Deductive Tasting Flashcards
Why should you use the Deductive Tasting Method?
The Deductive Tasting Method requires that you taste wine with purpose and pay attention to what is being tasted. This will help develop your olfactory senses and your taste memory.
What are the five criteria of the Deductive Tasting Method?
Sensory Evaluation
- Sight
- Nose
- Palate
Theoretical Deduction
- Initial Conclusion
- Final Conclusion
How do you evaluate the Sight of a wine?
- Clarity/Visible Sediment
- Concentration of Color
- Color
- Secondary Color and Hues
- Rim Variation
- Color Extract and Staining
- Tearing
- Gas Bubbles
What is the scale for Clarity/Visible Sediment?
Clear/Hazy/Turbid
What causes the sediment in red wines?
Color pigment and tannin precipitate or fall out as red wine ages.
What causes sediment in white wines?
Tartaric acid crystals sometimes fall out of solution (can be removed through filtration or cold stabilization).
What impacts the Concentration of Color in a white wine?
- Age of the wine
- Oxidation
What impacts the Concentration of Color in a red wine?
- Grape Variety
- Color Extraction
- Age
What is the scale for Concentration of Color?
Pale/Medium/Deep
What types of clues can the color of a wine provide?
- Age - Although aged wines tend to be darker in hue than young ones,this can be tricky since some grape varieties have natural colors that may look aged even when youthful.
- Storage Conditions - Has the wine oxidized or turned darker due to being in a warm environment?
- Possibly Grape Variety
What is the color scale for white wine?
What is the color scale for red wine?
What secondary hues do you look for in white wine?
- Silver
- Green
- Copper (brassy tones)
What secondary hues do you look for in red wine?
- Ruby
- Garnet
- Orange
- Brown
- Blue
Define Rim Variation.
The color difference between the wine at its core and edge.
What does rim variation indicate?
Rim variation often indicates age. The older the wine, the more variation there is likely to be. Youthful red wines may also show a slight rim variation, with bright pink, almost fuchsia-like hues at the edge.
What causes color extract and staining?
- Warm Climate
- Highly pigmented grape variety
- Winemaker choices during vinification
What causes tearing?
- Alcohol and/or residual sugar
- Oxygen
- The glass itself
What do thick, slow moving tear mean?
Higher level of alcohol.
What is the scale for tearing?
Light/Medium/Heavy
What forms gas bubbles in a wine?
Some wines may retain a small amount of carbon dioxide (CO²) when bottled.
What can gas bubbles tell you about a wine?
- Flawed from secondary fermentation.
- Bottled very soon after fermentation at cool temperatures.
- Bottled under screwcap.
How do you evaluate the nose of a wine?
- Clean or Faulty
- Intensity of Aromas
- Age Assessment
- Fruit Aromas
- Fruit Character
- Non-Fruit Character
- Earth and Mineral Character
- Wood/Oak
Our sense of smell accounts for ___% of our awareness of flavor.
85%
What are possible flaws in the smell of a wine?
- Trichloroanisole (“TCA”) / Corkiness
- Oxidation
- Volatile Acidity (“VA”)
- Ethyl Acetate (“EA”)
- Excess Sulfur Dioxide (SO²)
- Brettanomyces (“Brett”)
- Hydrogen Sulfide (H²S)
Scale for Intensity of Aromas?
Low (delicate) / Moderate / High (powerful)
Scale for Age Assessment?
- Youthful: Young, bright, primary fresh fruit aromas.
- Developing: Beginning to show signs of age.
- Vinous: Signs of age and oxidation.
What causes Trichloroanisole (“TCA”) / Corkiness and how does it impact a wine?
Can be caused by corks, barrels, or entire winery tainted by TCA compound. Makes wine smell like wet, moldy cardboard or musty old newspaper.
What causes oxidation and how does it impact a wine?
- Caused by age or poor storage conditions.
- More muted and dried-out aromas than fruit scents.
- Can develop bitter flavors with continued exposure to air.
What is Volatile Acidity (“VA”) and how does it impact a wine?
Catch-all term for presence of acetic acid, the main component in vinegar. It is produced in wine when the bacteria acetobacter (or certain wild yeasts) and oxygen are present during fermentation. Imparts vinegary aromas on the wine.
What is Ethyl Acetate (“EA”) and how does it impact a wine?
EA forms from the reaction of ethanol and acetic acid. Imparts distinct aroma of acetone or nail-polish remover.
What is excess Sulfur Dioxide (SO²) and how does it impact a wine?
SO² is commonly used during the winemaking process. Too much can impart aromas of struck matchstick or wet wool.
What is Brettanomyces (“Brett”) and how does it impact a wine?
This is a yeast growth that gives a wine aromas ranging from smoke, cloves, and spice to Band-Aids and manure.
What is Hydrogen Sulfide (H²S) and how does it impact a wine?
H²S is a consequence of inadequate yeast nutrition during fermentation and can give wines unpleasant aromas of onion, rubber, or rotten eggs.
What are the five primary fruit descriptors for white wine?
- Citrus: Lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, tangerine
- Apple / Pear: Green, red, or yellow apples, pears
- Stone / Pit Fruit: Peach, nectarine, apricot
- Tropical: Pineapple, mango, papaya, passion fruit
- Melon: Cataloupe, honeydew
What are the three primary fruit descriptors for red wine?
- Red Fruit: Cherry, raspberry, red plum, cranberry, strawberry, pomegranate
- Black Fruit: Blackberry, black cherry, black plum, blackcurrant
- Blue Fruit: Blueberry, boysenberry
What are the nine primary conditions or characters of fruit?
- Ripe
- Fresh
- Tart
- Baked
- Stewed / Cooked
- Dried
- Desiccated
- Bruised
- Jammy / Preserves
What are the nine primary non-fruit characters of wine?
- Floral Aromas
- Vegetal Aromas
- Herbal or Green Aromas
- Spices
- Animal or Barnyard
- Petrol
- Fermentation
- Botrytis
- Leather/Tobacco
What are some possible earth descriptors?
- Forest floor
- Compost
- Mushroom / truffle
- Potting Soil
- Fresh-turned earth
What are some possible mineral descriptors?
- Wet stone
- Limestone
- Chalk
- Slate
- Flint
What are some possible oak descriptors?
- Cedar
- Toast
- Smoke
- Dried Baking Spics (cinnamon, clove, allspice, nutmeg)
- Vanilla
- Dill
- Coconut
- Sawdust
What aromas and flavors are unique to New Oak?
- Toast
- Smoke
- Baking Spices
- Vanilla
What aromas and flavors are unique to French Oak?
- Vanilla Bean
- Dried Baking Spices
- Cedar
What aromas and flavors are unique to American Oak?
- Caramel
- Vanilla Extract
- Dill / Dried Herbs
- Coconut
List the Structure and Other Elements criteria. (10)
- Sweetness/Dryness
- Phenolic Bitterness
- Tannin
- Acidity
- Alcohol
- Body
- Texture
- Balance
- Length/Finish
- Complexity
Scale for Sweetness/Dryness?
Bone Dry / Dry / Off-Dry / Medium-Sweet / Sweet / Lusciously Sweet
Scale for Phenolic Bitterness?
Yes or No (does the wine taste bitter)
Scale for Tannin?
Low / Medium - / Medium / Medium + / High
Scale for Acidity?
Low / Medium - / Medium / Medium + / High
Scale for Alcohol?
Low / Medium - / Medium / Medium + / High
Scale for Body?
Light / Medium / Full
Scale for Texture?
Lean / Round / Creamy / Other Textures
How do you describe Balance when evaluating wine on the palate?
Does any structural element dominate the others? If so, the wine may not be in balance.
Scale for Length/Finish?
Short / Medium - / Medium / Medium + / Long
Scale for Complexity?
Low / Medium - / Medium / Medium + / High
What decisions should you make in your initial conclusion?
- Possible Grape Varieties (using markers for classic styles)
- Old World or New World (fruit vs earth/mineral/non-fruit)
- Climate (warm or cool cause/effect on palate)
- Possible Countries (classically, which regions make wine like this?
- Age Range (color, rim variation, youth vs vinous aromas and flavors, quality of texture and finish)
What should your final conclusion include?
- Grape Variety or Blend
- Country, Region, Appellation. Appellation quality level if appropriate (i.e. Burgundy: Village vs 1er Cru vs Grand Cru)
- Vintage
