Evaluating the Nose of Wine Flashcards
The human sense of smell accounts for what percentage of flavor perception?
85%
What are the aromas in a glass of wine called?
The “nose”
What are the steps in smelling technique?
- Swirl the wine in the glass while holding the stem. This helps to release the aromas into the air
- Take one deep sniff or a few short sniffs with your nose in the glass. Do not sniff to deeply or too rapidly, this can cause overwhelming or desensitization
- Pause after each sniff to evaluate the aromas of the wine
What are the steps in evaluating the Nose of a wine?
- Is the wine clean or faulty?
- What is the intensity of aromas?
- What is the age?
- Describing the fruit aromas
- Describing the fruit character
- Non-fruit character
- Earth and mineral character
- Wood/Oak character
What are common faults smelled in wine?
TCA or “cork taint”
Oxidation
Volatile Acidity (VA)
Ethyl Acetate (EA)
Sulfur dioxide (SO2)
Brettanomyces
Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S)
What is TCA and what does it smell like?
Trichloroanisole or “cork taint.”
Smells like wet, moldy cardboard or musty old newspapers
Chemical compound caused by tainted corks, barrels, etc
What is oxidation and what does it smell like?
Smells like muted and dried-out aromas, can turn into bitter flavors with more air exposure
Caused by age or poor storage conditions
What volatile acidity (VA) and what does it smell like?
It gives the wine vinegary aromas
Caused by the presence of acetic acid, produced when the bacteria acetobacter and oxygen are present in the fermentation process
What is ethyl acetate (EA) and what does it smell like?
Smells like acetone or nail polish remover
Forms from reaction of ethanol and acetic acid
What is excess sulfur dioxide (SO2) and what does it smell like?
Smells of wet wool or a struck matchstick
Caused by using too much SO2 during the winemaking process
What is brettanomyces and what does it smell like?
A large range of smells from smoke, cloves, and spice to Band-Aids and manure
Caused by yeast growth
What is hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and what does it smell like?
Smells of onion, rubber, rotten eggs
Caused by inadequate yeast nutrition during fermentation
What is the intensity of aromas?
The intensity of the aromas upon first sniff
What is the scale used to evaluate the intensity of aromas?
Low (delicate)
Moderate
High (powerful)
What does the intensity of aromas tell us?
Can tell us what wine type or grape variety is
Chablis: very light aromas
Gewurztraminer: very powerful aromas
What words and descriptors are used to evaluate the age of wine?
- *Youthful:** Young, bright, primary fresh fruit aromas
- *Developing**: Beginning to show signs of age
- *Vinous:** Signs of age and oxidation
What are typical fruit aroma types used to describe white wines?
Citrus
Apple/Pear
Stone/Pit fruit
Tropical fruit
Melon
What are citrus fruit examples?
Lemon
Lime
Orange
Grapefruit
Tangerine
What are apple/pear examples?
Green, red, or yellow apples and pears
What are stone/pit fruit examples?
Peach, nectarine, apricot
What are tropical fruit examples?
Pineapple
Mango
Papaya
Passion fruit
Banana
Kiwi
What are melon examples?
Cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon
What are typical fruit aroma types used to describe red wines?
Red fruit
Black fruit
Blue fruit
What are examples of red fruit?
Cherry
Raspberry
Red plum
Cranberry
Strawberry
Red currant
Pomegranate
