Sparkling vs. Non-sparkling
Sensation.
An organism’s nuerological response to stimulus in the environment..
Perception
Brain’s interpretation of the information gathered by the senses
Sensory stimulus
Any chemical, physical or thermal activator that can produce a response in a sense receptor.
Individual Detection Threshold
Smallest amount of stimulus necessary to trigger an unidentifiable sensation.
Typically genetically set.
Individual Recognition Threshold
Smallest amount of stimulus required to trigger an IDENTIFIABLE sensation.
Can be lowered with practice and focus while tasting.
What is the first sense used to examine wine?
Sight
COLOR: Wine that is very pale yellow greens means?
Young white table wines from COOL growing regions
and
Whites made from grapes that have no reached optimal ripeness and maturity.
COLOR: wine that is deep golden yellow means?
In Older Whites;
In young whites from WARM growing regions;
and
In white wines that have spent some time in a barrel.
COLOR: Inky purples
Young reds.
COLOR: Brick red tones
Older, mature reds.
COLOR: Ruby-orange highlights
High-acid reds
COLOR: Black-blue highlights
Low-acid reds
How does the nose affect taste?
This is because the flavors that are experienced are primarily due to ODORS that reach the nose when the wine is held in the mouth.
Olfactory Epithelium
Sensory organ for the sense of smell
How does air get to the olfatory epithelium?
Two ways:
(1) Directly through nostrils
(2) Indirectly through the mouth and rear nasal passages as wine is held
SMELL: If the wine is cold - how can you release more odor?
Hold cold wine in their hand (rather than by stem) to warm the wine and release more odorous molecules.
SMELL: Briefly describe the smelling technique.
Swirl wine to increase surface area and sniff with nose in glass.
What are the five sensory properties of taste?
(1) Sweet
(2) Sour
(3) Bitter
(4) Salty
(5) Umami
What are the primary yields of taste in wine is?
Sweet, sour and bitter.
Unami?
Commonly referred to as protein taste, Japanese term for “savory or delicious.’
What foods commonly have the unami taste?
Ketchup, dried or aged foods such as beef or cheese.
Taste is rare in wine.
T or F: Humans are most sensitive to bitterness and least sensitive to sweetness.
True.
What is body?
Thickness or viscosity of the wine.
What wine characteristics are typically picked up via touch sensors in nose/mouth?
Viscosity Dissolved Gas Texture Serving Temperature Astringency Heat from alcohol Sulfur dioxide content.
Astringent
Generally - bitter/mouth drying sensation
Found in young red wines with high tannin levels
What is the mouth dry sensation of tannin like?
Drying, astringent.
Moderate tannin does well to cut richness of fatty meal.
What sensory systems are triggered with high alcohol content?
Tactile (hot sensation); gustatory (sweet sensation); and Olfactory (penetrating, pungent odor).
Tasting Order: White or red?
White before red.
Tasting Order: Dry or sweet?
Dry before sweet.
Tasting Order: Young or old?
Young before old.
Tasting Order: Fine or modest?
Modest before fine.
Tasting Order: light or full bodied?
Light bodied before full bodied.
Tasting Order: light young red or full bodied sweet white.
Light young red BEFORE full bodied sweet white.
What are the tasting procedures?
Appearance, color, smell, taste
In-Mouth Impressions: Flavor, taste and touch?
Taste small amount, allow to warm in mouth, draw some air.
Note acidity, presence or absence of sweetness, balance, body/weight, astringency.
What are the major categories of chemicals found in wine?
WAASP!
Water Alcohol Acid Sugar Phenonolic compounds
How much water is in wine?
80-90% water.
What is the typical percentage alcohol?
10-15% by volume.
Common type = ethanol.
