Tasting And Evaluatin Wine Flashcards
What is the purpose of tasting wines?
Tasting wines increases your appreciation by allowing you to examine them in detail.
What is the WSET Systematic Approach to Tasting Wine® (SAT)?
The WSET SAT is a structured method for tasting and evaluating wines.
Why are tasting notes important?
Writing tasting notes helps you communicate what a wine is like, even long after tasting it.
How can tasting notes be used?
Tasting notes can remind you of a wine you liked, help you compare it with another wine, or assist in making recommendations.
What should an ideal tasting environment include?
Good lighting, absence of strong odours, sufficient space for glasses and notes, and availability of spittoons.
How should you prepare your palate for tasting?
Ensure your palate is clean, free from lingering flavours of toothpaste or strongly flavoured foods.
What should you avoid wearing during a wine tasting?
Avoid wearing perfumes, aftershaves, or other strongly scented products.
What are the characteristics of suitable glassware for tasting?
Glassware should be odourless, colourless, transparent, and free of residues.
What is the ISO glass and its features?
The ISO glass is suitable for evaluating wines, featuring a rounded bowl for swirling and inward-sloping walls to capture aromas.
What is the importance of the glass size in wine tasting?
The glass should be small enough for a tasting sample of wine.
What is the suggested sample volume for wine tasting?
A 5 cL (1.7 US fl. oz.) sample is suggested.
What does haziness in wine indicate?
Haziness is caused by particles suspended in the wine and may indicate a fault.
How can the intensity of a wine’s color be assessed?
Hold the glass at a 45° angle and look through the liquid from above.
What does a broad watery rim in white wine indicate?
It should be described as ‘pale’.
How should a white wine that reaches almost to the rim be described?
It should be described as ‘deep’.
What color scale is used for assessing white wines?
The scale runs from ‘lemon-green’ to ‘brown’.
What is the most common color for white wines?
‘Lemon’ is the most common color.
What does a noticeable greenness in white wine indicate?
The wine is described as ‘lemon-green’.
What color indicates a hint of orange or brown in white wine?
The wine is described as ‘gold’.
How can wines with noticeable browning be described?
They could be described as ‘amber’ or ‘brown’.
What is the scale of colors for red wines?
Red wines can be placed on a scale from ‘purple’ through to ‘brown’. The most common color for red wine is ‘ruby’.
How are wines with noticeable blue or purple color described?
‘Purple’ describes wines with a noticeable blue or purple color.
What does ‘garnet’ refer to in red wine color description?
‘Garnet’ is used for wines that have a noticeable orange or brown color but are still more red than brown.
When is a red wine described as ‘tawny’?
‘Tawny’ is used for wines that are more brown than red.
What color description is used for wines with no redness remaining?
‘Brown’ is used for wines where no redness in the color remains.
What does ‘pink’ describe in rosé wines?
‘Pink’ describes wines that have a very pure pink color.
How is a rosé wine with a hint of orange described?
‘Pink-orange’ describes a pink-colored wine that shows a hint of orange.
What color is used to describe a rosé where orange is the dominant color?
‘Orange’ describes a rosé in which orange is the dominant color.
What is a key part of the pleasure in tasting wine?
A large part of the pleasure comes from the aromas.
How should you assess the nose of a wine?
Swirl the liquid to release aromas, then take a short sniff over the rim of the glass, noting the intensity and characteristics.
What should you first note about the condition of the wine?
Note whether the wine is showing any faults.
What are common signs of wine faults?
Smells of damp cardboard, honey, caramel, or coffee (when not expected), or lacking freshness and fruit character.
How is aroma intensity categorized?
Aromas are categorized as ‘pronounced’, ‘light’, or ‘medium’ based on their detectability.
What is the challenge in describing a wine’s aroma?
Describing a wine’s aroma can be challenging, and the Wine-Lexicon helps with structured aroma identification.
What are the three main types of aromas in wine?
The three main types of aromas are primary aromas, secondary aromas, and tertiary aromas.
What are primary aromas?
Primary aromas come from the grapes or are created during the fermentation process.
How do simple and complex wines differ in primary aromas?
A simple wine may show a limited number of primary aromas within the same cluster, while a complex wine may display many primary aromas across a range of clusters.
What are secondary aromas?
Secondary aromas are created by post-fermentation winemaking, including aromas extracted from oak like vanilla and smoke.
What are examples of secondary aromas?
Examples of secondary aromas include cream and butter characteristics from malolactic conversion, and toasted-bread and biscuit aromas from autolysis in sparkling wines.
What are tertiary aromas?
Tertiary aromas originate from the ageing processes of wine.
How can the ageing process affect tertiary aromas?
The ageing process can be oxidative, adding aromas like coffee or caramel, or protected from oxygen, adding aromas like petrol, honey, or mushroom.
How does ageing affect primary aromas?
Ageing changes primary aromas, making fruit aromas less fresh and potentially giving them a dried-fruit character.
What is the palate in wine tasting?
The palate refers to the various components to consider when tasting wine, often requiring more than one sip for full assessment.
What does ‘dry’ mean in wine?
‘Dry’ wine has no detectable sugar or very low levels that cannot be sensed by the tongue.
What is ‘off-dry’ wine?
‘Off-dry’ wine has a tiny amount of detectable sugar.
What characterizes ‘medium’ sweet wines?
‘Medium’ wines have a distinct presence of sugar but are generally not sweet enough to pair with most desserts.
What defines ‘sweet’ wines?
‘Sweet’ wines have a prominent presence of sugar, including classic examples like Sauternes and Port.
What is the role of acidity in wine?
Acidity is a key component in all wines, detected on the tongue, causing a tingling sensation and mouth-watering effect.
How does sugar affect the perception of acidity in wine?
High levels of sugar can mask acidity, making it less obvious in sweet wines compared to dry high-acid wines.
What should you consider when judging acidity in wine?
Always consider the mouth-watering effect to differentiate between acidity and the burning sensation from alcohol.
What are tannins in wine?
Tannins are structural components in red wines, extracted from grape skins during fermentation, causing a drying sensation in the mouth.
What effect do tannins have on the mouth?
Tannins bind to saliva, causing dryness and a rough feeling, and can also impart a lingering bitter taste.
How does alcohol contribute to the body of a wine?
Alcohol contributes to the ‘body’ of a wine, making it feel heavier in the mouth at high levels, while low levels can make it seem watery unless balanced by sugar.
What sensation does high alcohol levels trigger?
High alcohol levels trigger pain receptors, giving a hot, burning sensation, especially after spitting or swallowing.
How are alcohol levels in wine categorized using the SAT?
Alcohol levels are judged on a three-point scale:
• low: below 11% abv
• medium: 11-13.9% abv
• high: 14% abv and above.
How are alcohol levels in fortified wines categorized?
Fortified wines are categorized as:
• low: 15-16.4% abv
• medium: 16.5-18.4% abv
• high: 18.5% abv and above.
What is body in the context of wine?
Body is the overall impression of how the wine feels in the mouth, created by structural components such as sugar, acidity, tannin, and alcohol.
What factors contribute to the body of a wine?
The main factors contributing to body are alcohol, sugar, acidity, and tannin levels.
How does high acidity affect the body of a wine?
High acidity makes a wine feel lighter in body.
How do tannin levels affect the perception of body in wine?
High levels of ripe tannin make a wine feel fuller-bodied, while low levels of unripe tannin can make it seem harsher and lighter in body.
What is flavour intensity in wine tasting?
Flavour intensity refers to how powerful the flavours are in a wine.
How does the warming of wine in the mouth affect flavour intensity?
Warming can make some characteristics more apparent, while some may be less prominent compared to the nose.
What should be noted about flavour characteristics on the palate?
Flavours on the palate should generally match the aromas detected on the nose, with additional characteristics noted due to the wine warming.
How does alcohol contribute to the body of a wine?
Alcohol contributes to the ‘body’ of a wine, making it feel heavier in the mouth at high levels, while low levels can make it seem watery unless balanced by sugar.
What sensation does high alcohol levels trigger?
High alcohol levels trigger pain receptors, giving a hot, burning sensation, especially after spitting or swallowing.
How are alcohol levels in wine categorized using the SAT?
Alcohol levels are judged on a three-point scale:
• low: below 11% abv
• medium: 11-13.9% abv
• high: 14% abv and above.
How are alcohol levels in fortified wines categorized?
Fortified wines are categorized as:
• low: 15-16.4% abv
• medium: 16.5-18.4% abv
• high: 18.5% abv and above.
What is body in the context of wine?
Body is the overall impression of how the wine feels in the mouth, created by structural components such as sugar, acidity, tannin, and alcohol.
What factors contribute to the body of a wine?
The main factors contributing to body are alcohol, sugar, acidity, and tannin levels.
How does high acidity affect the body of a wine?
High acidity makes a wine feel lighter in body.
How do tannin levels affect the perception of body in wine?
High levels of ripe tannin make a wine feel fuller-bodied, while low levels of unripe tannin can make it seem harsher and lighter in body.
What is flavour intensity in wine tasting?
Flavour intensity refers to how powerful the flavours are in a wine.
How does the warming of wine in the mouth affect flavour intensity?
Warming can make some characteristics more apparent, while some may be less prominent compared to the nose.
What should be noted about flavour characteristics on the palate?
Flavours on the palate should generally match the aromas detected on the nose, with additional characteristics noted due to the wine warming.
What is the finish in wine tasting?
The finish is the collection of sensations after you have swallowed or spat the wine out.
What does the length of the finish indicate?
The length of the finish is an important indicator of quality, based on the persistence of desirable sensations.
How is a wine with a long finish characterized?
A wine with a long finish has pleasant flavors that last as long or beyond structural components.
What characterizes a short finish in wine?
A short finish occurs when pleasant flavors disappear quickly, leaving structural components like acid lingering.
What is balance in wine?
Balance in wine refers to one element helping to balance another, such as sugar balanced by acidity.
How does alcohol affect the perception of balance in wine?
Alcohol can seem less burning and more integrated if there is sufficient fruit flavor intensity to balance it.
What does length refer to in wine tasting?
Length refers to how long the pleasant sensations linger after the wine has been swallowed or spat out.
How does finish affect wine quality assessment?
Wines with a short finish are generally assessed as lower in quality than those with a long finish.
What is intensity in wine?
Intensity refers to the strength of flavors in wine; weak, dilute flavors indicate lower quality.
Does higher intensity always mean higher quality in wine?
More intensity does not necessarily mean higher quality beyond a certain level.
What are desirable features in many wines?
Complex flavours and aromas are desirable features in many wines.
How can complexity in wine be achieved?
Complexity can come from primary aromas and flavours alone, or from a combination with secondary and tertiary characteristics.
Is a lack of different flavours always negative in wine?
No, the lack of a range of different flavours is not always a negative, and not all premium wines are complex.
What qualities can make a wine great?
Purity and definition can make a wine great, especially in wines like ice wines.
What are the four criteria for assessing wine quality?
The four criteria are balance, flavour range, intensity, and finish.
What characterizes an ‘outstanding’ wine?
An ‘outstanding’ wine will show positively against all four criteria.
What does a ‘very good’ wine show?
A ‘very good’ wine will show positively against three criteria but fall short on one.
What does a ‘good’ wine show?
A ‘good’ wine will show positively against two criteria but fall short on the other two.
What characterizes an ‘acceptable’ wine?
An ‘acceptable’ wine will show positively against one criterion but fall short on three.
What does a ‘poor’ wine indicate?
A ‘poor’ wine will have problems when judged on all four criteria.
What are the components of the WSET Level 2 Systematic Approach to Tasting Wine?
Appearance, Nose, Palate, and Conclusions.
What are the clarity levels in wine appearance?
Clarity can be clear or hazy (faulty?).
What are the intensity levels in wine appearance?
Intensity can be pale, medium, or deep.
What are the colour categories for white wine?
Lemon-green, lemon, gold, amber, brown.
What are the colour categories for rosé wine?
Pink, pink-orange, orange.
What are the colour categories for red wine?
Purple, ruby, garnet, tawny, brown.
What are the condition descriptors for the nose?
Condition can be clean or unclean (faulty?).
What are the intensity levels for the nose?
Intensity can be light, medium, or pronounced.
What sweetness levels can wine have?
Sweetness can be dry, off-dry, medium, or sweet.
What are the acidity levels in wine?
Acidity can be low, medium, or high.
What are the tannin levels in wine?
Tannin can be low, medium, or high.
What are the body levels in wine?
Body can be light, medium, or full.
What are the flavour intensity levels in wine?
Flavour intensity can be low, medium, or high.
What are the finish levels in wine?
Finish can be short, medium, or long.
What are the quality levels of wine?
Quality levels are faulty, poor, acceptable, good, very good, and outstanding.
