Wine Tasting & Wine Etiquette Flashcards
1
Q
Refers to the actual real-time sensory response a person has to an environmental stimulus
A
Sensation
2
Q
Relates to the way the brain interprets the information it gets from the senses
A
Perception
3
Q
The lowest level of a sensory stimulus that would trigger an unidentifiable sensation
A
Detection threshold
4
Q
The smallest amount required to create an identifiable sensation
A
Recognition threshold
5
Q
Can you change your detection threshold?
A
No
6
Q
Can you change your recognition threshold?
A
Yes
7
Q
How can you alter your recognition threshold?
A
Training and Experience
8
Q
Humans can detect certain “off” odors like Hydrogen Sulfide (rotten egg odor) in as small a concentration as
A
3 pp billion
9
Q
Pyrazine (green pepper) can be detected by most in concentrations of _____ and by some in as little as _____
A
5 pp trillion , 1 pp trillion
10
Q
Wine has approximately _____ odiferous components
A
200
11
Q
Humans can detect over _____ individual smells
A
10,000
12
Q
Humans can distinguish up to _____ odors
A
1,000
13
Q
The volatile components in wine are called
A
Odorants
14
Q
How can the odorants reach the olfactory epithelium?
A
Through air
15
Q
In order to perceive an odorant, it must
A
Leave the surface of the wine
16
Q
_____ increases the surface area available for evaporation
A
Swirling
17
Q
Besides swirling, what increases evaporation so that the volatile components can leave the surface of the wine?
A
Higher temperatures
18
Q
Name the color of the wine most associated with
A cool growing region or perhaps grapes that have not fully ripened (white)
A
Pale Yellow Green
19
Q
Name the color of the wine most associated with
Barrel aging or a warm growing region (white)
A
Deep golden yellow
20
Q
Name the color of the wine most associated with
Maderized or oxidized white wine
A
Amber Gold
21
Q
Name the color of the wine most associated with
Young red wines
A
Inky Purple
22
Q
Name the color of the wine most associated with
Older, well-aged red wines
A
Brick Red
23
Q
Name the color of the wine most associated with
An oxidized red wine
A
Rust
24
Q
Can a wine’s color intensity and clarity give any insight into its weight and body?
A
Yes
25
In the broadest sense, ____ refers to whether a wine is red or white
Color
26
Can “color” be used to describe specific hues in wine?
Yes
27
What term refers to the depth of the color
Intensity
28
The term that relates to the absence or presence of cloudiness the wine
Clarity
29
Color, Intensity, or Clarity?
Almost Clear
Color
30
Color, Intensity, or Clarity?
Straw
Color
31
Color, Intensity, or Clarity?
Golden Yellow
Color
32
Color, Intensity, or Clarity?
Pale
Intensity
33
Color, Intensity, or Clarity?
Medium
Intensity
34
Color, Intensity, or Clarity?
Deep
Intensity
35
Color, Intensity, or Clarity?
Opaque
Intensity
36
Color, Intensity, or Clarity?
Brilliant
Clarity
37
Color, Intensity, or Clarity?
Clear
Clarity
38
Color, Intensity, or Clarity?
Dull
Clarity
39
Color, Intensity, or Clarity?
Cloudy
Clarity
40
In sparkling wine, are the bubbles of visual interest?
Yes
41
Which sense is the wine taster’s most important tool?
Smell
42
A small section of tissue called the _____ _____ contends the sense of smell
Olfactory epithelium
43
How many olfactory epithelium’s do we have?
2
44
What is the olfactory epithelium connected to in the brain
Olfactory bulb
45
System of the body responsible for gut response reactions
Limbic System
46
The brain’s center for memory and data analysis
Hippocampus
47
One should _____ rather than simply smell the wine
Sniff
48
Two ways to increase evaporation and therefore enhance aromatic activity
Swirling & Warming
49
Taking in air through the mouth when tasting wine is called
Slurping
50
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
51
What are the five basic categories of taste?
Sweet, Bitter, Salty, Sour, Umami
52
What taste are we most keenly sensitive to?
Bitter
53
What taste are we least sensitive to?
Sweet
54
What taste to we sense when registering a wine’s acidity?
Sour
55
Which taste most rarely comes into play when wine tasting?
Salty
56
We have roughly 10,000 _____ _____ on the tongue, the tonsils, the roof of the mouth, and the epiglottis
Taste buds
57
Do all taste buds react similarly to the five taste elements?
Yes
58
Are taste buds on certain areas of the tongue more efficient at sending taste stimuli to the brain?
Yes
59
The weight or viscosity of the wine
Body
60
High _____ or _____ levels add a greater perception of weight, yielding a mouth-filling feeling
Sugar, Alcohol
61
What sense do we use when perceiving Body
Touch
62
What sense do we use when perceiving Bubbles
Sight, Touch
63
What sense do we use when perceiving Astringency
Touch
64
What sense do we use when perceiving Alcohol
Touch (hot feeling), Taste (sweet), and Smell (pungent)
65
What sense do we use when perceiving Sulfur Dioxide
Smell, Touch (may induce sneezing)
66
What sense do we use when perceiving Temperature
Touch
67
What sense do we use when perceiving Texture
Touch
68
Can there be bubbles in a technically “still” wine?
Yes
69
What do dissolved bubbles feel like in a wine
A slight prickliness
70
The mouth-drying quality of tannins
Astringency
71
Tannins in wine react with _____ in saliva
Proteins
72
Describe the sensation of alcohol on touch
A “Hot” Sensation
73
_____ _____ may create a sneeze response because it irritates sensors in the nose
Sulfur Dioxide
74
_____ describes how warm or cool the wine is
Temperature
75
_____ describes the feel of the wine
Texture
76
The best serving temperature for white wine
50F
77
Do you usually need an ice bucket for white wines?
No
78
What is “cellar temperature”?
55-60F
79
What is a good range for humidity in a wine cellar?
65-75%
80
What negative effect happens if humidity is too low in a wine cellar?
Evaporation
81
What negative effect happens if humidity is too high in a wine cellar?
Labels can grow mold
82
In a wine cellar, light should be _____
Minimal
83
Do vibrations have an effect on wine storage? If yes, what kind?
Yes, a negative effect
84
In what positions should wine bottles be stored? (2 best options)
On their sides or at a 45 degree angle
85
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
86
T/F
Nearly all red wines benefit from some air contact between opening and serving
True
87
Is pulling out the cork and letting the bottle stand an effective way to introduce air contact?
No
88
The best way to introduce air to the red wine is to pour into a _____
Decanter
89
Aerating a red wine _____ the tannins
Softens
90
Aerating a red wine _____ fruit flavors
Enhances
91
Aerating a red wine allows flavors to expand in a way that can compensate for a lack of _____ _____
Bottle aging
92
If a red wine is fully mature based on bottle aging, careful _____ should take the place of any vigorous aeration
Decanting
93
What kind of wine should ideally be rested upright (or in a wine basket) for a day or two before serving?
Wines with sediment
94
One might have to sacrifice some wine by leaving it in the bottle if the wine has a lot of
Sediment
95
What color background is best to have when evaluating a wine?
White
96
In general, a deeper color indicates a wine with a _____ body
Fuller
97
More tannins can be expected in a wine with a _____er color
Dark
98
As a white wine ages, what color does it eventually turn?
Brown
99
What causes wine to eventually turn brown?
Oxidation
100
A slight cloudiness is acceptable in a wine that has undergone
Sur Lie Aging
101
How does one “volatize the esters” when tasting wine? (2 answers)
By swirling the glass , by slurping
102
Taking several short, quick breaths of the wine is referred to as
Sniffing
103
With practice, it’s not really your sense of smell that improves, but rather your ability to _____ on what you’re smelling
Concentrate
104
A dry wine has no perceptible taste of _____
Sugar
105
At what percentage do most wine tasters begin to perceive the presence of sugar?
0.5-0.7%
106
When tasting, it is important to distinguish between sweetness and _____
Fruitiness
107
Sweetness is perceived by the sense of
Taste
108
Fruitiness is perceived by the sense of
Smell
109
Acid is experienced as a _____ taste
Sour
110
The term applied to describe the balance between the alcohol, tannin, sweetness, and acid a wine
Structure
111
May be perceived as a crispness or firmness of taste
Acidity
112
Relates to how the wine feels in your mouth
Body
113
What type of body is typical for Riesling
Light
114
What type of body is typical for Pinot Noir
Light
115
What type of body is typical for Sauvignon Blanc
Medium
116
What type of body is typical for Merlot
Medium
117
What type of body is typical for Chardonnay
Full
118
What type of body is typical for Cabernet Sauvignon
Full
119
Wines that are higher in acid tend to be perceived as having a _____ body
Lighter
120
Wines that are higher in sweetness tend to be perceived as having a _____ body
Fuller
121
Wines that are higher in alcohol tend to be perceived as having a _____ body
Fuller
122
Sur lie aging tends to make a wine feel _____ in body
Fuller
123
What does malolactic fermentation do to the acid structure of a wine?
Softens it
124
Wines that undergo malolactic fermentation tend to be perceived as _____ in body
Fuller
125
Do tannins increase or decrease a wine’s body?
Increase
126
Can oak aging increase a wine’s tannins?
Yes
127
Does increased skin contact increase or decrease a wine’s body?
Increase
128
Why does increased skin contact increase a wine’s body?
Increased tannins
129
In the vineyard, what can increase the amount of sugar in the grapes?
Ripeness
130
What does ripeness do to the body of a wine?
Increases
131
Generally perceived as a texture, a feeling of dryness on the tongue and inside the mouth
Tannin
132
High, Medium, or Low Tannin?
Wine feels smooth and silky
Low
133
High, Medium, or Low Tannin?
Smooth, but there is a sensation of dryness after you swallow
Medium
134
High, Medium, or Low Tannin?
May make your mouth pucker and your tongue feel leathery or dried out
High
135
Extremely high tannin can make a wine taste _____
Bitter
136
Term for the final impression that the wine leaves in your mouth
Finish or Aftertaste
137
Wines with higher levels of acid and tannin are generally described as being _____ in structure
Firmer
138
Wines with higher levels of sugar and alcohol are generally described as being _____ in structure
Softer
139
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)
140
Three Odors Resulting from Sulfur Compounds
Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) - burnt matches
Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) - rotten eggs
Mercaptan - onion/ garlic
141
The sensory effects of SO2 are directly related to ______
pH
142
The more _____ the wine, the more pronounced sulfur dioxide will be
Acidic
143
Odor characterized by the smell of rotten eggs
Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S)
144
Hydrogen sulfide fault results from the _____ of elemental sulfur
Reduction
145
If a must is deficient in _____ , yeasts will scavenge this necessary element by breaking apart amino acids
Nitrogen
146
Fault described as onion- or garlic-like
Mercaptan
147
A fault created when sulfur dioxide and ethyl alcohol molecules bind
Mercaptan
148
Is ethyl mercaptan treatable or untreatable in the winery?
Treatable
149
Is diethyl mercaptan treatable or untreatable in the winery?
Untreatable
150
5 Odors Resulting from Bacteria
1. Butyric Acid (rancid butter)
2. Lactic Acid (sauerkraut)
3. Acetic Acid (vinegar)
4. Ethyl Acetate (nail polish remover)
5. Sorbic Acid (geranium)
151
Responsible for an odor similar to that of rancid butter or spoiled Camembert cheese
Butyric Acid
152
Responsible for an odor similar to sauerkraut
Lactic Acid
153
Responsible for a vinegar smell
Acetic Acid
154
Responsible for the odor of fingernail polish or airplane glue
Ethyl Acetate
155
A geranium-like scent is caused by
Sorbic Acid
156
Sorbic Acid is an additive used to
Inhibit yeast
157
The Sorbic acid fault occurs when it is added to the tank before _____ _____ is complete
Malolactic fermentation
158
Another word for “Oxidized” in describing off-odors
Aldehydic
159
An odor produced as alcohols are oxidized
Aldehydic / Oxidized
160
Excessive esterfication can cause what off-odor?
Aldehydic/ Oxidized
161
Oloroso Sherry is a wine that is purposefully
Aldehydic / Oxidized
162
A cooked or baked odor
Maderized
163
Odor present in wines that have been excessively heated or to which reduced must or must concentrate has been added
Maderized
164
Madeira is an example of a wine that has been purposely
Maderized
165
The bitter, green odor of unripe grape stems that is caused by the inclusion of unripe grape stems in the fermentation vat
Stemmy
166
A pungent odor that may develop if wine spends too long in contact with dead yeast cells
Leesy
167
An odor resulting from the use of moldy grapes or moldy cooperage
Moldy
168
An odor often associated with very high pH or excessive sulfur
Rubbery
169
A wet cardboard chemical odor resulting from filter pads or filtering materials
Filter Pad
170
A family of aromas running the gamut from earthy to barnyard and from clove to medicinal
Brettanomyces or Brett
171
Do all tasters consider Brettanomyces to be a fault?
No
172
Brings an unpleasant musty “wet cardboard” odor to wine
Cork Taint (TCA)
173
2,4,6 - Tricloroanisole (TCA) causes
Cork Taint
174
A fault that can infect an entire winery, getting into boxes, equipment, even walls
TCA / Cork Taint
175
How does the existence of actual scraps of cork in a wine do harm to the wine?
It doesn’t
176
Most people can detect ___ at the extremely low threshold of 2 to 7 parts per million
TCA
177
