Wine Basics

Question 1

List the major components of wine:

Answer 1

Water
Alcohol
Acid
Sugar
Phenolic compounds

Question 2

What percentage of wine is made up of water?

Answer 2

80-90%

Question 3

Alcohol usually makes up between ____ & ___% of the wines volume?

Answer 3

10-15%

Question 4

What type of alcohol is the main component of wine?

Answer 4

Ethyl alcohol - ethanol

Question 5

Wines with higher levels of alcohol tend to be ________ in weight than wines with lower levels of alcohol.

Answer 5

Heavier

Question 6

Acids usually make up between ____ & ____ % of a wine’s volume.

Answer 6

0.5 - 0.75%

Question 7

What are the principle acids in wine?

Answer 7

• Tartaric Acid
• Malic Acid
• Citric Acid
• Lactic Acid
• Acetic Acid
• Succinic Acid

Question 8

What is the most prevalent of the acids found in both grapes and wine?

Answer 8

Tartaric acid

Question 9

What is the outcome of a wine that has formed tartrates?

Answer 9

once tartacic acid takes this form, it will not redissolve into the liquid, and the wine will become noticeably less acidic.

Question 10

A sharp-tasting acid frequently associated with green apples:

Answer 10

Malic Acid

Question 11

When will malic acid be prominent in the wine or grape?

Answer 11

Underripe grapes and cool-climate grapes

Question 12

What acid is sometimes added to increase the total acidity in a wine?

Answer 12

Citric acid

Question 13

What type of acid is found in most types of vinegar?

Answer 13

Acetic Acid

Question 14

what acid has a sharp, slightly bitter, slightly salty flavor?

Answer 14

Succininc

Question 15

List the acids that are a byproduct of fermentation

Answer 15

• Lactic Acid
• Acetic Acid
• Succinic Acid

Question 16

List the acids that are byproducts of grapes itself.

Answer 16

• Tartaric Acid
• Malic Acid
  *Citric acid - in small amounts
• Succinic acid - in small amounts

Question 17

What does the pH level of a wine represent?

Answer 17

the combined chemical strength of the acids present.

Question 18

Wine usually measures between ____ and ___ on the logarithmic pH scale.

Answer 18

2.9 & 3.9

Question 19

What does total acidity measure?

Answer 19

The volume of all the acids in a wine.

Question 20

Grapes typically contain ____% to ___% sugar at harvest

Answer 20

15% - 28%

Question 21

List the 2 sugars found in grapes

Answer 21

• Glucose
• Fructose

Question 22

Describe phenolic compounds.

Answer 22

a large category of various molecules that are present in many wines, they occur in wine in minute quantities, yet they can have a major impact on the sensory profile of a wine.

Question 23

List the phenolic compounds.

Answer 23

• Anthocyanins
• Flavonols
• Tannins
• Vanillin
• Resveratrol

Question 24

What are anthocyanins?

Answer 24

compounds that give red wine its color - ranging from blue to purple to red.
*The color is influenced by both the amount of anthocyanins and the acidity level - the more acidic wines appear redder, while less acidic wines appear bluer.

Question 25

What are flavonols?

Answer 25

yellow pigments found in white wines. Flavonols increase in grapes with increased exposure to sunlight.

Question 26

What are tannins

Answer 26

tannins are astringent, bitter compounds found in the skins, seeds, and stems of grapes. Tannins are a natural preservative and help to protect red wines from oxidation during the aging process.

Question 27

a compound in wine believed to have several beneficial health effects in humans.

Answer 27

Resveratrol