CSW Prep - Wine Defined

Question 1

What are the basic steps to categorizing wine?

Answer 1

(1) Red vs. White
(2) Sweet vs. Dry
(3) Sparkling vs. Non-sparkling

Question 2

Sensation.

Answer 2

An organism’s nuerological response to stimulus in the environment..

Question 3

Perception

Answer 3

Brain’s interpretation of the information gathered by the senses

Question 4

Sensory stimulus

Answer 4

Any chemical, physical or thermal activator that can produce a response in a sense receptor.

Question 5

Individual Detection Threshold

Answer 5

Smallest amount of stimulus necessary to trigger an unidentifiable sensation.

Typically genetically set.

Question 6

Individual Recognition Threshold

Answer 6

Smallest amount of stimulus required to trigger an IDENTIFIABLE sensation.

Can be lowered with practice and focus while tasting.

Question 7

What is the first sense used to examine wine?

Answer 7

Sight

Question 8

COLOR: Wine that is very pale yellow greens means?

Answer 8

Young white table wines from COOL growing regions

and

Whites made from grapes that have no reached optimal ripeness and maturity.

Question 9

COLOR: wine that is deep golden yellow means?

Answer 9

In Older Whites;

In young whites from WARM growing regions;

and

In white wines that have spent some time in a barrel.

Question 10

COLOR: Inky purples

Answer 10

Young reds.

Question 11

COLOR: Brick red tones

Answer 11

Older, mature reds.

Question 12

COLOR: Ruby-orange highlights

Answer 12

High-acid reds

Question 13

COLOR: Black-blue highlights

Answer 13

Low-acid reds

Question 14

How does the nose affect taste?

Answer 14

This is because the flavors that are experienced are primarily due to ODORS that reach the nose when the wine is held in the mouth.

Question 15

Olfactory Epithelium

Answer 15

Sensory organ for the sense of smell

Question 16

How does air get to the olfatory epithelium?

Answer 16

Two ways:

(1) Directly through nostrils
(2) Indirectly through the mouth and rear nasal passages as wine is held

Question 17

SMELL: If the wine is cold - how can you release more odor?

Answer 17

Hold cold wine in their hand (rather than by stem) to warm the wine and release more odorous molecules.

Question 18

SMELL: Briefly describe the smelling technique.

Answer 18

Swirl wine to increase surface area and sniff with nose in glass.

Question 19

What are the five sensory properties of taste?

Answer 19

(1) Sweet
(2) Sour
(3) Bitter
(4) Salty
(5) Umami

Question 20

What are the primary yields of taste in wine is?

Answer 20

Sweet, sour and bitter.

Question 21

Unami?

Answer 21

Commonly referred to as protein taste, Japanese term for “savory or delicious.’

Question 22

What foods commonly have the unami taste?

Answer 22

Ketchup, dried or aged foods such as beef or cheese.

Taste is rare in wine.

Question 23

T or F: Humans are most sensitive to bitterness and least sensitive to sweetness.

Answer 23

True.

Question 24

What is body?

Answer 24

Thickness or viscosity of the wine.

Question 25

What wine characteristics are typically picked up via touch sensors in nose/mouth?

Answer 25

Viscosity
Dissolved Gas
Texture
Serving Temperature
Astringency
Heat from alcohol
Sulfur dioxide content.

Question 26

Astringent

Answer 26

Generally - bitter/mouth drying sensation

Found in young red wines with high tannin levels

Question 27

What is the mouth dry sensation of tannin like?

Answer 27

Drying, astringent.

Moderate tannin does well to cut richness of fatty meal.

Question 28

What sensory systems are triggered with high alcohol content?

Answer 28

Tactile (hot sensation); gustatory (sweet sensation); and Olfactory (penetrating, pungent odor).

Question 29

Tasting Order: White or red?

Answer 29

White before red.

Question 30

Tasting Order: Dry or sweet?

Answer 30

Dry before sweet.

Question 31

Tasting Order: Young or old?

Answer 31

Young before old.

Question 32

Tasting Order: Fine or modest?

Answer 32

Modest before fine.

Question 33

Tasting Order: light or full bodied?

Answer 33

Light bodied before full bodied.

Question 34

Tasting Order: light young red or full bodied sweet white.

Answer 34

Light young red BEFORE full bodied sweet white.

Question 35

What are the tasting procedures?

Answer 35

Appearance, color, smell, taste

Question 36

In-Mouth Impressions: Flavor, taste and touch?

Answer 36

Taste small amount, allow to warm in mouth, draw some air.

Note acidity, presence or absence of sweetness, balance, body/weight, astringency.

Question 37

What are the major categories of chemicals found in wine?

Answer 37

WAASP!

Water
Alcohol
Acid
Sugar
Phenonolic compounds

Question 38

How much water is in wine?

Answer 38

80-90% water.

Question 39

What is the typical percentage alcohol?

Answer 39

10-15% by volume.

Common type = ethanol.