Ponoka Jubilee Library. Introductory Wine Tasting March 15 th, 2013

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1 Ponoka Jubilee Library Introductory Wine Tasting March 15 th, 2013

2 Goals for the evening Learn about wine tastings in general Provide a brief history of wine Cover some general wine terms Check out food pairing strategies Try some wines and have some FUN!

3 Tasting guide Sight, smell, body, taste, aftertaste Discuss as you like, don t be shy Score your wines just for fun!

4 Types of Wine Tastings Basic Wines Cab, Merlot, Syrah, Pinot, Riesling, Sauv Bl, Chard Regional Wines Same varietal across many regions Same region, many varietals Varietal Wines Same varietal across many countries Blended Wines Often meaning specific wines to a region as well Horizontal Same type all from one vintage Vertical Same producer and wine from many vintages Dessert Sauternes, Sherries, Ports, Icewines

5 Wine Tasting Basics Sight *Look at wine for clarity *Color *Brilliance *Clarity *Cloudiness

6 Wine Tasting Basics Smell Your nose is the key *Aroma - Related to grape *Bouquet - Resulting from wine making process *Volatize the Esters or Swirl

7 Wine Tasting Basics Taste * Take a sip * Swirl in mouth * Bring in air * Use wine wheel to describe

8 Wine Tasting Basics Touch * How it feels in your mouth * Light - Watery - Thin * Medium - 2% milk * Full - Cream

9 Wine Tasting Basics The After Taste * Short - No after taste * Long - Lingering after taste - Notable for a long time * Clean - Pleasurable, free from defects * Unpleasant - Too bitter or too sweet

10 Wine Tasting Basics Impression * Your evaluation * All tastes are different * No right or wrong, only your opinion

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12 Questions??

13 Legends of discovery many tales about the origins of wine legendary Persian King, Jamshid banished one of his harem ladies she become despondent and wished to commit suicide she sought out a jar marked "poison" which contained the remnants of grapes that had spoiled and were deemed undrinkable the "spoilage" was actually the result of fermentation caused by the breakdown of the grapes by yeast into alcohol after drinking the so-called poison, the harem girl discovered its effects to be pleasant and her spirits were lifted she took her discovery to the King who became so enamored with this new "wine" beverage that he not only accepted the girl back into his harem but also decreed that all grapes grown in Persepolis would be devoted to winemaking most wine historians view this story as pure legend, archaeological evidence shows that wine was known and extensively traded by the early Persian kings

14 The oldest known winery is located in Armenia. Archaeologists announced the discovery of this winery in January The winery, which is over six thousand years old, contains a wine press, fermentation vats, jars, and cups. Patrick McGovern commenting on the importance of the find, said, "The fact that winemaking was already so well developed in 4000 BC suggests that the technology probably goes back much earlier. Wine in Ancient Greece, Egypt, Roman Empire, Ancient China, Medieval Middle East, Medieval Europe and finally the Americas

15 Americas Grapes and wheat were first brought to what is now Latin America by the Spanish. Succeeding waves of immigrants imported French, Italian and German grapes. During the phylloxera blight in the late 1800s, it was found that native American grapes were immune to the pest. French-American hybrid grapes were developed and saw some use in Europe. More important was the practice of using American grape rootstocks grafted to European grape vines to protect from the insect. This practice continues to this day wherever phylloxera is present.

16 Basic Wine Terms Vintage - Year grapes are grown and harvested Tannin - Extracts from seeds, skins, and stems Dry - Wine with no sugar after fermentation Sweet - Wine with a small amount of sugar left over Body - The weight of the wine Style - Overall impression of the wine Bouquet - A wine scent that comes from winemaking process Aromatic - Elements of wine scent that comes from the grape itself

17 Label Confusion Generic is defined as Blending but specific regions tend to be blended wines as well Varietal Specific- 75% of a particular grape has to be in the bottle, more or less depending on country/region Labeling: Brand or Product Region or Origin Appellation Vineyard Varietal Vintage

18 New vs. Old World Wines The old world is considered to be France, Italy, Spain, and Germany Less commonly known would include Portugal, Austria, Israel and Lebanon New world includes the Americas, Australia and New Zealand Notables in South America are Chile and Argentina, South African wines also considered new world Old world wines are most associated with region which tend to be dominated by particular varietals New world wines are typically referred to by varietal but are more and more gaining emphasis on the region as well

19 a) Grapes grown in different climates yield different styles of wine -factors affecting wines include elevation, soil type, latitude, bodies of water and wine making techniques b) 75% of wine must come from designated appellation on label (different laws for each country/region) c) The more specific the info on the label, the better (and usually more expensive) the wine is

20 What are Sulfites? sulfites are naturally occurring chemicals found in many foods for many years it has been a common practice to add sulfites to wine as a protection against oxidation and bacterial spoilage. manufactured sulfites are added as sulfur salts or sulfur dioxide solutions to the juice before fermentation until bottling unfortunately, winemakers can be excessive in their use of sulfites

21 effects are masking of delicate flavors, assaulting the nose, and causing headaches and allergic reactions to those who are especially sensitive modern winemaking equipment and sanitation make it possible to produce sound wines without such additives. still being added though? the legal limit in wine is 350 ppm, most with added sulfites contain less, generally ppm if a wine contains 10 ppm or more of total sulfites, the label must state contains sulfites Organic/Biodynamic wines will generally have less sulfites but will not be free of them one source indicates that white wines usually have more sulfites than reds

22 Does Wine go bad? With time most wines will spoil and turn to vinegar All wines are affected by light, heat and humidity For long term storage it is best to control all 3 factors Some wines can be aged and some say improved by doing so even up to a century and beyond Cork taint is another problem caused by a faulty seal This causes a wine to oxidize must faster than it should I have heard about 7% of all wine is affected in some way by cork taint, that s about one bottle per case Screw cap enclosures are now being used regularly and are also much more effective

23 Questions??

24 Common White Wines Chardonnay (Shar-doe-nay) - Typical green apple, citrus, somewhat fruity Origin - Burgundy region of France Sauvignon Blanc (So-Veen-Yon - Blonk) - Fig, Melon sometimes grassy, lighter bodied than Chardonnay Origin - Bordeaux region of France Pinot Grigio (Peeno-Greegio) - Very light style, easy to drink, melon and citrus overtones Origin - Alto - region of Italy Riesling (Rees-ling) - Light wine, sweet with hints of Apricot, Peach and Honeysuckle Origin - Germany

25 Common Red Wines Cabernet Sauvignon (Cab-bear-nay So-Veen-yon) - Very dry full bodied wine with pronounced tannins. Fruit flavors of dark cherry, and cassis Origin - Bordeaux region of France Merlot ( Mair-lo) - Softer than Cabernet - less tannins, dark cherry, herbs and black berry Origin -Bordeaux region of France Pinot Noir (Pee-no-nwah) - Raspberry and herbal. Sometimes earthy(winemaker) Origin - Burgundy region of France Syrah or Shiraz (Sir-ah or Shir-az) - Rich and robust medium tannins, dark fruit, black pepper and spices Origin - Rhone region of France

26 Grapes - 1 grape contains all the ingredients necessary for making wine. Natural process of converting a grapes sugar into alcohol Methods vary from winery to winery - Winemaker practices Still Wines - letting carbon dioxide gas escape from the fermentation container Champagne - keep all carbon dioxide inside the fermentation tank

27 Steps in Process A) Harvest B) Crush - De-stem C) Press D) Fermentation E) Malolactic - Secondary Fermentation (softening agent) F) Aging - Vessel - Time G) Sur lie Aging - has to do with mouth feel, creamy consistency of the wine, stirring the lees H) Filter - pulling out residuals left in wine I) Bottling - fining

28 White Wine A) Harvest B) Crush C) Press - Remove Skins E) Fermentation F) Secondary (optional) G) Aging H) Filter I) Bottling

29 Red Wine A) Harvest B) Crush C) Fermentation D) Secondary Fermentation (option) E) Press - Separate Juice F) Aging G) Filter H) Bottling

30 Questions??

31 Basics of Wine and Food Pairing Suggestions Ask??? * What do you like - Red or White? * What are you serving? * What price are you comfortable with?

32 Weight of Wine and Food Light Heavy White Zinfandel Sauvignon Blanc Pinot Grigio Riesling Pinot Noir Chardonnay Merlot Zinfandel Cabernet

33 When Pairing Wine & Food 1. Determine weights of food and wine to match as close as you can 2. Identify Flavors of wine, food, then blend based on texture and flavors

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35 Thank You David Tremblay for inviting me to do this. Chad Jones for supplying the wines. All of you for coming out to have some fun!

36 Further Interests? Questions? Resources Please drive safe.