Wine Tasting, Wine with Food, Storage & Service

Question 1

What is TCA and what characteristics does it impart on wine?

Answer 1

Cork Taint. Damp cardboard aromas.

Question 2

What is Brett?

Answer 2

A yeast that gives wine a plastic or animal aroma - hot vinyl, smoked meat, sweaty horses.

Question 3

What is the effect of salty foods on high tannin wines?

Answer 3

salty foods soften the tannins and make the wine seem more palatable.

Question 4

Fatty/Oily foods should be paired with wines that have high levels of______?

Answer 4

Acidity

Question 5

When should the color intensity of a white wine be described as pale? Deep?

Answer 5

Pale - broad, watery rim

Deep - pigment reaches almost to the rim

Question 6

What aromas does reduction impart?

Answer 6

Stinky - like rotten eggs, boiled cabbage, or blocked drains

Question 7

What aroma does sulphur dioxide impart at very high levels?

Answer 7

Extinguished matches

Question 8

Describe the color and aroma of a wine with oxidation.

Answer 8

Deeply colored and more brown that it should be. Toffee, honey, caramel, or coffee

Question 9

What aroma does volatile acidity impart?

Answer 9

Vinegar or nail polish

Question 10

What are primary aromas?

Answer 10

Aromas that exist after fermentation such as fruit, floral, herbaceous, etc

Question 11

What are tertiary aromas?

Answer 11

Aromas that have their origin in the aging process due to a long period in oak, bottle

Question 12

What are secondary aromas?

Answer 12

Aromas created by post-fermentation winemaking such as oak, MLF or lees contact.

Question 13

When is a wine typically described as youthful?

Answer 13

When dominated by primary or secondary aromas

Question 14

When is a wine described as developing?

Answer 14

Most aromas are still primary and secondary, but some tertiary

Question 15

When is a wine described as fully developed?

Answer 15

Predominant aromas are tertiary

Question 16

What are the main acids in wine?

Answer 16

Tartaric and malic - from the grape juice

Lactic - converted from malic acid in all reds and many whites

Question 17

What % range abv indicates medium alcohol?

Answer 17

11-13.9%

Question 18

What % range abc indicates medium alcohol in fortified wines?

Answer 18

16.5-18.4%

Question 19

When will a wine not benefit from further aging and should be drunk now?

Answer 19

When it mainly shows primary aromas and flavors, with a light acid or tannin structure

Question 20

When may a wine benefit from aging?

Answer 20

When it has a firm structure of acid or tannin, and has a sufficient level of flavor concentration

Question 21

What descriptors may be used in describing color intensity?

Answer 21

Pale, medium, deep

Question 22

What descriptors may be used in describing the color of a white wine?

Answer 22

lemon-green, lemon, gold, amber, brown

Question 23

What descriptors may be used in describing the color of a rose wine?

Answer 23

pink, salmon, orange

Question 24

What descriptors may be used in describing the color of a red wine?

Answer 24

purple, ruby, garnet, tawny, brown

Question 25

What descriptors may be used to describe development?

Answer 25

youthful, developing, fully developed, tired/past its best

Question 26

What descriptors may be used to describe sweetness?

Answer 26

dry, off-dry, medium-dry, medium-sweet, sweet, luscious

Question 27

What descriptors may be used to describe mousse?

Answer 27

delicate, creamy, aggressive

Question 28

What descriptors may be used to describe quality level?

Answer 28

faulty, poor, acceptable, good, very good, outstanding

Question 29

What descriptors may be used to describe level of readiness for drinking / potential for aging?

Answer 29

too young; can drink now, but has potential for aging; drink now, not suitable for aging; too old

Question 30

List floral descriptors

Answer 30

honeysuckle, chamomile, elderflower, geranium, blossom, rose, violet

Question 31

List green fruit descriptors

Answer 31

apple, pear, pear drop, grape, gooseberry

Question 32

List citrus fruit descriptors

Answer 32

lemon, lime, lemon peel, orange peel, grapefruit

Question 33

List stone fruit descriptors

Answer 33

peach, apricot, nectarine

Question 34

List tropical fruit descriptors

Answer 34

banana, lychee, mango, melon, passion fruit, pineapple

Question 35

List red fruit descriptors

Answer 35

redcurrant, red cherry, red plum, raspberry, strawberry, cranberry

Question 36

List black fruit descriptors

Answer 36

blackcurrant, black cherry, black plum, blackberry, blueberry

Question 37

List dried/cooked fruit descriptors

Answer 37

fig, prune, raisin, kirsch, jamminess, baked/stewed fruits, preserved fruits

Question 38

List herbaceous descriptors

Answer 38

green bell pepper, asparagus, grass, tomato leaf

Question 39

List herbal descriptors

Answer 39

eucalyptus, mint, medicinal, lavender, fennel, dill

Question 40

List pungent spice descriptors

Answer 40

black/white pepper, liquorice

Question 41

List 'other' descriptors

Answer 41

flint, wet stones, wet wool

Question 42

List yeast/lees/autolysis descriptors

Answer 42

biscuit, bread, toast, pastry, brioche, bread dough, cheese

Question 43

List MLF descriptors

Answer 43

butter, cheese, cream

Question 44

List oak descriptors

Answer 44

vanilla, cloves, nutmeg, butterscotch, toast, cedar, charred wood, smoke, chocolate, coffee, resinous; coconut (American oak)

Question 45

List deliberate oxidation descriptors

Answer 45

almond, hazelnut, walnut, marzipan, chocolate, coffee, toffee, caramel

Question 46

List white fruit development descriptors

Answer 46

dried apricot, dried apple, dried banana, marmalade, etc

Question 47

List red fruit development descriptors

Answer 47

fig, prune, tar, dried blackberry, dried cranberry, etc, cooked blackberry, cooked red plum, etc

Question 48

List white bottle age descriptors

Answer 48

mushroom, petrol, kerosene, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, toast, nutty, hay, honey

Question 49

List red bottle age descriptors

Answer 49

mushroom, leather, forest floor, earth, game, tobacco, vegetal, wet leaves, savory, meaty, farmyard

Question 50

Which components in food tend to make wines taste 'harder' (more astringent/bitter/tannic/acidic, less sweet/fruity/body)

Answer 50

sweetness, umami (think eggs, cooked mushrooms), chili heat

Question 51

Which two components in food tend to make wines taste 'softer' (less astringent/bitter/tannic/acidic, more sweet/fruity/body)

Answer 51

salt (e.g. meat dishes) and acid

Question 52

What are low risk food pairing components?

Answer 52

salt and acid - in general, people like their wines to taste more fruity and less bitter

Question 53

What temperature should be used for long-term storage?

Answer 53

50-59 degrees Fahrenheit / 10-15 degrees Celsius

Question 54

At what temperature should light/medium bodied white wines be served? Name an example.

Answer 54

45-50 Fahrenheit - 'chilled' | ex sauvignon blanc

Question 55

At what temperature should sweet wines be served? Name an example.

Answer 55

43-45F, 'well chilled' | ex sauternes

Question 56

At what temperature should sparkling wines be served? Name an example.

Answer 56

43-50F, 'well chilled' | ex champagne

Question 57

At what temperature should medium/full bodied, oaked white wines be served? Name an example.

Answer 57

50-55F, 'lightly chilled' | ex white burgundy

Question 58

At what temperature should light-bodied reds be served? Name an example.

Answer 58

55F, 'lightly chilled' | ex beaujolais

Question 59

At what temperature should medium/full bodied, red wines be served? Name an example.

Answer 59

59-64F, 'room temperature' | ex bordeaux

Question 60

Why are red wines best served in larger-sized glasses?

Answer 60

To allow air to come in contact with a larger wine surface and develop the aromas and flavors

Question 61

Why are white and rose wines best served in medium-sized glasses?

Answer 61

To allow the fresh fruit characteristics to gather towards the top of the glass

Question 62

Name two methods for preserving an opened bottle of wine beyond the normal few days.

Answer 62

Vacuum system - a pump sucks most of the air out of the bottle, removing oxygen that would cause the wine to oxidize Blanket system - blanket the wine with a gas heavier than oxygen to form a protective layer between the wine and air.

Question 63

What ideal conditions and implements are needed for effective wine tasting?

Answer 63

``` proper service temperature of wine correct glass shape good lighting lack of competing smells white background ```

Question 64

What is meant by balance in wine?

Answer 64

fruit/sugar vs acid/tannins, integration of alcohol and aromas

Question 65

What are the most important factors in good wine storage?

Answer 65

``` temperature bottles with corks stored on their side away from light away from vibration humidity, for bottles with corks ```

Question 66

What is the difference between a 'good' and an 'outstanding' wine?

Answer 66

Outstanding - scores well on all four quality categories (intensity, length, balance, complexity) Good - scores well on two of four