03 Wine Tasting

Question 1

Sight

Answer 1

Clarity Scale
- Clear
- Hazy
- Turbid - lots of solids in the wine

Sediment
- White wine: tartrates (crystals)
- Red wines: color pigment& tannin preciptate with age or seen in unflitered reds

Concentration of color
- Pale, Medium, Deep
- indicates age / grape variety

Question 2

Color concentration - White

Answer 2

• Age (youthful or aged)
• Barrel use
• Botrytis

Question 3

Color concentration - Red

Answer 3

• Grape variety - color pigment of skin very relevant
• Color extraction
• Age - ligthen with age as color pigments fall out

Question 4

Rim variation

Answer 4

• Occurs with age –> older, more variation
• Color differenc ebetween core and rim

Question 5

Old vs. now world nose

Answer 5

Old world
- Dominance of earth or mineral charachter
- Dominance of non-fruit aromas & flavors
- Fruit becomes tart on the palate
- Non-fruit aromas & flavors more apparent on the finish

New World
- No dominant earth or mineral character
- Fruit leads & dominates non-fruit elements
- Fruit smells sweet & ripe, dominating the nose
- Fruit stays ripe or gets riper on the palate

Question 6

Phenolic bitterness

Answer 6

• White wine only - specific grapes
• Can indicate skin contact with whites
• Sense as bitterness and / or astringency

Question 7

Tannin

Answer 7

• Grape skisn and / or oak contact
• Bitterness and / or astringency

Question 8

Acidity

Answer 8

• Focus on salivary glands at finish
• Back sides of tongue / moth

Question 9

Color extraction & staining

Answer 9

Intense extraction occurs if:
- warm climate
- highly pigmented grape
- choies made during vinification

Scale
- none / light / medium / heavy

Question 10

Tearing

Answer 10

• Created by alcohol and / or residual sugar in the wine
• Thin tears dissipate quickly or sheet on the glass indicate lower alcohol
• Thick, slow moving tears indicate higher level of alcohol
• Thick tears do not mean heavy or viscous wine
• Scale: light / medium / heavy