Foundation Day 2

Question 1

State the purpose of swirling the glass

Answer 1

This helps separate the aromas in the wine, enriching the smelling and tasting experience.

Question 2

Explain why white wine is not chilled

Answer 2

Flavors may become muted.

Question 3

Name the five tastes that are discernible on the human palate

Answer 3

1. Sweet
2. Sour
3. Umami
4. Bitter
5. Salty

Question 4

Explain the concepts of habituation and anosmia

Answer 4

Habituation: the diminishing of a physiological or emotional response to a frequently repeated stimulus.

Anosmia: the loss of the sense of smell, either total or partial. It may be caused by head injury, infection, or blockage of the nose.

Question 5

Explain why there is rim variation in a wine

Answer 5

A wide rim variation in a wine can indicate an older wine, whereas a very tight rim variation can show you a very young wine.

Question 6

State the reasons for viscosity/tears in a wine

Answer 6

Indicates high alcohol or sugar content

Question 7

Describe the four steps in the CMS analytical blind wine tasting method

Answer 7

There are four phases or tests: appearance, nose, palate, and conclusion. But before you even start with them you should make sure that there aren’t external factors that might affect your assessment.

Question 8

Name the various sources of tannin in wine

Answer 8

Tannins in wine can come from five sources: grape skins, seeds, stems, oak, and additives.

Question 9

Explain the acronym TCA

Answer 9

TCA is an acronym for the chemical compound 2,4,6-trichloroanisole, which is responsible for the aromas and flavors often called “corkiness” in wine or “cork taint,” though if a winemaking team only looks at corks, they will miss many other places it can hide.

Question 10

Define Brettanomyces (BRET)

Answer 10

Brettanomyces is a non-spore forming genus of yeast in the family Saccharomycetaceae, and is often colloquially referred to as “Brett”.

Question 11

Define volatile acidity (V.A.)

Answer 11

Often referred to as VA, volatile acidity is a measure of a wine’s gaseous acids.