Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Mindy/Leo CMS > The Deductive Tasting Method > Flashcards

The Deductive Tasting Method Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
Introductory Sommelier Exam (CMS) flashcards
1
Q

What are the 5 benchmarks you have to hit when tasting?

A
  1. Sight
  2. Nose
  3. Palate
  4. Initial Conclusion
  5. Final Conclusion
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What are the first 2 considerations that must be made when evaluating a wine’s sight (appearance)?

A
  1. Whether its clear or hazy/has sediment
  2. Color
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

When evaluating a wine’s color, what are you describing?

A

Its intensity or concentration of color

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What are 3 descriptors used to describe a wine’s sight/clarity?

A
  1. Clear
  2. Hazy
  3. Turbid
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Give 2 scenarios when a wine would have sediment.

A
  1. Age (sediment falls out of wine as it ages)
  2. Winemaking technique (was it filtered before it was bottled?If not, solids might make it into the bottle.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is sediment made of?

A

*Tannins
*Color pigments
*Other proteins/molecules

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

On what wines will you normally find sediment?

A
  1. Young wines that weren’t filtered
  2. Aged wines that have had sediment precipitate out
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

True or False:

White wines never have sediment

A

False.

White wines can indeed have sediment, and its usually tartaric acid crystals (tartrates). These are harmless and have the texture of raw sugar if you get any on your palate.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

How does a winemaker get rid of tartrates?

A
  1. Filtering
  2. Cold stabilization (when a white wine is brought down to 25*F to help move along the formation of tartrate crystals so they can be filtered out.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

In their youth, white wines are ______ and _______.

As white wines age, they _______ in color.

A

Youth:light and bright in color (water white, pale lemon)

Age: darken, turning amber or brown.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

How does barrel aging help darken the color of white wine?

A

Tiny pores in the wood allow oxygen into the barrel, slowly oxidizing the wine and darkening the color.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Besides being exposed to oxygen in barrel, where else can a wine be exposed to oxidation?

A

In the bottle (tiny amounts of air make their way past or through the cork to slowly oxidize the wine.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What are the 3 options when describing color concentration?

A
  1. Pale
  2. Medium
  3. Deep
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What affects color in wine? List 3 things.

A
  1. Grape variety (is it thick or thin skinned)
  2. Color extraction (what technique did the winemaker deploy to extract color from the skins?)
  3. Age
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What can color (or quality of color) indicate on a wine?

A
  1. Age
  2. How it was stored
  3. Grape variety
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

In their youth, the color of red wines are _______.

As they are, red wines become _________.

A

Youth: vibrant with ruby and purple gem tones.

Age: Lighter, but also more brown around the rim and sometimes brown to the core.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What is the color scale for white wines?

A

From lightest to darkest:

*straw
*yellow
*gold
*amber

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is the color scale for red wines?

A

*garnet
*ruby
*purple

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What are some secondary white wine colors?

Why would you include these when describing the color of a wine?

A

*silver
*green
*copper

Secondary colors can indicate age: silver indicates youth while copper indicates age.

Secondary colors can also give an indication-but not a definitive answer-of climate and grape varietal.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What is meant by rim variation?

A

The difference in color between the wine’s center, or core, and its edge where is hits the glass.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What does rim variation usually indicate?

A

Age

The wider and more orange/brown the rim variation, the older the wine.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

When a wine stains the glass and has deep color extraction, what might that indicate about the wine?

A

*the wine comes from a warm climate

*its a highly pigmented grape

*certain winemaking techniques were used to intensify the color.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What’s the scale used to describe extraction?

A

*none
*light
*medium
*heavy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

When is the scale of extraction/staining used?

A

only when you see staining in the glass

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

What are wine tears, or legs?

A

Wine tears, or legs are the droplets that form inside of a glass of wine that has just been swirled. They’re caused by the sugar and or the evaporation of alcohol from the sides of the glass.

High alcohol wines collect a higher density of tears on the sides of the glass than low alcohol wines.

Sweeter wines are more viscous and, therefore, the tears will flow slower down the sides of the glass.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

How can a wine glass affect the tears of wine?

A

*Shape of the glass

*Cleanliness of the glass

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

What do thin tears mean?

A

If they disperse quickly, or sheet down the sides of the glass it could mean the wine is lower in alcohol.

28
Q

What can thick tears indicate about a wine?

A

Thick, slow moving tears can indicate a higher level of alcohol.

Thick tears do not necessarily mean the wine is viscous, dense or heavy.

29
Q

What is the scale of describing tears, or legs, in wine?

A

*light
*medium
*heavy

30
Q

When you see tiny CO2 gas bubbles in a still white wine, what effect will they have on the palate?

A

The make the wine feel a little spritzy on your palate.

31
Q

What can excess CO2 in wine indicate?

A

That the wine is undergoing second fermentation in the bottle.

*It could be a flaw if it wasn’t intended by the winemaker.

*It could mean the wine was bottled shortly after fermentation and it’s meant to be that way.

32
Q

Give a few examples of wines that purposely show excess CO2.

A

*Vinho Verde
*Young Riesling
*Young Gruner Veltliner
*Muscadet

33
Q

List the 7 most common wine faults.

A
  1. TCA (corkiness)
  2. Oxidation
  3. Volatile acidity (VA)
  4. Ethyl Acetate (EA)
    5.Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)
  5. Brettanomyces (Brett)
  6. Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S)
34
Q

What does cork taint (TCA) smell like?

Where does TCA live?

A

Old, damp, moldy cardboard.

TCA lives in barrels, corks, shippers, shipping palettes–it can literally live in the winery and taint everything.

35
Q

What does oxidation smell like?

What causes it?

A

Dull, stale, not fresh fruit. It can also smell a little nutty and take on bitter flavors.

Oxidation is cause by bad storage–aged too long, dried-out corks.

36
Q

What does Volatile Acidity smell like?

What causes it?

A

Vinegar

VA is caused by acetic acid bacteria.

37
Q

What does Ethyl Acetate smell like?

What causes it?

A

Nail polish remover.

EA is caused by the reaction between ethanol (alcohol) and acetic acid.

38
Q

What does Sulfur Dioxide smell like?

What causes it?

A

just struck match or wet wool

excessive SO2 is caused by using too much of it in the winery.

39
Q

What does Brettanomyces smell like?

What causes it?

A

Band-aid, barnyard, farm animals, clove

Brett is a yeast that can live in wineries (usually less clean wineries) and the biggest culprit is barrels. Keeping a winery really clean helps avoid Brett.

40
Q

What does Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) smell like?

What causes it?

A

Rotten eggs or unpleasant onion

Poor nutrition for the yeasts during fermentation.

41
Q

What is the intensity scale used to describe aromas?

A

*low or delicate
*moderate
*high or powerful

42
Q

What is the scale used to describe the age of a wine?

A

*Youthful–young, fresh, primary fruit

*Developing-showing signs of age, fruit smells like its maturing

*Vinous-obvious signs of age, including oxidation and color change.

43
Q

What are the fruit categories used to describe white wine?

A

*Citrus
*Apple/Pear
*Stone fruits
*Tropical
*Melon

44
Q

What are the fruit categories used to describe red wine?

A

*Red fruit
*Black fruit
*Blue fruit

45
Q

When identifying fruit characteristics on a wine’s nose, what is the range of fruit conditions used to categorize the fruit(s)?

A

*tart or underripe
*fresh
*ripe
*bruised
*jammy
*dried
*dessicated
*baked
*stewed or cooked

46
Q

What non-fruit aroma descriptors are used when assessing a wine?

A

*Floral – what color impression do you get? Pink, yellow, white or purple flowers? Fresh or dried?
*Vegetal
*Herbal (grass, rosemary)
*Spice
*Barnyard
*Diesel fuel/petrol
*Fermentation (beer head, brioche)
*Botrytis
*Leather

47
Q

What are some aroma descriptors used to identify earth or mineral character?

A

Earth-
*mushroom
*potting soil
*compost
*forest floor(moist, dead leaves)
*turned earth

Mineral-
*stone, wet or sunbaked
*limestone
*Chalk
*slate
*flint, like rocks you just struck together

48
Q

What are some aroma descriptors used to describe the smell of oak or wood?

A

*cedar
*smoke
*toast
*baking spices
*vanilla
*dill, or a pickle barrel
*coconut
*sawdust

49
Q

What are the effects on wine when using a large vs small barrels?

A

Large barrels:
*less okay flavors because the ration of wine to barrel is larger
*can still add oxidative notes

Small barrels:
*more oak flavors because ratio of wine to barrel is smaller.

50
Q

What are the effects on wine when using older barrels vs new barrels?

A

Older barrels:
*don’t impart new oak flavors by the 4-6th year of using them
*can contribute oxidative notes

New barrels:
*first use and 2nd year barrels give highest concentration of new oak flavors (vanilla, coconut, toast and smoke)

51
Q

What are the effects on wine when using french oak vs American oak?

A

French Oak
*more subtle aromas and flavors
*vanilla bean, baking spice, cedar

American Oak
*more obvious aromas and flavors
*coconut, butterscotch, vanilla extract, dill

52
Q

What descriptors are used to describe the dryness-to sweetness scale?

A

*bone dry
*dry
*off dry
*medium sweet, not sweet enough to pair with desserts
*sweet –sweet enough to pair with desserts
*luscious

53
Q

What do tannins feel like on your palate? Do they have a flavor?

Where do tannins come from?

A

Astringent, almost as if you put a tiny wool sock over your tongue. They can taste bitter.

Tannins come from the seeds, skins and stems of the grapes.

54
Q

What does acidity in wine do to your palate?

A

Acidity makes your mouth water.

Too much and the wine tastes tart.
If there isn’t enough, the wine can taste wide and flabby.

When a wine is in balance it feels refreshing.

55
Q

Where do you get the sensation of alcohol in a wine?

A

*on your tongue (tingle)
*In your nose (burning hairs)
*In your chest and throat (like a shot of vodka)

56
Q

What are the descriptors used to identify the body, or weight, of wine?

A

*light-think the thinness of water or skim milk

*medium-like 2%milk

*full–whole milk or cream

57
Q

How do you determine the length, or finish of a wine?

What descriptors are used to identify the finish?

A

Notice how long you taste the wine after you’ve swallowed.
*short-15 seconds
*medium-30-45 seconds
*long-more than 60 seconds

Check quality of the finish-did the flavors change? Did the fruit go tart or overripe on the palate?

58
Q

When describing a wine and you can only come up with a few descriptors, the wine’s complexity is ______.

A

Low

59
Q

When describing a wine and you come up with several descriptors, the wine’s complexity is ______.

A

High

60
Q

In your initial Conclusion, besides listening to yourself describe the wine, how do you determine what the possible grape varieties are?

A

*color of the wine
*telltale, classic aromas and flavors
*typical/expected structural elements representative in certain grapes

61
Q

How can you tell a difference between an old world wine and a new world wine?

A

Old world–
*fruit tends to taste more tart than it smells.
*more non-fruit aromas and flavors than new world, especially in the finish
*more mineral and earthiness than new world, especially the finish

New world–
*ripe, fruit forward
*fewer non-fruit aromas, and any that exist are overpowered by the fruit.
*less mineral, earthy

62
Q

What are some distinguishing traits of cool climate wines?

A

*elevated acidity
*restrained alcohol
*fruit smells and tastes more tart
*wine feels more direct on palate

63
Q

What are some distinguishing traits of warm climate wines?

A

*elevated alcohol
*restrained acidity
*fruit appears ripe, overripe, or jammy
*appears more opulent and plush on the palate

64
Q

When determining an age range, what should you be considering on the wine?

A

*color
*rim variation
*youthful vs developing vs vinous aromas and flavors
*other characteristics, such as length of finish and texture

65
Q

What do you have to identify in your final conclusion?

A

*grape varietal or blend
*country
*region
*appellation (quality level if applicable)
*vintage

Mindy/Leo CMS (40 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions