Tasting Techniques / Food and Wine Interaction

Question 1

What are the 4 requirements needed for setting up a Wine Tasting Environment?

Answer 1

• good lighting
• no strong odors
• spittoons
• space for glasses/notes

Question 2

What are the 4 essential points when preparing for a wine tasting?

Answer 2

• clean palate
• no strong perfumes or aftershaves
• clean, suitable glassware
• correctly filled glasses

Question 3

What are 3 Faults that affect the aromas and flavors of wine?

Answer 3

• cork taint
• closure failure
• heat damage

Question 4

What are the reasons for using the SAT (Systematic Approach to Tasting wine)?

Answer 4

• to calibrate the palate
• to have a common language to describe wine
• to evaluate a wine’s:
 appearance
 nose
 palate
 quality

Question 5

What 2 characteristics and their terms are observed when evaluating a wines nose?

Answer 5

Intensity:
• light – medium – pronounced
Aroma Characteristics:
• primary, secondary, tertiary

Question 6

What 8 characteristics and their terms are observed when evaluating a wines palate?

Answer 6

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

Question 7

What 4 points of criteria are observed when evaluating a wines quality for conclusion?

Answer 7

• Balance
• Length/finish
• Identifiable characteristics/intensity of flavors
• Complexity

Question 8

What are the 5 terms used to identify quality levels in a wine for conclusion?

Answer 8

poor – acceptable – good – very good – outstanding

Question 9

When food is Sweet, wine seems ________ , ________ , ________

Answer 9

• more drying and bitter
• more acidic
• less sweet and fruity

Question 10

When food is Umami, wine seems ________ , ________ , ________

Answer 10

• more drying and bitter
• more acidic
• less sweet and fruity

Question 11

When food is Salty, wine seems ________ , ________ , ________ , ________

Answer 11

• less drying and bitter
• less acidic
• more fruity
• more body

Question 12

When food is Acidic, wine seems ________ , ________ , ________

Answer 12

• less drying and bitter
• less acidic
• more sweet and fruity

Question 13

What are the 3 basic principles to consider with a food and wine pairing?

Answer 13

• sensitivities vary from person to person
• personal preferences matter
• generally, food has more impact on wine than wine has on food

Question 14

What are 3 other types of considerations of food and wine pairings?

Answer 14

• chili heat
• flavor intensity
• acid and fat

Question 15

What is the recommended amount of wine to be poured into glasses for tasting purposes?

Answer 15

1.7 fluid oz (5cL)

Question 16

When talking about color intensity, what’s the difference between “pale” and “deep”?

Answer 16

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

Question 17

What are the 3 colors used to describe white wines?

Answer 17

Lemon
• Water-white to yellow in color

Gold
• Tinges of orange or brown

Amber
• Noticeable browning

Question 18

What are the 4 colors used to describe red wines?

Answer 18

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

Question 19

What are the 3 colors used to describe rosés?

Answer 19

• Pink
• Pink-orange
• Orange

Question 20

What are the differences between Primary Aromas, Secondary Aromas, and Tertiary Aromas?

Answer 20

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)

Question 21

Describe the levels of the dry-to-sweet scale.

Answer 21

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

Question 22

What are the alcohol % levels for a low, medium, and high alcohol table wine?

Answer 22

Low: below 11% abv
Medium: 11% - 13.9% abv
High: 14% abv and higher

Question 23

What are the alcohol % levels for a low, medium, and high alcohol fortified wine?

Answer 23

Low: 15% - 16.4% abv
Medium: 16.5% - 18.4% abv
High: 18.5% abv and higher

Question 24

What structural components contribute to a wine’s body?

Answer 24

• Sugar
• Alcohol
• Acidity
• Tannin

Question 25

What structural components can make a wine appear lighter in body?

Answer 25

• Higher acidity
• Lower tannin
• Lower alcohol

Question 26

What structural components will make a wine appear fuller in body?

Answer 26

• Higher alcohol

* Higher tannin