Tasting and Evaluating Wine

Question 1

Define out-of-condition:

Answer 1

Wine is too old, has been badly stored or the cork seal has failed, allowing air to damage the wine.

Question 2

What to look for with appearance?:

Answer 2

• All white wines dull with age
• Out-of-condition wines will be dull in appearance and will have at least a hint of brown (though brown does not always indicate a fault
• can be healthy old wine that has been aged in oak)
• Haziness may indicate a fault or may be deliberate (not filtered before bottling)
• Purple and green indicates youth
• Orange, amber and brown indicates age
• Some wines change color more rapidly than others, so no definitive conclusions about age can be made

Question 3

What are we looking for when we smell?

Answer 3

• Off notes
• Faults, oxidization and sulfur
• Cork taint is the most common fault. At low levels, strips the fresh, fruity aromas and at its worst, can add a pungent, unpleasant damp cardboard or musty smell to the wine.
• Out-of-condition wines will smell dull and stale and may have excessive oxidative aromas (toffee, caramel or sherry)

Question 4

What is the corked compound?

Answer 4

TCA246

Question 5

What are the criteria to differentiate between a poor and quality wine?

Answer 5

• Balance
• Length
• Intensity
• Complexity
• Expressiveness