Tasting techniques Flashcards
What are the 3 levels of intensity on the nose?
LIGHT: simple, generic, and relatively undefined fruit aromas and little or no aromas from the winemaking process
Medium: aromas should have been clearly defined fruit/varietal character, possibly sone characteristics from the wine making or maturation (in particular oak)
Pronounced: aromas should be distinct and concentrated. It will have characteristics from the winemaking or maturation and quite often have several groups of aroma characteristics
Where is the majority of wine on the sweetness scale? Why?
Dry, because the yeast will have turned all the sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide gas
What wines will normally taste medium? Why?
White or Rosé. To make medium wine the winemaker either removes the yeast from the juice before all the sugar has been consumed or adds I fermented sweet grape juice to dry wine.
A medium wine should have sweetness, but not be cloying.
Describe sweetness in wine
The best sweet wines are made from grapes so rich in sugar that the yeast dies before all the sugar is consumed. Sweetness is easily noticed on the front of the tongue.
How can you tell what the acidity if the wine is?
Too much will make the wine tart
To little will make it be flabby and seem flat
The faster your mouth fills with water after drinking or spitting the more acidic the wine.
What are the 3 body styles of wine?
Light bodied wines: noticeably less weight in the mouth. Are usually refreshing and easy to drink. Examples: Pinot Grigio and Beaujolais
Medium-Bodied wines: feel richer and more substantial. May be from grapes or wine aging in oak. Examples: burgundy and merlot from Chile
Full-bodies wines: are powerful and seem more concentrated and heavy. Usually from ripeness of the grape and the use of oak. Examples: Chardonnay from California and Shiraz from Australia.
What are the key questions when selecting a Quality category?
It is basically in balance?
Does it show any expressive character?
How well does it express its origin and variety?
How elegant, complex and long is it?
Sugar ____ the body of the wine & acidity ____ the perception of the body of the wine
Sugar increases the body of the wine & acidity decreases the perception of the body of the wine
If a white wine has a hint of orange or brown colors in the wine, but is still mainly yellow how would you assess the wine’s color according to the SAT?
Gold
If a red wine’s color is predominantly a red color with sone noticeable orange or brown color in it what color is the wine according to SAT?
Garnet
What is the most common color for red wines?
Ruby
If a wine has a limited number of primary fruit aromas that come from a single cluster the wine is considered simple? True or False?
True
Are Rosé wines that would be considered orange rare?
Yes
If a wine’s aromas are not immediately apparent upon smelling, but are too delicate to distinguish easily, what is the aromatic intensity of the wine?
Medium
How do you assess the length of the wine’s finish?
Counting the persistence of the desirable sensations & flavors after spitting/swallowing
