Wine Tasting & Wine Etiquette Flashcards
Refers to the actual real-time sensory response a person has to an environmental stimulus
Sensation
Relates to the way the brain interprets the information it gets from the senses
Perception
The lowest level of a sensory stimulus that would trigger an unidentifiable sensation
Detection threshold
The smallest amount required to create an identifiable sensation
Recognition threshold
Can you change your detection threshold?
No
Can you change your recognition threshold?
Yes
How can you alter your recognition threshold?
Training and Experience
Humans can detect certain “off” odors like Hydrogen Sulfide (rotten egg odor) in as small a concentration as
3 pp billion
Pyrazine (green pepper) can be detected by most in concentrations of _____ and by some in as little as _____
5 pp trillion , 1 pp trillion
Wine has approximately _____ odiferous components
200
Humans can detect over _____ individual smells
10,000
Humans can distinguish up to _____ odors
1,000
The volatile components in wine are called
Odorants
How can the odorants reach the olfactory epithelium?
Through air
In order to perceive an odorant, it must
Leave the surface of the wine
_____ increases the surface area available for evaporation
Swirling
Besides swirling, what increases evaporation so that the volatile components can leave the surface of the wine?
Higher temperatures
Name the color of the wine most associated with
A cool growing region or perhaps grapes that have not fully ripened (white)
Pale Yellow Green
Name the color of the wine most associated with
Barrel aging or a warm growing region (white)
Deep golden yellow
Name the color of the wine most associated with
Maderized or oxidized white wine
Amber Gold
Name the color of the wine most associated with
Young red wines
Inky Purple
Name the color of the wine most associated with
Older, well-aged red wines
Brick Red
Name the color of the wine most associated with
An oxidized red wine
Rust
Can a wine’s color intensity and clarity give any insight into its weight and body?
Yes
In the broadest sense, ____ refers to whether a wine is red or white
Color
Can “color” be used to describe specific hues in wine?
Yes
What term refers to the depth of the color
Intensity
The term that relates to the absence or presence of cloudiness the wine
Clarity
Color, Intensity, or Clarity?
Almost Clear
Color
Color, Intensity, or Clarity?
Straw
Color
Color, Intensity, or Clarity?
Golden Yellow
Color
Color, Intensity, or Clarity?
Pale
Intensity
Color, Intensity, or Clarity?
Medium
Intensity
Color, Intensity, or Clarity?
Deep
Intensity
Color, Intensity, or Clarity?
Opaque
Intensity
Color, Intensity, or Clarity?
Brilliant
Clarity
Color, Intensity, or Clarity?
Clear
Clarity
Color, Intensity, or Clarity?
Dull
Clarity
Color, Intensity, or Clarity?
Cloudy
Clarity
In sparkling wine, are the bubbles of visual interest?
Yes
Which sense is the wine taster’s most important tool?
Smell
A small section of tissue called the _____ _____ contends the sense of smell
Olfactory epithelium
How many olfactory epithelium’s do we have?
2
What is the olfactory epithelium connected to in the brain
Olfactory bulb
System of the body responsible for gut response reactions
Limbic System
The brain’s center for memory and data analysis
Hippocampus
One should _____ rather than simply smell the wine
Sniff
Two ways to increase evaporation and therefore enhance aromatic activity
Swirling & Warming
Taking in air through the mouth when tasting wine is called
Slurping
Why do we slurp the wine? (2 reasons)
- Gives the wine a chance to release additional aroma particles so we can attract them to the olfactory epithelium through the retro-nasal path
- Warms the wine, encouraging odor release
What are the five basic categories of taste?
Sweet, Bitter, Salty, Sour, Umami
What taste are we most keenly sensitive to?
Bitter
What taste are we least sensitive to?
Sweet
What taste to we sense when registering a wine’s acidity?
Sour
Which taste most rarely comes into play when wine tasting?
Salty
We have roughly 10,000 _____ _____ on the tongue, the tonsils, the roof of the mouth, and the epiglottis
Taste buds
Do all taste buds react similarly to the five taste elements?
Yes
Are taste buds on certain areas of the tongue more efficient at sending taste stimuli to the brain?
Yes
The weight or viscosity of the wine
Body
High _____ or _____ levels add a greater perception of weight, yielding a mouth-filling feeling
Sugar, Alcohol
What sense do we use when perceiving Body
Touch
What sense do we use when perceiving Bubbles
Sight, Touch
What sense do we use when perceiving Astringency
Touch
What sense do we use when perceiving Alcohol
Touch (hot feeling), Taste (sweet), and Smell (pungent)
What sense do we use when perceiving Sulfur Dioxide
Smell, Touch (may induce sneezing)
What sense do we use when perceiving Temperature
Touch
What sense do we use when perceiving Texture
Touch
Can there be bubbles in a technically “still” wine?
Yes
What do dissolved bubbles feel like in a wine
A slight prickliness
The mouth-drying quality of tannins
Astringency
Tannins in wine react with _____ in saliva
Proteins
Describe the sensation of alcohol on touch
A “Hot” Sensation
_____ _____ may create a sneeze response because it irritates sensors in the nose
Sulfur Dioxide
_____ describes how warm or cool the wine is
Temperature
_____ describes the feel of the wine
Texture
The best serving temperature for white wine
50F
Do you usually need an ice bucket for white wines?
No
What is “cellar temperature”?
55-60F
What is a good range for humidity in a wine cellar?
65-75%
What negative effect happens if humidity is too low in a wine cellar?
Evaporation
What negative effect happens if humidity is too high in a wine cellar?
Labels can grow mold
In a wine cellar, light should be _____
Minimal
Do vibrations have an effect on wine storage? If yes, what kind?
Yes, a negative effect
In what positions should wine bottles be stored? (2 best options)
On their sides or at a 45 degree angle
Why do we store wine bottles either on their side or at a 45 degree angle?
To keep the cork in contact with the wine so it remains moist
T/F
Nearly all red wines benefit from some air contact between opening and serving
True
Is pulling out the cork and letting the bottle stand an effective way to introduce air contact?
No
The best way to introduce air to the red wine is to pour into a _____
Decanter
Aerating a red wine _____ the tannins
Softens
Aerating a red wine _____ fruit flavors
Enhances
Aerating a red wine allows flavors to expand in a way that can compensate for a lack of _____ _____
Bottle aging
If a red wine is fully mature based on bottle aging, careful _____ should take the place of any vigorous aeration
Decanting
What kind of wine should ideally be rested upright (or in a wine basket) for a day or two before serving?
Wines with sediment
One might have to sacrifice some wine by leaving it in the bottle if the wine has a lot of
Sediment
What color background is best to have when evaluating a wine?
White
In general, a deeper color indicates a wine with a _____ body
Fuller
More tannins can be expected in a wine with a _____er color
Dark
As a white wine ages, what color does it eventually turn?
Brown
What causes wine to eventually turn brown?
Oxidation
A slight cloudiness is acceptable in a wine that has undergone
Sue Lie Aging
How does one “volatize the esters” when tasting wine? (2 answers)
By swirling the glass , by slurping
Taking several short, quick breaths of the wine is referred to as
Sniffing
With practice, it’s not really your sense of smell that improves, but rather your ability to _____ on what you’re smelling
Concentrate
A dry wine has no perceptible taste of _____
Sugar
At what percentage do most wine tasters begin to perceive the presence of sugar?
0.5-0.7%
When tasting, it is important to distinguish between sweetness and _____
Fruitiness
Sweetness is perceived by the sense of
Taste
Fruitiness is perceived by the sense of
Smell
Acid is experienced as a _____ taste
Sour
The term applied to describe the balance between the alcohol, tannin, sweetness, and acid a wine
Structure
May be perceived as a crispness or firmness of taste
Acidity
Relates to how the wine feels in your mouth
Body
What type of body is typical for Riesling
Light
What type of body is typical for Pinot Noir
Light
What type of body is typical for Sauvignon Blanc
Medium
What type of body is typical for Merlot
Medium
What type of body is typical for Chardonnay
Full
What type of body is typical for Cabernet Sauvignon
Full
Wines that are higher in acid tend to be perceived as having a _____ body
Lighter
Wines that are higher in sweetness tend to be perceived as having a _____ body
Fuller
Wines that are higher in alcohol tend to be perceived as having a _____ body
Fuller
Sur lie aging tends to make a wine feel _____ in body
Fuller
What does malolactic fermentation do to the acid structure of a wine?
Softens it
Wines that undergo malolactic fermentation tend to be perceived as _____ in body
Fuller
Do tannins increase or decrease a wine’s body?
Increase
Can oak aging increase a wine’s tannins?
Yes
Does increased skin contact increase or decrease a wine’s body?
Increase
Why does increased skin contact increase a wine’s body?
Increased tannins
In the vineyard, what can increase the amount of sugar in the grapes?
Ripeness
What does ripeness do to the body of a wine?
Increases
Generally perceived as a texture, a feeling of dryness on the tongue and inside the mouth
Tannin
High, Medium, or Low Tannin?
Wine feels smooth and silky
Low
High, Medium, or Low Tannin?
Smooth, but there is a sensation of dryness after you swallow
Medium
High, Medium, or Low Tannin?
May make your mouth pucker and your tongue feel leathery or dried out
High
Extremely high tannin can make a wine taste _____
Bitter
Term for the final impression that the wine leaves in your mouth
Finish or Aftertaste
Wines with higher levels of acid and tannin are generally described as being _____ in structure
Firmer
Wines with higher levels of sugar and alcohol are generally described as being _____ in structure
Softer
Odor characterized by a pungent smell of burnt matches and often accompanied by an unpleasant tickling sensation in the nose and throat
Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)
Three Odors Resulting from Sulfur Compounds
Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) - burnt matches
Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) - rotten eggs
Mercaptan - onion/ garlic
The sensory effects of SO2 are directly related to ______
pH
The more _____ the wine, the more pronounced sulfur dioxide will be
Acidic
Odor characterized by the smell of rotten eggs
Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S)
Hydrogen sulfide fault results from the _____ of elemental sulfur
Reduction
If a must is deficient in _____ , yeasts will scavenge this necessary element by breaking apart amino acids
Nitrogen
Fault described as onion- or garlic-like
Mercaptan
A fault created when sulfur dioxide and ethyl alcohol molecules bind
Mercaptan
Is ethyl mercaptan treatable or untreatable in the winery?
Treatable
Is diethyl mercaptan treatable or untreatable in the winery?
Untreatable
5 Odors Resulting from Bacteria
- Butyric Acid (rancid butter)
- Lactic Acid (sauerkraut)
- Acetic Acid (vinegar)
- Ethyl Acetate (nail polish remover)
- Sorbic Acid (geranium)
Responsible for an odor similar to that of rancid butter or spoiled Camembert cheese
Butyric Acid
Responsible for an odor similar to sauerkraut
Lactic Acid
Responsible for a vinegar smell
Acetic Acid
Responsible for the odor of fingernail polish or airplane glue
Ethyl Acetate
A geranium-like scent is caused by
Sorbic Acid
Sorbic Acid is an additive used to
Inhibit yeast
The Sorbic acid fault occurs when it is added to the tank before _____ _____ is complete
Malolactic fermentation
Another word for “Oxidized” in describing off-odors
Aldehydic
An odor produced as alcohols are oxidized
Aldehydic / Oxidized
Excessive esterfication can cause what off-odor?
Aldehydic/ Oxidized
Oloroso Sherry is a wine that is purposefully
Aldehydic / Oxidized
A cooked or baked odor
Maderized
Odor present in wines that have been excessively heated or to which reduced must or must concentrate has been added
Maderized
Madeira is an example of a wine that has been purposely
Maderized
The bitter, green odor of unripe grape stems that is caused by the inclusion of unripe grape stems in the fermentation vat
Stemmy
A pungent odor that may develop if wine spends too long in contact with dead yeast cells
Leesy
An odor resulting from the use of moldy grapes or moldy cooperage
Moldy
An odor often associated with very high pH or excessive sulfur
Rubbery
A wet cardboard chemical odor resulting from filter pads or filtering materials
Filter Pad
A family of aromas running the gamut from earthy to barnyard and from clove to medicinal
Brettanomyces or Brett
Do all tasters consider Brettanomyces to be a fault?
No
Brings an unpleasant musty “wet cardboard” odor to wine
Cork Taint (TCA)
2,4,6 - Tricloroanisole (TCA) causes
Cork Taint
A fault that can infect an entire winery, getting into boxes, equipment, even walls
TCA / Cork Taint
How does the existence of actual scraps of cork in a wine do harm to the wine?
It doesn’t
Most people can detect ___ at the extremely low threshold of 2 to 7 parts per million
TCA
