WSET Level One Flashcards

1
Q

Wine preservation: Blanket system

A

Blanket systems pump another wine-friendly gas (Argon usually) into a bottle which pushes the air out of the bottle

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2
Q

Principal black grape varieties: Pinot Noir

A

Sugar - Dry, Acidity - High, Tannin - Low to Medium, Body - Light-to-Medium

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3
Q

Principal white grape varieties: Sauvignon Blanc

A

Sugar - Dry, Acidity - High, Body - Light-to-Medium

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4
Q

Notable structural characteristics of wine: Body

A

Body describes the overall mouth feel of a wine.

LIGHT: Delicate like skim milk

MEDIUM: Some weight but doesn’t coat the mouth like whole milk

FULL: Viscous and mouth filling like cream

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5
Q

Notable wines made from other grapes (Portugal): Port

A

Sugar - Sweet, Acidity - Low, Tannin - High, Body - Full, Alcohol - High

Fortified wine

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6
Q

Glassware

A

The bowl of the glass should narrow at the rim!

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7
Q

Wines made from the principal grape varietals: Bourgogne Blanc and Rouge

A

Bourgogne Blanc:
Sugar - Dry, Acidity - Medium to High, Body - Medium
Made from Chard

Bourgogne Rouge:
Sugar - Dry, Acidity - High, Tannin - Low to Medium, Body - Light-to-Medium
Made from Pinot Noir

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8
Q

If food is X, wine is Y: Fatty/oily

A

Wine is less acidic

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9
Q

Climate: Cool

A

Wines are higher in acidity and lower in sweetness.

Think of places like Germany and Northern France. White grapes are the most common.

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10
Q

Food and wine pairings: Spicy food

A

Hot and spicy food increases the perception of bitterness, acidity, and alcohol while decreasing the perception of body, richness, sweetness, and fruitiness.

Pair hot wings with fruity wines (unoaked Chard), fruity, low tannin reds (Pinot Noir), or low ABV sweet wines (Moscato).

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11
Q

Wines made from the principal grape varietals: Bordeaux Rouge

A

Sugar - Dry, Acidity - High, Tannin - High, Body - Medium-to-Full

Blends made from Cab Sauv, Merlot, and other grapes like Cab Franc

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12
Q

Notable wines made from other grapes (France): Chateauneuf-du-Pape

A

Sugar - Dry, Acidity - Medium to High, Tannin - High, Body - Full, Alcohol - High

Made from a Grenache blend

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13
Q

Principal white grape varieties: Riesling

A

Sugar - Dry to Medium to Sweet, Acidity - High, Body - Light-to-Medium

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14
Q

Wines made from the principal grape varietals: Champagne

A

Sugar - Dry, Acidity - High, Body - Medium

Sparkling wine made from Chard and Pinot Noir

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15
Q

Making white wine

A
  1. Crushing
  2. Pressing
  3. Fermentation
  4. Maturation
  5. Bottling
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16
Q

If food is X, wine is Y: Highly flavored

A

Wine is overwhelmed by the food flavors

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17
Q

Food and wine pairings: Bitter food

A

Bitterness in food increases bitterness in the wine.

Pair bitter greens with a fruity white (Pinot Grigio) and pair coffee or chocolate with a fruity, low-tannin red (Pinot Noir) wine.

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18
Q

Food and wine pairings: Highly flavored food

A

Highly flavored food can easily overwhelm a more delicate wine. You want the intensity of the food and wine to be equal.

Pair a goat curry with a full-bodied red (Merlot)

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19
Q

Type of wine: Sparkling

A

Bubbly wine is caused by the carbon dioxide in the fermentation trapped in the bottle.

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20
Q

Notable wines made from other grapes (California): White Zinfandel

A

Sugar - Medium, Body - Medium, Alcohol - Low

Rose made from Zinfandel

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21
Q

Type of Wine: Still

A

Most wine is still and is between 8%-15% ABV, the majority is between 11$-14% ABV.

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22
Q

Notable wines made from other grapes (France): Cotes du Rhone

A

Sugar - Dry, Acidity - Medium, Tannin - High, Body - Medium

Made from blends of Grenache, Syrah, and other grapes like Carignan and Mouvedre

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23
Q

Alcoholic fermentation

A

Sugar + Yeast = Alcohol and Carbon Dioxide

*Most color and tannin are extracted during fermentation

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24
Q

Wine preservation: Vacuum system

A

Vacuum systems rely on a pump to remove the air from inside of the bottle

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25
Q

If food is X, wine is Y: Hot (chili)

A

The alcohol in the wine is more noticeable

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26
Q

Notable wines made from other grapes (Italy): Chianti

A

Sugar - Dry, Acidity - High, Tannin - High, Body - Medium

Made from Sangiovese

27
Q

Climate: Warm

A

Wines are higher in sweetness and lower in acidity.

Think of places like Australia and California. Black grapes are more common.

28
Q

Principal white grape varieties: Pinot Grigio

A

Sugar - Dry, Acidity - Medium to High, Body - Light

29
Q

Parts of grape - Skin and Pulp

A

Skin has color and tannin

Pulp has grape juice made up of water, sugar, and acid

30
Q

Styles of wine (Color)

A

White: Uses white or black grapes
Red: Uses black grapes
Rose: Uses black grapes

31
Q

Notable wines made from other grapes (France): Sauternes

A

Sugar - Sweet, Acidity - High, Body - Full

Made from Semillon and often a little of Sauv Blanc, Sauternes, or Barsac

32
Q

Notable structural characteristics of wine: Aromas and Flavors

A

Aromas and flavors come from the grapes, winemaking, and maturation.

Fruit aromas and flavors come from the grape and its ripeness.

Oak aromas and flavors can be fermented or matured in oak barrels.

Other flavors cover vegetal, earthy, and floral aromas and flavors.

33
Q

Notable wines made from other grapes (Spain): Cava

A

Sugar - Dry, Acidity - Medium, Body - Light-to-Medium

Sparkling wine made from Macabeu, Parellada, and Xarel·lo

Not sweet and larger bubble structure

34
Q

Wine storage

A

For the long term, store wine at a cool and constant temperature - the ideal being a cellar or refrigeration system.

Store cork wine on its side and screwtop bottles can be kept upright.

Keep wines away from sunlight and artificial light.

35
Q

Principal white grape varieties: Chardonnay

A

Cool Climate:
Sugar - Dry, Acidity - High, Body - Light-to-Medium

Warm Climate:
Sugar - Dry to Medium, Acidity - Medium, Body - Medium-to-Full

36
Q

Food and wine pairings: Fatty or oily food

A

Fatty or fried food can make the wine seem less acidic so pair fish and chips with a high-acid white wine, like Sauv Blanc.

37
Q

Notable wines made from other grapes (Italy): Prosecco

A

Sugar - Dry to Medium, Acidity - High, Body - Light

Sparkling wine made from a Glera blend

38
Q

Notable structural characteristics of wine: Tannin

A

Tannin comes from grape skin but the level of tannin in wine depends on the grape variety (Cab Sauv is more tannic than Pinot Noir because the grape skin is shicker) and how wine is made (aging in oak can impart more tannin).

Tannin can make wine taste bitter but it is more of a feeling - a dry mouth feeling.

LOW: Slightly drying mouth feel - think Beaujolais

MEDIUM: Drying mouth feel

HIGH: Very drying mouth feel - think Chianti

39
Q

Grape growing stages

A
  1. Flowering - grapevine flowers
  2. Flowers become grapes - the individual flowers transform into a small grape that is hard and green
  3. Grape ripens - grapes swell with water, sugar levels rise, acid levels fall, and flavors become riper. Here white grapes go from green to golden and black grapes go from green to purple.
40
Q

Making rose wine

A
  1. Crushing
  2. Fermentation
  3. Draining/Final Fermentation
  4. Maturation
  5. Bottling
41
Q

Notable wines made from other grapes (Spain): Rioja

A

Sugar - Dry, Acidity - High, Tannin - High, Body - Medium-to-Full

Made from Tempranillo

42
Q

Five main tastes

A
  1. Sweet
  2. Acid
  3. Salt
  4. Bitter
  5. Umami
43
Q

Food and wine pairings: Salty food

A

Salty food increases the perception of the body in wines while decreasing the perception of bitterness and acidity in wines.

Because salt can help soften some of the harder elements of wine, pair chips with a high acid or oaked white wine (Sauv Blanc and Chardonnay respectively) or a high tannin red (Cab Sauv).

44
Q

Food and wine pairings: Sweet food

A

Sweet food increases the perception of dryness, bitterness, and acidity in wines while it decreases the perception of body, sweetness, and fruitiness in wines. The general rule is to select a wine that has higher levels of sweetness.

Pair a Baklava with Tokaji wine or a butternut squash recipe with a Spatlese Riesling.

45
Q

If food is X, wine is Y: Salty and acidic

A

Wine is less drying, bitter, and acidic while also more sweet and fruity

46
Q

If food is X, wine is Y: Sweet or umami

A

Wine is more drying, bitter, and acidic while also less sweet and fruity

47
Q

Principal black grape varieties: Syrah/Shiraz

A

Sugar - Dry, Acidity - Medium, Tannin - Medium to High, Body - Medium (Rhone Syrah)-to-Full (Australian Shiraz)

48
Q

Food and wine pairings: Umami food

A

Umami foods increase the perception of dryness, bitterness, and acidity in wines while decreasing the perception of body, sweetness, and fruitiness in wines. Umami can be balanced by the addition of acid or salt.

Pair mushrooms with a fruity white (Pinot Grigio) or a low-tannin red (Pinot Noir) wine.

49
Q

Principal black grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon

A

Sugar - Dry, Acidity - High, Tannin - High, Body - Medium-to-Full

50
Q

How to open a bottle of still wine

A
  1. Remove the foil top and wipe the top and neck of the bottle
  2. Screw the corkscrew into the middle of the cork
  3. Use the lever to draw out the cork
  4. Wipe the inside and outside of the bottle
51
Q

Type of wine: Fortified

A

Fortified wine has extra alcohol added to them and thus has higher levels of alcohol (15%-22%).

52
Q

Service temperatures

A

Room temp: 59-64 degrees for Medium to Full bodied red wines

Lightly chilled: 50-55 degrees for Full-bodied white wines and Light bodied red wines

Chilled: 45-50 degrees for Light to Medium bodied white wines and rose

Well chilled: 43-50 degrees for sparkling and sweet wines

53
Q

Food and wine pairings: Acidic food

A

Acidic food increases the perception of body, sweetness, and fruitiness in wines while decreasing the perception of acidity in wines. The acidity in wine should be higher than in food.

Pair tomatoes with a high-acid white (Sauv Bland) or red (Cab Sauv) wine.

54
Q

Making red wine

A
  1. Crushing
  2. Fermentation
  3. Draining and pressing
  4. Maturation
  5. Bottling
55
Q

Principal black grape varieties: Merlot

A

Sugar - Dry, Acidity - Medium, Tannin - Medium, Body - Full

56
Q

Notable wines made from other grapes (Spain): Sherry

A

Sugar - Dry to Medium to Sweet, Acidity - Low, Body - Medium-to-Full

Made from Palomino, Moscatel and Pedro Ximenez

57
Q

Notable structural characteristics of wine: Sugar

A

DRY: Yeast needs to convert all sugar into alcohol

MEDIUM: Most medium-sweet wines are white or rose. The two ways to make them are:
1. Yeast is removed before all sugar is converted into alcohol
2. Unfermented grape juice is added to a dry wine

SWEET: These can feel thick and syrupy. The two ways to make them are:
1. Grapes are so high in sugar that the yeast stop fermenting before converting all the sugar into alcohol (Pull full of chip metaphor)
2. In the case of fortified wine, yeast is killed by the addition of high strength distilled alcohol before the full conversion takes place

58
Q

Notable wines made from other grapes (France): Beaujolais

A

Sugar - Dry, Acidity - High, Tannin - Low, Body - Light

Made from Gamay

59
Q

Friends and foes of wine

A

Foes of wine: Umami and sweet foods

Friends of wine: Salty and acidic foods

60
Q

Notable structural characteristics of wine: Alcohol

A

Alcohol is measured by ABV - alcohol by volume.

The majority of still and sparkling wines have levels of alcohol between 11.5% and 14% abv. Some can reach as high as 15% and low as 8%.

> 11.5% is LOW (White Zinfandel)
11.5%-14% is MEDIUM
<14% is HIGH (Chateauneuf-du-Pape)

61
Q

Wines made from the principal wine varietals: Chablis

A

Sugar - Dry, Acidity - High, Body - Light-to-Medium

Made from Chardonnay

62
Q

Wines made from the principal grape varietals: Sancerre

A

Sugar - Dry, Acidity - High, Body - Medium

Made from Sauv Blanc

63
Q

How to open a bottle of sparkling wine

A
  1. Remove the foil
  2. Loosen the wire cage with your hand firmly over the cork
  3. Hold the bottle at an angle, one hand firmly on the cork, the other hand on the bottom of the bottle and turn it slowly
  4. Hold cork back as it emerges so it slowly releases