Wine gastronomy

Question 1

What are the primary taste categories of food?

Answer 1

Sweetness (enemy)
Umami (enemy)
Acidity (friend)
Salt (friend)
Bitterness (enemy)
Chili Heat (enemy)

Question 2

What impact has sweetness in food on wine?

Answer 2

Increases bitterness, astringency, acidity, warming effect of alcohol
Decreases body, sweetness, fruitiness
-> pair with sweeter wines

Question 3

What impact has umami in food on wine?

Answer 3

Increases bitterness, astringency, acidity, warming effect of alcohol
Decreases body, sweetness, fruitiness
-> less an issue if dish is also salty to balance (i.e. hard cheese, meat, smoked fish)
-> difficult for low tannin red wines or oaked whites

Question 4

What impact has acid in food on wine?

Answer 4

Increases body, sweetness, fruitiness
Decreases acidity
-> generally good, as balances high acid wines

Question 5

What impact has salt in food on wine?

Answer 5

Increases body, sweetness, fruitiness
Decreases astringency, bitterness, acidity
-> generally good, enhances fruit character and softens

Question 6

What impact has bitterness in food on wine?

Answer 6

Increases bitterness

-> effect multiplies if bitterness also in wine (choose white wine or low-tannin red)

Question 7

What impact has chili heat in food on wine?

Answer 7

Increases bitterness, astringency, acidity, warming effect of alcohol
Decreases body, richness, sweetness, fruitiness
-> difficult with high alcohol wines
-> can work well with sweet wines

Question 8

What should be considered regarding flavour intensity?

Answer 8

wine and food should match in general (some exceptions for intensely flavoured food (i.e. curry)

Question 9

Which combinations generally pair well?

Answer 9

Acid and Fat

Sweet and Salty

Question 10

What are high-risk wines for food pairing?

Answer 10

More components, more complex with high bitterness and astringency from oak and grape tannins with high acidity and alcohol
If paired well result can be very interesting though

Question 11

What are low-risk wines for food pairing?

Answer 11

Simple, unoaked wines but no interesting taste experience

Question 12

Pairing principles

Answer 12

• Interaction of flavours important (independent of whether matching or contrasting)
• Local wine can go well with local food but not prerequisite
• White wine can go with meat and red wine with fish if structural elements match
• Wine pairing is largely subjective

Question 13

Wine storage principles

Answer 13

• cool and constant temperature (10-15°C)
• refrigeration can damage cork
• wine with cork store on the side
• Keep away from strong light
• Keep away from vibrations

Question 14

Medium/full-bodied, oaked white wines service temperature

Answer 14

Lightly chilled (10-13°C / 50-55°F)
White Burgundy, Fumé Blanc

Question 15

Light/medium-bodies white wines service temperature

Answer 15

Chilled (7-10°C / 45-50°F)

Muscadet, Pinot Grigio, NZ SavBlanc, Fino Sherry

Question 16

Sweet wines service temperature

Answer 16

Well chilled (6-8°C / 43-45°F)
Sauternes, Eiswein

Question 17

Sparkling wines service temperature

Answer 17

Well chilled (6-10°C / 43-50°F)
Champagne, Cava, Asti

Question 18

Light-bodied red wines service temperature

Answer 18

Lightly chilled (13°C / 55°F)
Beaujolais, Valpolicella

Question 19

Medium/full-bodied red wines service temperature

Answer 19

Room temp (15-18°C / 59-64°F)
Red Bordeaux, Rioja, Australian Shiraz, CdP, Barolo, Amarone, Vintage Port

Question 20

Glassware for wine

Answer 20

Red wine - larger glass
White/ rose - medium glass
Sparkling - flutes
Fortified - small glass

Question 21

Opening wine

Answer 21

Remove top of capsure with cutter, wipe neck, draw cork, final clean of neck, pour sample

Question 22

Which wines need/benefit from decanting?

Answer 22

• wines with heavy deposit from ageing

- to aerate young wines

Question 23

how to preserve wine

Answer 23

• store in fridge
• vacuum system (vacuvin)
• blanket system (coravin)