Tasting Techniques / Food and Wine Interaction Flashcards
What are the 4 requirements needed for setting up a Wine Tasting Environment?
- good lighting
- no strong odors
- spittoons
- space for glasses/notes
What are the 4 essential points when preparing for a wine tasting?
- clean palate
- no strong perfumes or aftershaves
- clean, suitable glassware
- correctly filled glasses
What are 3 Faults that affect the aromas and flavors of wine?
- cork taint
- closure failure
- heat damage
What are the reasons for using the SAT (Systematic Approach to Tasting wine)?
• to calibrate the palate • to have a common language to describe wine • to evaluate a wine’s: appearance nose palate quality
What 2 characteristics and their terms are observed when evaluating a wines nose?
Intensity:
• light – medium – pronounced
Aroma Characteristics:
• primary, secondary, tertiary
What 8 characteristics and their terms are observed when evaluating a wines palate?
Sweetness: dry – off-dry – medium – sweet
Acidity: low – medium – high
Tannin: low – medium – high
Alcohol: low – medium – high
Body: light – medium – full
Flavor Intensity: light – medium – pronounced
Flavor Characteristics: primary, secondary, tertiary
Finish: short – medium – long
What 4 points of criteria are observed when evaluating a wines quality for conclusion?
- Balance
- Length/finish
- Identifiable characteristics/intensity of flavors
- Complexity
What are the 5 terms used to identify quality levels in a wine for conclusion?
poor – acceptable – good – very good – outstanding
When food is Sweet, wine seems ________ , ________ , ________
- more drying and bitter
- more acidic
- less sweet and fruity
When food is Umami, wine seems ________ , ________ , ________
- more drying and bitter
- more acidic
- less sweet and fruity
When food is Salty, wine seems ________ , ________ , ________ , ________
- less drying and bitter
- less acidic
- more fruity
- more body
When food is Acidic, wine seems ________ , ________ , ________
- less drying and bitter
- less acidic
- more sweet and fruity
What are the 3 basic principles to consider with a food and wine pairing?
- sensitivities vary from person to person
- personal preferences matter
- generally, food has more impact on wine than wine has on food
What are 3 other types of considerations of food and wine pairings?
- chili heat
- flavor intensity
- acid and fat
What is the recommended amount of wine to be poured into glasses for tasting purposes?
1.7 fluid oz (5cL)
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 3 colors used to describe white wines?
Lemon
• Water-white to yellow in color
Gold
• Tinges of orange or brown
Amber
• Noticeable browning
What are the 4 colors used to describe red wines?
Ruby
• Bright red
Purple
• Blue or purple tinted
Garnet
• Obvious brick/orange or browning, but the wine is still more red than brown
Tawny
• More brown that red
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 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 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 structural components will make a wine appear fuller in body?
- Higher alcohol
* Higher tannin
