Transcript Document

Nashwood Winery
The Technique of
Wine Tasting
Copyright 2002 The Wine Society of Texas
All rights reserved
The Three Steps in Wine Tasting
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Wine tasting involves attention to sensory perceptions that we
often take for granted.
Tasting is somewhat of a misnomer as it really involves multiple
sensory perceptions to achieve the full impact.
Therefore, to receive the complete affect we must use our:
Eyes - Visual Appearance
 Nose - Smell
 Mouth - Taste
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Step 1 - Visual Appearance
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The most immediate perception we
have to wine is its color. The eye is
very sensitive and can differentiate
between many colors, shades and
hues. The color of a wine can tell us
many things about the wine - its
varietal character (red or white),
age and how it was stored or
handled. White wines really are not
white but usually shades of green,
straw, amber and gold. Lighter
wines that have seen no oak will
start somewhat greenish to straw
colored and darken with age.
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Heartier wines that have aged in
oak, and those that are more
concentrated or are older will be
amber to gold. The deepening in
color with age is a slow oxidation
process.
Colors of White Wines
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Typically, white wine show there
age with an increasing intensity of
color and a brown hue. This color
change is similar to the browning
of an apple after it is cut.
However,
young white wines with a
brownish color are likely to have been
spoiled by exposure to air, mold or
excessive heat.
Some
white wines (such as French Sauterne)
are intentionally allowed to mold on the vine
(Botrytis), which adds certain characteristics
(sweetness, depth of flavor and a deep yellow to
brownish coloration that deepens with age).
Colors of Red Wines
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Nearly all red wines derive
their color from the pigments
in the skin of the grapes.
They range in colors from
deep purple to garnet, ruby,
tile red and even brown.
 The color varies with varietal,
winemaking style and age.
Aging produces an increasing
brownish hue.
 The soil and weather can also
affect the coloration. Iron rich
soils and dry warm weather
produce more intense colors.
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Colors of Red Wines
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As red wines age, they change from purple to red to brown; the
character of the wine also changes :
Young:
 Mature:
 Old:
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Purple
Ruby to garnet
Brown
Strong fruit and tannins
Tannins and fruit soften
Low acidity, tannin & fruit gone
Old style of winemaking is for intense wines which are of deep
coloration which take years to age.
Many commercial winemakers are tending to produce lighter wines
with less intense coloration which are more approachable while
young and go with a greater variety of food.
A young red wine with a brick to brown color may be spoiled by
exposure to air, mold or excessive heat.
Clarity of Wine
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Clarity is assessed by viewing
the wine against a lighted,
white background.
It can tell many things about
the winemaking process (i.e.
use of techniques to enhance
clarity.
However, it is usually only an
esthetic quality.
Good clarity may require
mechanical fining or filtering
that will actually result in loss
of body, aroma and flavor.
Clarity of Wines
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There are many very good wines which do not have perfect clarity. For
example:
Tartrate crystals in white wine that has been over-chilled.
 Results from sediments produced during bottle aging of red wines. These
can be removed by careful decanting.
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There are also many problems that can arise in winemaking that result
in low clarity (i.e. cloudiness or haziness):
Undesirable yeasts and bacteria can develop in the bottle.
 Contamination of the wine with iron or copper in the winemaking process
can result in cloudiness in the bottle.
 These conditions usually result in bad smells and tastes.
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Visual Indication of Body
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One of the factors that results in body
in a wine is its viscosity.
High viscosity - high body
 Low viscosity - less body
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The formation of beads of wine, “legs”,
on the sides of a wine glass can give a
hint of the way the wine will feel in the
mouth:
The longer it takes for these legs to
run down, the higher the viscosity
resulting from sugar, alcohol or
glycerol in the wine.
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Wine with “Legs”
These correlate with more body and a
more weighty mouth feel.
Wine with “Legs” - NOT!
Visual Appearance of Wine: Summary
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The visual appearance of a glass of wine is the first and most
immediate source of information.
White and red wine offer a range of colors that provide
information on the varietal and winemaking techniques used to
make the wine.
It also gives hints as to the age of the wine and how it was
stored. Watch for brownish colors in older or mishandled young
wine.
The clarity tells about the extent of fining and filtering used as
well as the possibility of flaws in the winemaking process.
Legs on the glass yield an indication of the body of the wine and
the potential mouth feel.
The Process of Smelling
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There are a group of
olfactory cells inside the
head which can be
stimulated by aromatic
chemicals.
These chemicals have been
classified in to broad classes
as shown on the innermost
ring of aroma wheel.
These aromas are then
further categorized in more
detail on the second and
third rings of the aroma
wheel.
Aroma Wheel
The Process of Smelling
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As with visual appearance, smelling
gives us a preview of what a wine will
yield prior to actual tasting.
However, the olfactory sensors can
become numb and adapt to the
presence of various scents.
Smells can provide strong and
emotional responses which are
sometimes more vivid than those
associated with the tasting that
occurs in the mouth. They are often
related closely with memory of past
encounters and events more than any
other sensory perceptions.
Many times, the olfactory simuli are
confused with tastes which have a
more limited range of characteristics.
Aromas in Wines
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Aromas are scents that
develop in a wine as a result
of the varietal make-up of
the wine and the byproducts
of fermentation.
They combine to produce
olfactory characteristics and
similarities to other things to
which we are familiar:
fruits, berrys, nuts
 flowers, grasses & wood
 Spices and herbs
 Earth, flint, rocks
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Aromas in Wines
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To become familiar with common wine aromas.
Find a few of the following items:
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Fruits - green apple / lemon / melon / peach / pear
Organics - fresh cut grass / mushroom / green pepper
Spices - vanilla / pepper / clove
Candy - chocolate / jam
Flowers - rose / violet / lavender
Woods - oak / cedar / bamboo / burnt wood
Earthy - flint / fresh soil / wet rocks / leather / wet dog
Place them in plastic cups separately and in combinations. Develop your
ability to identify them by smell only.
Characteristic Aromas of Wines
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Chardonnay
 Vanilla / citrus / wood
Chenin Blanc
 Ripe melon / honey
Sauvignon Blanc
 grass / green apple /
grapefruit
Riesling
 ripe fruits / lemon
Gewurztraminer
 ripe fruits / exotic
spices / perfume
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Carbernet Sauvignon
 dark fruits / wood / leather
Zindandel
 red or dark fruits / pepper
Merlot
 ripe grapes / plums
Grenache
 dark fruits / pepper
Pinot Noir
 red fruits / wood /
Bouquets of Wines
Only the best and finest of the wines made are expected to pass the test of
time. Estimates are that as little as 5 percent of wines produced are made
to undergo significant bottle aging.
 The right wine under the right conditions and a long enough time, will
develop more complex olfactory characteristics referred to as a “Bouquet”.
 Bouquets are typically described as complex odors such as those associated
with combinations of cedar / tobacco / coffee / leather in red wines and
vanilla / cloves in certain white wines.
 Objectionable smells may develop during aging:
 sulfurous / rubbery / vinegary / moldy / yeasty
 In some cases, this situation is only temporary and will dissipate if the
bottle is left open for a while. However, in other cases, this is caused by
improper winemaking techniques or wine storage practices.
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The Scent of Wine: Summary
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Wines provide olfactory stimuli that provide information regarding
the varietal character of the wine, the winemaking techniques and
hints of the taste to come.
Aroma is the smell associated with a young wine which arises from
the grape varietal and byproducts of the aging process.
Bouquet is a very special and complex set of smell that develop in
only the finest wines after prolonged aging.
Practice identifying various components and their combination
found in wine aroma and bouquets.
Four Basic Elements of Tasting
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There are four basic
elements of tasting:
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bitter, salt, acid and sweet.
All taste sensations are
made up of these
components.
The tongue senses tastes
preferentially in different
areas:
bitterness - back/center
 saltiness - middle/center
 acidity - sides
 sweetness - tip
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Tasting Sensations of Wine
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Wine tasting is composed of groups
of sensations resulting from the
primarily constituents of the wine:
Sweetness usually comes from
unfermented sugars and alcohol.
 Acidity comes from organic acids primarily tartaric, citric, malic and
lactic acids derived from the grapes
and those produced by the
fermentation process.
 Bitterness (in a mild form) originates
from tannins which come from grape
skins and stems in addition to the oak
used in the wine making process.
Mouth sensation of strong tea.
 Saltiness is not a usual component of
wine.
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Flavors in Wine
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There are also a whole host of flavors
in wine.
A fine wine is characterized as having
a complexity where multiple flavors
can be experienced.
These flavors are often subtle
similarities to various fruits, flowers,
spices and other substances.
These sensations are produced by
various chemicals in the wine that
may also be in other substances.
The volatile components found in the
wine aroma are particularly important
as they are often closely associated
with tasting.
Flavors in White Wines
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Examples of white wine flavors are:
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Toast - new oak or bottle aged
Chardonnay or Semillion.
Vanilla - Wines aged in oak
Pineapple / Clove spices Gewurztraminer
Gooseberries / Citrus - Sauvignon
Blanc
Lime / Lemon - Semillion
Peaches / Apricots - Riesling or
Muscat
Honey - Sweet dessert wines
subject to botrytis cinerea - Noble
Rot
Flavors in Red Wines
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Examples of Red Wine
Flavors are:
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Bananas / Pears - Beaujolais
Black pepper - Zinfandel
Strawberries / cherries Pinot Noir
Green peppers - young
Cabernet Sauvignon
Chocolate - Pinotage
Raspberries / plums - Syrah
The Sensation of Tasting Wines
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The green apple flavor often associated with white wines can
be sensed near the back and sides of the tongue due to the
combination of bitterness and acidity.
The citrus flavors is usually sensed on the sides of the tongue
about midway back due to their associated acidity.
Sweet wines are tasted near the tip of the tongue.
The tannins common in red wines are “felt” by the astringency
or dryness left behind the lips (like strong tea).
The location of the tastes can help to identify the component
flavors of the wine.
The Blind Tasting Recognizing Wines
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Most wines have a characteristic signature:
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They have recognizable aromas and flavors (see previous slides).
They also have varying levels of flavor intensity, tannin and body.
These are the components of the wine that help to pair just the
right wine with foods.
You can identify fine wines by the complexity and quality of
sensations that they bring and by their balanced characteristics.
The only way to lean is to “practice” tasting.
Relax and take in all that you can; start a
record of your tastings for future reference.
Identifying Wines by Tasting:
Chardonnay - French or California
Look for the “Characteristic Signatures” of the wines you drink.
California Chardonnay
French Chardonnay (White Burgundy)
The Tactile Sensation of Taste
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In addition to the direct
sensation of tasting, there are
also tactile sensations.These are
associated with the feeling that
the wine has in the mouth.
This tactile sensation is called
the “body” of the wine.
Components of the wine that
lead to its body are:
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Viscosity & density of the wine
are important in body.
Alcohol, tannin, sugar, and fruit
extract change these properties.
Temperature is also important.
Wines appear to have more
body at higher temperature.
Wines with more body generally
go with richer foods.
Viscosity is an important aspect in “body”
Complexity, Balance &
Length of Flavor (The Finish)
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Signs of a fine wine:
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Complexity is the characteristic of having
multiple and more evolved aromas & tastes
Balance is the delicate combination of flavors
and sensory experiences so that each of the
components is in right proportion to the others.
Not too much alcohol, tannin, etc.
The Finish - After the initial taste is complete
and the wine is swallowed, their usually exists a
lingering taste sensation in the mouth. This is
referred to as the “finish” of the wine.
Stronger and more persistent and complex
aftertastes are commonly associated with finer
wines.
Fine wines characteristically have what is
referred to as a long finish.
These aftertastes allow an intermingling of wine
and food that enhances the total experience.
Tastes of Wine: Summary
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The four components of flavor are:
bitterness, saltiness, acidity and sweetness
 Each one is sensed in a specific location on the tongue which aids in
identification of complex flavors.
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Wines possess many flavors found in other fruits, vegetables and
species which can be used:
to identify the grape varietal and winemaking practices
 for pairing the wine with food.
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You can practice tasting to enhance your skills.
The body of the wine is related to its mouth feel which is related
to the viscosity and density of the wine.
Balance of the major flavor components and length of the
aftertaste are what separates fine wines from many other lesser
wines.