Full course revision flashcards
This deck of flashcards will help you revise the content of the WSET Level 1 in Wines textbook.
Name the 2 key elements found in the skin of the grape.
Colour
Tannins
Is the colour of the pulp of the grape different in white and black grapes?
No. The pulp is the same in both (colourless)
Name the 3 key elements found in the pulp of the grape.
Water
Sugar
Acid
For alcoholic fermentation to take place, what 2 elements are needed?
Sugar
Yeast
Other than alcohol, what else is created during alcoholic fermentation?
Carbon dioxide
What happens to the water content in the grapes at the beginning of ripening?
The small, hard green grapes swell with water
What happens to the sugar levels in the grapes during ripening?
Sugar levels rise
What happens to the acid levels in the grapes during ripening?
Acid levels fall
What happens to the flavours of the grapes during ripening?
Flavours become riper
What happens to the colour of the grapes during ripening?
-white grapes?
-black grapes?
-White grapes change in colour from green to golden
-Black grapes change in colour from green to purple
True or false: each individual flower on a vine in spring has the potential of becoming a grape.
True.
Grapes are hard and green at this stage.
Between which latitudes do grape vines grow best?
30-50 degrees north and south
In what climate are average temperatures low and sunlight weaker?
Cool climate
In what climate can grapes sometimes struggle to ripen?
Cool climate
In what climate is average temperature high and sunlight more intense?
Warm climate
Which climate will produce wines with lower levels of acidity?
Warm climate
Which climate will produce wines with riper fruit flavours?
Warm climate
Which climate will produce wines with potentially lower levels of alcohol?
Cool climate (because the grapes will have less sugar, which means less sugar to be converted to alcohol)
Can white wine be made from black grapes? Explain.
Yes. The colour is found in the skin of the grape. If black grapes are pressed very gently before fermentation, the juice will be suitable for white wine production.
Place these words in the correct order for the production of white wines:
-Fermentation
-Pressing
-Maturation
-Crushing
-Bottling
-Crushing
-Pressing
-Fermentation
-Maturation
-Bottling
Place these words in the correct order for the production of red wines:
-Pressing
-Fermentation
-Draining
-Crushing
-Bottling
-Maturation
-Crushing
-Fermentation
-Draining
-Pressing
-Maturation
-Bottling
True or false: In rose wine production, the juice is drained from the skins after only a few hours and fermentation continues without the skins.
True
True or false: for red wines, the black grapes are crushed and then pressed before fermentation.
False. The skins of the black grapes are needed during fermentation (colour, tannins). The grapes are crushed and both the juice and skins are placed in the fermentation vessel.
Can fermentation take place in oak barrels or is oak only for the maturation stage?
Yes, wine can be fermented in oak barrels.
What makes a sparkling wine fizzy?
Carbon dioxide created during fermentation which is trapped in the wine.
True or false: sparkling wines are only made in France.
False. Sparkling wines are made all over the world. (However, a sparkling wine can only be called Champagne if it comes form the Champagne region in France).
What gets added to wine to make it a fortified wine?
Alcohol
What is the alcohol range for fortified wines?
a. 8% to 15%
b. 11.5% to 14%
c. 15% to 22%
c. 15% to 22%
True or false: red wine can be made using white grapes.
False. Red wines need black grapes to provide colour (which is found in the skins).
What is a dry wine? And how is it made?
A wine with no or very low levels of sugar.
The yeast convert all of the sugar in the grape juice into alcohol.
Name some examples of dry white wines from France.
Chablis
Sancerre
Burgundy (white)
Name an example of dry red wine from Spain.
Rioja
What are the 2 ways of making a wine with medium levels of sweetness?
-yeast removed before all the sugar is converted into alcohol
-unfermented grape juice is added to the wine
Name 2 examples of wines with medium levels of sweetness.
White Zinfandel
German Riesling (some)
What are the 2 key ways of making a sweet wine?
-The grapes are so high in sugar that the yeast stop fermenting before all the sugar is consumed
-Yeast are killed by the addition of high-strenght distilled spirit (fortified wines) before they have consumed all the sugar
Name an example of a sweet wine from France.
Sauternes
Name an example of a fortified wine which is always sweet.
Port
(Sherry isn’t always sweet, it can also be dry)
What element of wine gives it a refreshing characteristic and makes your mouth water?
Acidity
Name some grape varieties which produce wines high in acidity.
Sauvignon Blanc
Riesling
Cabernet Sauvignon
Pinot Noir
Why is acidity very important in sweet wines?
It balances the sweetness and stops a wine from tasting unpleasantly sweet.
What notable structural characteristic in red wine comes from the grape’s skin?
Tannins
What effect do tannins have in the mouth when tasting wine?
They cause the mouth to feel dry
Name 2 examples of red wines from France which are low in tannins.
Burgundy (red)
Beaujolais
Name some examples of red wines which are high in tannins.
Chianti (Italy)
Bordeaux (France)
What is the alcohol range for still wines?
And what is the alcohol of most still wines?
8% to 15%
Most still wines are between 11.5% and 14% abv
Name an example of still red wine with high alcohol.
Chateauneuf-du-Pape
Name an example of a still wine with low alcohol.
White Zinfandel
What is the term used to describe the overall feel of the wine in the mouth, using the sense of touch?
Body
Give examples of light bodied wines.
Pinot Grigio
Beaujolais
Give examples of medium bodied wines.
Cotes du Rhone
Sancerre
Give examples of full bodied wines.
Sauternes
Cabernet Sauvignon from California
What flavours can oak add to wine?
Cedar
Cloves
Coconut
Vanilla
Describe the style of Chardonnay from a COOL climate
-acidity
-body
-fruit flavours and aromas
-high acidity
-light to medium body
-green fruit (apple) and citrus (lemon)
Describe the style of Chardonnay from a WARM climate
-acidity
-body
-fruit flavours and aromas
-medium acidity
-medium to full body
-stone fruit (peach) and tropical fruit (pineapple, banana)
Are Chablis wines typically oaked or unoaked?
Unoaked.
Which 2 grape varieties are used in Champagne?
Chardonnay
Pinot Noir
Describe the style of wine made from Sauvignon Blanc:
-acidity
-fruit flavours and aromas
-High acidity
-Green fruit (apple), citrus (lemon, grapefruit), herbaceous notes (asparagus, green capsicum, cut grass)
Are wines made from Sauvignon Blanc typically aged in oak?
No
Describe the style of wine made from Pinot Grigio:
-acidity
-body
-fruit flavours and aromas
-high acidity
-light body
simple flavours of pear and lemon
Describe the style of wine made from Riesling:
-acidity
-fruit flavours and aromas
-high acidity
-Can range from floral and green fruit (apple) to citrus (lemon, lime), to stone fruit (peach, apricot)
Are wines made with Riesling typically oaked or unoaked?
Unoaked
Are wines made from Riesling always sweet?
No, they can be dry, medium or sweet
Name 3 countries famous for producing Riesling.
France (Alsace)
Germany
Australia
Describe the style of wine made from Cabernet Sauvignon:
-acidity
-tannins
-flavours and aromas
-high acidity
-high tannins
-black fruit (blackberry, black cherry) and herbaceous notes (green capsicum, mint), vanilla and cedar from oak
Describe the style of wine made from Merlot:
-acidity
-tannins
-flavours and aromas
-medium acidity
-medium tannins
-red fruits (strawberry, plum), black fruit (blackberry, black cherry), vanilla from oak
Outside of Europe, which countries are well known for their production of Cabernet Sauvignon?
USA (California)
Australia
Chile
South Africa
Outside of Europe, which countries are well known for their production of Merlot?
Chile
USA (California)
Describe the style of wine made from Pinot Noir:
-acidity
-tannins
-flavours and aromas
-high acidity
-low to medium tannins
-red fruit (strawberry, red cherry, raspberry), vanilla from oak
Describe the style of wine made from Syrah/Shiraz:
-acidity
-tannins
-flavours and aromas
-medium acidity
-medium to high tannins
-black fruit (black berry, black cherry), spice (black pepper, liquorice), vanilla/coconut from oak
Which wine will be fuller in body: Northern Rhone or Australian Shiraz?
Australian Shiraz. Northern Rhone is medium bodied.
Which grape variety is used in Chablis?
Chardonnay
Which grape variety is used in Sancerre?
Sauvignon Blanc
Which grape varieties are used in red Bordeaux?
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot
Which grape variety is used in WHITE Burgundy?
Chardonnay
Which grape variety is used in RED Burgundy?
Pinot Noir
Which grape variety is used in Northern Rhone?
Syrah/Shiraz
What grape variety is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon to add softness and body to the wine?
Merlot
How should wines be stored for long term storage?
At constant and cool temperature
When storing wine, what should they be kept away from to avoid the wine tasting stale and old?
Strong sunshine and bright artificial sunlight
How should a wine sealed under cork be stored to ensure the corks doesn’t dry out and let air into the bottle?
On its side
What should an ice bucket be filled with to keep a wine cold?
Ice AND water
What is the recommended service temperature for sweet wines?
Well chilled
What is the recommended service temperature for Sparkling wines
Well chilled
What is the recommended service temperature for light and medium bodied whites and rose?
Chilled
What is the recommended service temperature for full bodied whites?
Lightly chilled
What is the recommended service temperature for medium to full-bodied red?
Room temperature
What is the recommended service temperature for light-bodied red?
Lightly chilled
If a red wine is too cold, how should you bring it up to room temperature?
Place it in the room where it will be served and allow it to rise naturally in temperature. Never heat up the wine.
Which wine glass is typically larger? White or red wine glass?
Red wine glass
Why should wine glasses be polished before use?
To remove any lingering dirt or finger marks
What are the 2 main ways of keeping a wine fresh? How do they work?
Vacuum system (a pump removes air from inside the bottle)
Blanket system (system pumps a gas into the bottle which pushed air out)
When serving a wine, what should you LOOK for in the appearance of the wine to ensure it isn’t faulty?
Check for haziness
Check that there are no bits floating in the wine
What aromas in a wine will indicated faultiness?
Stale smell or taste
Wet cardboard
Vinegar
Which 2 elements in food can make a wine seem:
more drying and bitter, more acidic, less sweet and fruity?
Sweet
Umami
Which 2 elements in food can make a wine seem less drying and bitter, less acidic, more fruity, more body?
Salty
Acidic
What effect can fatty or oily food have on wine?
Make the wine seem less acidic
What effect can chilli have on wine?
The alcohol in the wine seems more noticeable. Also, wine can increase the heat from the chilli.
