Tasting

Question 1

What are the seven S’s of wine tasting

Answer 1

See
Swirl
Sniff
Sip
Slurp
Swallow/Spit
Summarize

Question 2

How do you determine the intensity of the color of the wine

Answer 2

Look at the watery rim where the inside of the wine touches the side of the glass.

If the rim is thin(deep color) we expect the wine to be more concentrated, if the rim is thick(pale color) we expect the wine to be more diluted.

Question 3

How do you describe the color intensity of the wine. What scale/terms are used

Answer 3

Pale -> Medium -> Deep

With a deep color it tends to saturate most of the surface of the wine, almost all the way to the glass.

Question 4

What colors do you use to describe a white wine

Answer 4

From young to old:

Lemon
Gold
Amber

Question 5

How does oak aging a white wine affect its color

Answer 5

Oak aging a white wine can move the color to Gold even for a young wine.

Question 6

What colors do you use to describe a rose wine

Answer 6

From young to old:

Pink
Salmon
Orange

Question 7

What colors do you use to describe a red wine

Answer 7

From young to old:

Purple
Ruby
Garnet
Torney(brownish color)

Question 8

How can you tell that a wine is oxidized

Answer 8

The wine starts to lose its vibrancy in its color. White wines can turn brownish, red wines can turn russet or orange.
Can smell of brown apple, nail polish remover and vinegar.

Question 9

How can you tell by smell that a wine is corked(has suffered cork damaged)

Answer 9

The wine has a moldy/musty smell.

Question 10

What terms/scale do you use to describe the intensity of the bouquet of a wine

Answer 10

1. Light
2. Medium
3. Pronounced/Lifted(intense)

“It jumps out of the glass”

Question 11

What terms/scale do you use to describe the sweetness of a wine

Answer 11

1. Dry
2. Off-dry
3. Medium
4. Sweet

Question 12

What terms/scale do you use to describe the level of acidity in a wine

Answer 12

1. Low acidity
2. Medium acidity
3. High acidity

Question 13

How does the level of sweetness and level of acidity affect each other

Answer 13

A very acidic wine might taste more medium or off-dry in sweetness even though it is in fact very sweet.

Question 14

How can you tell if a wine is more sweet, or more acidic

Answer 14

Usually you can go by whatever the flavor ends on. So if the wine ends on sweet then it is more sweet than acidic, and vise versa.

Question 15

What terms/scale do you use to describe the amount of tannin in a wine

Answer 15

1. Low
2. Medium
3. High

Question 16

How can you describe the tannins in a wine in more detail

Answer 16

Rough/smooth tannins
Agressive/soft tannins
Silky tannins
Velvet tannins

Question 17

What sensations does the amount and type of tannins in a wine affect

Answer 17

It affects the texture of the wine as well as bitterness. High tannins leaves your mouth/lips feeling dry like if you took a bite out of a bitter seed.

The sensation of dryness can come during different stages of the wine taste, for some wines you feel it right away and for some at the end.

Question 18

What terms/scale do you use to describe the body of the wine

Answer 18

1. Light
2. Medium
3. Full-bodied.

Question 19

How do you determine the body of the wine

Answer 19

Wine body is defined by how heavy and rich a wine tastes. It’s a combination of several factors: grape variety, alcohol level, and even sweetness level.

It’s kind of akin to skim milk vs fatty milk or cream.

Generally speaking, light-bodied red wines have average alcohol levels, lower tannins, and less color. They often taste smooth because of reduced tannin (e.g. they’re less astringent).

• Alcohol Level: Wines above 14% alcohol tend to taste more full-bodied.
• Grape Variety: Certain grape varieties produce more full-bodied wines (see below).
• Oak Aging: Much like Bourbon, wines aged in fresh oak barrels often taste more full-bodied. Wine producers often mention oak aging on the back label.
• Climate Type: As a general rule, grapes grown in warmer climates tend to produce richer, more full-bodied wines (this depends on the producer!).
• Acidity, wines with more acidity tend to taste less full bodied.
• Residual Sugar: Unfermented grape sugars leftover in a wine increases the body without increasing the sweetness. Unfortunately, this is rarely mentioned on a wine label.

https://winefolly.com/tips/what-is-wine-body-and-how-to-taste-it/

Question 20

Define “Finish” in relation to wine tasting

Answer 20

How long can you still taste the wine after you have swallowed.

A long finish(persistence) is a mark of a really good wine.