Tasting Flashcards
What are the seven S’s of wine tasting
See
Swirl
Sniff
Sip
Slurp
Swallow/Spit
Summarize
How do you determine the intensity of the color of the wine
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.
How do you describe the color intensity of the wine. What scale/terms are used
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.
What colors do you use to describe a white wine
From young to old:
Lemon
Gold
Amber
How does oak aging a white wine affect its color
Oak aging a white wine can move the color to Gold even for a young wine.
What colors do you use to describe a rose wine
From young to old:
Pink
Salmon
Orange
What colors do you use to describe a red wine
From young to old:
Purple
Ruby
Garnet
Torney(brownish color)
How can you tell that a wine is oxidized
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.
How can you tell by smell that a wine is corked(has suffered cork damaged)
The wine has a moldy/musty smell.
What terms/scale do you use to describe the intensity of the bouquet of a wine
- Light
- Medium
- Pronounced/Lifted(intense)
“It jumps out of the glass”
What terms/scale do you use to describe the sweetness of a wine
- Dry
- Off-dry
- Medium
- Sweet
What terms/scale do you use to describe the level of acidity in a wine
- Low acidity
- Medium acidity
- High acidity
How does the level of sweetness and level of acidity affect each other
A very acidic wine might taste more medium or off-dry in sweetness even though it is in fact very sweet.
How can you tell if a wine is more sweet, or more acidic
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.
What terms/scale do you use to describe the amount of tannin in a wine
- Low
- Medium
- High
How can you describe the tannins in a wine in more detail
Rough/smooth tannins
Agressive/soft tannins
Silky tannins
Velvet tannins
What sensations does the amount and type of tannins in a wine affect
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.
What terms/scale do you use to describe the body of the wine
- Light
- Medium
- Full-bodied.
How do you determine the body of the wine
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/
Define “Finish” in relation to wine tasting
How long can you still taste the wine after you have swallowed.
A long finish(persistence) is a mark of a really good wine.
