Tasting + Assessing Wine Flashcards
How to evaluate wine: sight, nose, palate, quality.
The optimal tasting environment will have:
- Good lighting
- No strong smells (perfume, lotion, foods, etc.)
- Space for glasses and note taking
- Spittoon
What is the recommended amount of wine to be poured into glasses for tasting purposes?
1.7 fluid oz / 5cl / 50ml
(5cL)
What are the three things you look for when evaluating a wine’s appearance?
- Clarity
- Intensity
- Color
What is meant by ‘color intensity’?
How saturated the color of the wine is.
When talking about color intensity, what’s the difference between “pale” and “deep”?
Pale
- a white wine that has a wide, watery, almost colorless rim
- a red wine that has a light hue and is mostly see-through from rim to core
Deep
- a white wine with color that reaches or almost reaches the rim
- a red wine that has deep, concentrated color and is near-impossible to see through
What are the 5 colors used to describe white wines?
- Lemon-Green
- Lemon
- Gold
- Amber
- Brown
What are the 5 colors used to describe red wines?
- Purple
- Ruby
- Garnet
- Tawny
- Brown
What are the 3 colors used to describe rosés?
- Pink
- Pink-orange
- Orange
What are the differences between primary aromas, secondary aromas, and tertiary aromas?
Primary
- aromas that come from the grapes themselves
- aromas made during fermentation
Secondary
- aromas made after fermentation (e.g. vanilla from oak contact, butter from malo)
Tertiary
- aromas made from the aging process (e.g. caramel, hazelnut, dried fruits)
Describe the 4 levels of the dry-to-sweet scale.
Dry
- No sugar or no perceptible sugar
Off-dry
- Barely-there or a kiss of residual sugar
Medium
- Obvious sugar, but not sweet enough to pair with desserts
Sweet
- Sugar is the main driver of the wine
What does acidity do to your mouth?
Acidity makes your mouth water.
What are two things to consider when tasting for acidity in wine?
- What is the sugar level in the wine?
- Is that tingling sensation alcohol or acidity?
Sugar level – Think about lemonade and how important it is to balance sugar and acidity. When in doubt, focus on how much and for how long your mouth waters.
Alcohol or acidity – Alcohol can sometimes trick your brain into thinking that sharp or searing sensation is acidity.
What effect do tannins have on the palate?
- Cause your mouth to dry and make it feel parched and scratchy like a cat’s tongue
- Sometimes leave a bitter taste on the back of the palate
What are the alcohol % levels for a low, medium, and high alcohol table wine?
- Low: below 11% abv
- Medium: 11% - 13.9% abv
- High: 14% abv and higher
What are the alcohol % levels for a low, medium, and high alcohol fortified wine?
- Low: 15% - 16.4% abv
- Medium: 16.5% - 18.4% abv
- High: 18.5% abv and higher
What structural components contribute to a wine’s body?
- Sugar
- Alcohol
- Acidity
- Tannin
What structural components can make a wine appear lighter in body?
- Higher acidity
- Lower tannin
- Lower alcohol
What three structural components will make a wine appear fuller in body?
- Higher alcohol (main factor)
- Higher tannin
- Higher sugar
What does the ‘finish’ refer to in a wine?
How long you taste the wine after you’ve swallowed it or spat it out.
Finish is more about how long flavors remain on your palate and less about the structural components.
If a wine’s tannins are harsh and stick around your palate for a long time, you’d say the tannins are “persistent”. If the fruit and other tasty flavors stick around your palate for a long time, the finish is “long”.
Where can I find key Brainscape tips on passing the WSET Level 2 exam, and other WSET study guides and resources?
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Discover:
- Our best tips on how to study for and pass the WSET Level 2 exam
- WSET Level 2 practice questions: How to find and take them
- What to expect from the WSET Level 2 exam
We also have a podcast! Wine 101 with Brainscape, perfect for “hands-free” listening and learning!
Fill in the blank:
A wine that is high in residual sugar will taste more balanced if the wine also has a lot of ______.
acidity
When considering these concepts, think about lemonade (an acidity to sugar ratio) for the first example, and fruity cocktails for the second example (the alcohol in cocktails is hidden by the fruity flavors of fruit juices).
Fill in the blank:
A wine that is high in alcohol will taste more balanced if it has a lot of ______.
fruit
Fill in the blank:
Generally, the shorter the finish the ______ the quality, and the longer the finish the ______ the quality.
lower, higher
What are the 5 quality levels of wine used for the SAT?
From highest quality to lowest:
- Outstanding
- Very good
- Good
- Acceptable
- Poor
When would you use ‘outstanding’ as a quality level when evaluating a wine?
If the wine shows exceptional:
- Balance
- Length/finish
- Discernible characteristics + flavors (and the intensity of them)
- Complexity
If a wine shows well in 3 of the above categories, it’s Very Good;
If a wine shows well in only 2, it’s Good;
If a wine shows well in only 1, it’s Acceptable;
If a wine struggles for any positive attributes, it’s Poor.
Where can I find Brainscape’s video library of WSET Level 2 exam prep tips and general wine knowledge?
Including interviews with sommeliers, career advice from experts, and cool wine trivia videos?
Brainscape’s Wine YouTube channel
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