UNDERSTANDING WINE Class 1 Tasting

Transcription

1 Class 1 Tasting THE FOUR STEPS OF SENSORY EVALUATION: White Wines Before you start the tasting: 1.Make sure you have the Tasting Checklist you downloaded and printed out from the Introduction to this class. If you don t have the checklist, please use the navigation bar at the top of this page to return to the Intro, where the download link is located. 2.Fill in the top portion of the Tasting Checklist with information you can find on the wine label. This will help you remember the wine s: Producer: the name of the winery or chateau Growing Area: The region where the grapes are grown; probably Italy and California for these two wines Vintage: the year the grapes were harvested Alcohol: the alcohol content is given as a percentage Price: the cost of the bottle or glass in a store or restaurant 3. Pull the corks from your two bottles of wine, a Pinot Grigio from Italy and a Chardonnay from Australia. Pour each wine into a separate glass, filling each glass about 1/3 full. 4. To remember which glass is which, you might want to place the two glasses side-by-side, keeping the Pinot Grigio on the left and the Chardonnay on the right. In each section of the tasting, we ll evaluate the Pinot Grigio first and the Chardonnay second. You already use your senses of sight, smell and touch to judge the ripeness and appeal of fruits and vegetables at the market. For example, you look at the color of a banana, smell a melon s perfume and feel the firmness of an avocado. Wine professionals use these same senses to evaluate wine in a four-step process commonly called the 4S s: 1. SEE: look at the wine s color 2. SNIFF: smell the aromas 3. SIP: evaluate taste, mouthfeel and flavor 4. SUMMARIZE: synthesize your observations In this first tasting, you will work through the 4S tasting process as you compare two white wines: a Pinto Grigio from Italy and a Chardonnay from Australia. 1

2 Class 1 Tasting SEE: CLARITY, COLOR, INTENSITY, LEGS SEE involves evaluating Clarity, Color, Intensity and Legs. Most wines should be clear A pronounced haze may indicate a wine is spoiled SEE: CLARITY, Color, Intensity, Legs 1. Set your glassed on the table before you and, looking through the wines, examine them for clarity. 2. Is each wine clear, or do you see a haziness in either? 3. On your tasting checklist, circle the clarity that most closely matches each wine. SEE: Clarity, COLOR, Intensity, Legs A wine s color is largely determined by the grape variety: white wines can be green, straw, gold or amber (lightest to darkest). Color can also tell you things about the age of and the health of the wine. A young white wine s color should be lighter rather than darker, and may frequently have a greenish tinge to it. Over time, the color of a white wine will evolve toward amber. A young white wine that is amber-colored is probably spoiled. EXAMINING COLOR Pinot Grigio 1. Pick up your glass of Pinot Grigio and tilt it away from you at a 45-degree angle. 2. Look at the core not the edge of the wine. Make sure the backdrop is white: a napkin, tablecloth or sheet of paper all work. What color is the wine? Do you detect a greenish tint, indicating that it s a young wine? Circle the color on your tasting checklist that most closely describes your wine. 2

3 Class 1 Tasting Chardonnay 1. Now pick up your glass of Chardonnay and tilt it away at a 45-degree angle. 2. Look at its core. What color is it? COMPARISON Does it have a green tint? Circle its color on your tasting checklist. 1. Are they the same color? Are they different colors? 2. In general, wine made from Pinot Grigio will be toward the green or yellow end of the spectrum; wine made from Chardonnay is more frequently straw or gold in color. 3. Since both these wines are young, differences in color are due mainly to the different grape varieties and not to the effects of age. 3

4 Class 1 Tasting SEE: Clarity, Color, INTENSITY, Legs Imagine a pitcher of Concord grape juice. Now, add a cup of water to it and see what happens: The juice is still purple, but it s a paler shade of purple now not as dark as before. Add another cup of water, and the juice becomes even paler. Intensity refers, not to color itself, but to the concentration of color: The more concentrated a wine s color, the higher the intensity. A wine with high intensity of color is referred to as dark ; low intensity, pale, inbetween, medium. Intensity is important to us because it offers a visual clue to a wine s makeup; Generally, the more intense a wine s color, the more flavorful and full-bodied it is. EXAMINING INTENSITY Pinot Grigio 1. Look at your glass of Pinot Grigio. 2. On your tasting checklist, circle the level of intensity that best describes it. Chardonnay 1. Now take your glass of Chardonnay and examine it. 2. Circle its intensity on the tasting checklist. COMPARISON 1. Which wine has the more intense color? 2. Based on intensity, which wine would you expect to be more flavorful and full-bodied? (The more intensely colored wine will usually be more flavorful and full-bodied.) 4

5 Class 1 Tasting SEE: Clarity, Color, Intensity, LEGS When you read or hear someone talk about legs or tears, they are referring to the rivulets of wine that form and then flow down the inside of a wine glass after the wine has been swirled. Like intensity, legs tell us something about a wine: The more pronounced the legs and the longer they last, the higher the alcohol content and the more full-bodied a wine is. How to Swirl 1. Resting your glass on the table, lightly hold the stem at the base with your fingertips and slowly begin drawing circles with it. 2. Now increase the speed of these circles until the wine is swirling around and around. 3. Stop and let the wine come to rest; the inside of your glass will be coated with a thin film of wine. 4. Look at the upper edge of this film. In a few moments, drops of liquid will begin to appear and then flow down the sides of the glass; these are the legs. EXAMINING LEGS Pinot Grigio 1. Swirl your glass of Pinot Grigio for a moment and then stop. 2. Observe the legs as they form. 3. Are the legs short-lived? Pronounced and long lasting? 4. Make a note on your tasting checklist. Chardonnay 1. Now take you glass of Chardonnay, swirl it and watch its legs form. 2. Are they faint and short-lived? Pronounced and long lasting? 3. Mark your tasting checklist COMPARISON 1. Which wine has the longer lasting, more pronounced legs? 2. Which wine would you expect to have a higher alcohol content and be more full-bodied? 3. Look at each bottle s label and find the alcohol content. 4. Does the label confirm what you ve observed? (Even if you re correct, it may not: And error of 1.5 degrees of alcohol is allowed on wine labels, as long as the total content is less than 14%.) 5

6 Class 1 Tasting SNIFF: AROMA, INTENSITY, INDENTIFICATION SNIFF involves using your sense of smell to identify a wine s aromas and to judge its intensity. Aroma The aromas of wine come from fragrant chemical compounds called esters. If you detect the aroma of lemon in your glass of Chardonnay, it is because the same or nearly the same combination of esters that gives a lemon its distinctive aroma is present in the wine. Wine is capable of great aromatic complexity, and it is possible for a single wine to have many aromas. For example, apple, lemon, lime, melon, pineapple, pear, spice, hazelnut, vanilla and butterscotch can all be descriptors for Chardonnay. Off Aromas A smell that reminds you of a damp basement or musty newspaper indicates that the wine may be corked. Chemicals used in the process of manufacturing corks as well as wood preservatives used in winery construction sometimes react with the cork, causing the cork to impart nasty moldy and musty odors to wine. These odors are clear indicators for returning a bottle of wine to your wine merchant or waiter. Releasing the Aromas With your wineglasses still on the table, choose one and swirl it. Swirling the wine aerates it and increases its surface area, accelerating evaporation and increasing the amount of aromas that are released into the air. Pick up the glass, and placing your nose just inside the rim, where the aromas will be most concentrated, take a quick sniff or two and put the glass down. Don t inhale the wine s aromas for more than a few seconds at a time or your nose will become desensitized. 6

7 Class 1 Tasting SNIFF: Aroma, INTENSITY, Indentification When we smell a wine s aromas, we begin by first judging their intensity. Intensity is the answer to the question, How powerful or faint are the aromas? Try to do the following process in a single sniff per wine; form an impression and go on to the next step. Remember that, like any skill, you will improve with practice. JUDGING INTENSITY Pinot Grigio 1. Swirl and sniff the Pinot Grigio. 2. Are the aromas powerful? Do they seem to pour out of the glass and immediately fill your nose? 3. Or are they faint, maybe even hard to detect? 4. On your tasting checklist, circle the intensity that most closely describes the Pinot Grigio s aromas. Chardonnay 1. Swirl and sniff the Chardonnay. 2. Are the aromas powerful, faint or somewhere inbetween? 3. Note the intensity of the Chardonnay s aromas on your tasting checklist. COMPARISON Which wine has more intense aromas? 7

8 Class 1 Tasting SNIFF: Aroma, Intensity, INDENTIFICATION Identification involves swirling and sniffing the wine and giving a name to each aroma. Of all the steps in tasting wine, identification is the most involved, and takes a bit of practice to master. The following guidelines will help you through the process as you develop your skill at identification: Use your tasting checklist it lists many possible aromas that are characteristic of Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay, and breaks them into general categories ( Citrus, Tree Fruit, etc.) and specific aromas ( Lemon, Apple, etc.). Keep in mind that the order of presentation doesn t mean that you ll smell a wine s aromas in this order, nor does it mean that you ll smell the aromas from every category; if you detect and aroma that isn t on the checklist, that s fine; go ahead and write it in. You can identify an aroma by its general category or by its specific name. It s okay if you can only identify the general category with some wines, that s as close as you ll get. Limit yourself to three or four sniffs per wine. This is enough to identify the major aromas without suffering nasal fatigue. IDENTIFYING AROMAS Pinot Grigio 1. Swirl and sniff your Pinot Grigio. 2. What is the first or most prominent aroma that comes to you? Try to name it. 3. Look at your checklist. Do any of the possible aromas jump off the page at you? Try using free association. Memories involving sense of smell can be strong. Does an aroma recall some past event? A walk in the country, fresh mown hay? Hot apple pie, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove? Baking bread, yeast, dough? A movie, buttered popcorn? When you identify an aroma, circle it on the tasting checklist. 8

9 Class 1 Tasting Chardonnay 1. Now swirl and sniff your Chardonnay. 2. What is the first of most prominent aroma that comes to you? Try to name it. 3. Look at your checklist. Do any of the possible aromas jump off the page at you? 4. If you are having trouble, try using free association. When you identify an aroma, circle it on the form. COMPARISON Again, if an aroma remind you of tropical fruit but nothing more specific, just circle Tropical. Limit yourself to three or four sniffs. Look at your checklist: Do the two wines have any aromas in common? What are their unique aromas? Do you prefer one wine s aromas over the other? 9

10 Class 1 Tasting SIP: ACIDITY, BODY, FLAVOR SIP involves using your senses of taste, touch and smell to evaluate a wine s Taste, Body and Flavors. Some additional information about tastes in wines may be helpful as you begin to evaluate wines: When tasting wines, we usually perceive the three tastes associated with wines in a predictable order; sweet is followed by tart and finally bitter. EACH TASTE HAS DISTINCT ORIGINS: Sweet (sugar): Wine may contain some sweetness, called residual sugar, if all the grapes sugar was not converted to alcohol during fermentation. This remaining sweetness may or may not be perceptible to you, depending on the concentration and your sensitivity to it. Alcohol can give the perception of sweetness to a wine that isn t actually sweet. Flavors of ripe fruit can impart the perception of sweetness. Tart (acidity): Wines contain a number of acids commonly found in food, such as acetic acid (vinegar), citric acid (lemon), lactic acid (milk, yogurt) and malic acid (green apples). Acidity tends to make a wine s fruit flavors fresher and brighter. Bitter (tannins): Grape seeds, stems, and skins contain bitter-tasting chemicals called tannins. Tannins are important in red wines, but are virtually absent in whites. How to Sip 1. Put your glass to your lips and sip 1/4 to 1/3 ounce, just enough to wet the insides of your mouth. 2. Vigorously swish the wine around your mouth three or four times, then stop. 3. With the wine resting just behind your lower front teeth, purse your lips as if to blow out a candle and gently draw air into your mouth through the wine. You will hear a gurgling noise as you do. 4. Spit the wine into the receptacle. 10

11 Class 1 Tasting ACIDITY Tasting for Acidity Pinot Grigio 1. Sip, swish and spit your Pinot Grigio 2. Check your mouth for the sensations of acidity. Do you detect any of the following? Puckering (acidity is high)? Sharpness (acidity is high)? Mouthwatering (acids cause salivation; acidity is medium)? A clean, refreshing feeling (acidity is medium)? 3. Are these sensations barely perceptible? Pronounced? 4. It is possible for a white wine to lack sufficient acidity. A wine with low acidity feels flat and lifeless on the palate, much like sparkling water that has lost its fizz, and is often described as flabby. 5. Circle the level of acidity on your tasting checklist. Chardonnay 1. Now sip, swish and spit the Chardonnay. 2. Check your mouth for the sensations of acidity. Are there any puckering, sharp, mouthwatering, or clean and refreshing sensations? Or is the wine flat and flabby? 3. Note its level of acidity on your tasting checklist. Comparision 1. Which wine is tarter and makes your mouth pucker more? 2. Which wine is softer and rounder, less sharp? 3. Which wine do you prefer? Why? 11

12 Class 1 Tasting SIP: Acidity, BODY, Flavor Body is the sensation within the mouth of weight and thickness. Body is easily understood by relating it to milk: If you think of skim milk as light-bodied, then by comparison, whole milk is medium-bodied and cream is full-bodied. TASTING FOR BODY Pinot Grigio 1. Sip and swish the Pinot Grigio, feeling its weight and thickness as you move the wine around in your mouth. 2. Keeping the milk analogy in mind, how would you describe its body? 3. Is it light? Medium? Full? 4. Spit the wine and note the body on your checklist. Chardonnay 1. Sip, swish and spit the Chardonnay, noting its weight and thickness. 2. Is it light-bodied? Medium? Full? 3. Spit the wine and mark your checklist. COMPARISON Which of the two wines has the fuller body? (Pinot Grigio is normally lighter in body than Australian Chardonnay.) Do you prefer the weight and thickness of the fuller-bodied wine or the lighter-bodied one? 12

13 Class 1 Tasting SIP: Acidity, Body, FLAVOR The flavors of a wine are often similar to its aromas. Sometimes you may be able to identify more flavors than aromas, sometimes not. Your tasting checklist reflects this similarity by combining the descriptors for aromas and flavors into one section under SNIFF. When you identify a flavor in your wine, underline the flavor on your tasting checklist. Aromas will be circled and flavors will be underlined. TASTING FOR FLAVOR Pinot Grigio 1. Sip, swish and aerate the Pinot Grigio. 2. Spit the wine and underline the flavors you detect on your tasting checklist. 3. Repeat as necessary. 4. Do the flavors you detect match the aromas you sensed when you sniffed the wine? 5. Do you detect flavors that you didn t find as aromas? 6. How intense are the flavors? Mark your checklist. Chardonnay 1. Sip, swish and aerate the Chardonnay. 2. Spit; underline its flavors on the checklist. 3. Repeat as necessary. 4. Do the flavors match the aromas? 5. Do you find flavors that you didn't detect as aromas? 6. How intense are the flavors? Mark your checklist. COMPARISON Look at your checklist-do the two wines have any flavors in common? What are their unique flavors? Do you prefer one wine s flavors to the other? 13

14 Class 1 Tasting SUMMARIZE: FINISH, BALANCE, COMPLEXITY SUMMARIZE involves examining a wine s Finish, Balance and Complexity, and coming to a final evaluation of quality and appeal. SUMMARIZE: FINISH, Balance, Complexity Finish refers to the length of time a wine s flavors linger in the mouth after swallowing or spitting and, like aftertaste, is an important indicator of quality. In general, the longer the finish, the better the wine. EVALUATING FINISH Pinot Grigio 1. Swirl, sniff, sip and spit the wine. 2. What are the flavors that linger in your mouth? 3. Do the flavors slowly diminish on your palate or do they crescendo before they fade? 4. Sip, swish and spit again, this time paying attention to the length of time the flavors linger. Ask yourself: Is it a short finish? Do the flavors disappear abruptly, within about 10 seconds? Is it a long finish? Do the flavors linger for 45 seconds or more? 5. Record your impressions of aftertaste and finish on your tasting checklist. Chardonnay 1. Swirl, sniff, sip and spit. 2. What flavors linger in your mouth? 3. Do they slowly diminish on your palate, or crescendo before starting to fade? 4. Sip, swish and spit again, and paying attention to the length of time the flavors linger, ask: Is it a short finish? Do the flavors disappear abruptly, within about 10 seconds? Is it a long finish? Do the flavors linger for 45 seconds or more? 5. Record your impressions on your tasting checklist. 14

15 Class 1 Tasting COMPARISON Which wine has the longer finish? Do you prefer one wine to the other? Please note that while a short wine would be considered inferior in quality to a long wine, a short wine may nonetheless be very enjoyable to drink. 15

16 Class 1 Tasting SUMMARIZE: Finish, BALANCE, Complexity In white wine, the key elements are acidity, alcohol and sweetness, and they stand in the following relationship: A wine is balanced, or harmonious, when no single structural element acidity, alcohol, sweetness or tannins stands out. If one or more of these elements is dominant, the wine is said to be awkward or disjointed. Acidity is balanced by alcohol and sweetness. A white wine that is in balance will feel refreshing and lively on the palate-not too tart, nor cloyingly sweet, nor too hot from alcohol. An overly acidic white wine will feel tart and sharp on the palate, even sour. A white wine with too much alcohol will feel hot in the mouth and back of the throat in much the same way a distilled spirit such as brandy or Cognac fills the mouth with heat. An overly sweet white wine will feel cloying and heavy on your palate. Like a long finish and a complex aftertaste, balance in a wine is a sign of quality. EXAMINING BALANCE Pinot Grigio 1. Sip, swish and spit your Pinot Grigio. 2. Judging by mouthfeel, ask yourself if any element seems too prominent: Is the wine puckery from too much acidity? Burning from too much alcohol? Cloying from too much sweetness? 3. If your answer to all the above is no, the wine is balanced. 4. Spit and record your impression of its balance on the tasting checklist. 16

17 Class 1 Tasting Chardonnay 1. Sip, swish and spit your Chardonnay. 2. Is the wine: Puckery from too much acidity? Burning from too much alcohol? Cloying from too much sweetness? 3. Spit and record your impression on the tasting checklist. COMPARISON On the whole, Pinot Grigio tends to be the more acidic ( crisp ) wine, while Chardonnay tends to be higher in alcohol ( soft ) than Pinot Grigio. Do you find this to be so? Some people prefer crisp wines to soft, just as some people prefer sour pickles to the sweet variety what s your preference? Do you like the Pinot Grigio or the Chardonnay more? The weather and time of year may influence your preference: The acidity of the Pinot Grigio may not be appealing during the winter months. In the heat of summer, it may be just the wine to drink. Similarly, the Chardonnay may seem too full and heavy for hot weather. In winter, those qualities may make it a perfect match for hearty food. 17

18 Class 1 Tasting SUMMARIZE: Finish, Balance, COMPLEXITY Take a last sip of the Pinot Grigio, swish and spit. A wine that has many different aromas and flavors is called complex. In particular, a wine is complex if, each time you take a sip, you discover another layer or nuance offlavor or the flavors evolve overthe length of time the wine is in the mouth. By definition, all great wines are highly complex. In contrast, a wine with few aromas and flavors is called simple. Wine doesn t have to be complex to be enjoyable many simple wines are very pleasurable to drink. A complex wine, however, will always be considered higher in quality. EXAMINING COMPLEXITY Pinot Grigio 1. Sip, swish and swallow the Pinot Grigio. Do you notice more and more layers of aroma and flavor, or is it a simple, one-note wine? 2. Circle the Pinot Grigio s complexity on your tasting checklist. Chardonnay 1. Sip, swish and swallow the Chardonnay. Is it complex with many aromas and flavors, or simple? 2. Mark your tasting checklist. COMPARISON Which of the two wines seems more complex to you? 18

19 Class 1 Tasting FINAL EVALUATION Based on finish, balance and complexity, which would you say is the higher quality wine? Which would you prefer to drink? A STUDY IN CONTRASTING STYLES The two wines tasted were chosen because they tend to illustrate opposite ends of the spectrum in dry white wine styles. Pinot Grigio from Italy is usually a leaner wine, lighter-bodied with crisp acidity. Chardonnay from Australia is usually fuller-bodied with riper fruit flavors and a richer mouthfeel. Although the difference in style is not a reflection of the wines quality, you may find that you prefer one style to the other. Congratulations on completing the Class 1 Tasting! 19

20 Class 2 Tasting THE FOUR STEPS OF SENSORY EVALUATION: Red Wines Before you start the tasting: 1. Make sure you have the Tasting Checklist you downloaded and printed out from the Introduction to this class. If you don t have the checklist, please use the navigation bar at the top of this page to return to the Intro, where the download link is located. 2. Fill in the top portion of the Tasting Checklist. This information helps you remember the wines and also provides clues to how the wine will taste: Producer: the name of the winery or chateau Growing Area: the region where the grapes were grown; probably Beaujolais and California for these two wines Vintage: the year the grapes were harvested Alcohol: the alcohol content is given as a percentage Price: the cost of the bottle or glass in a store or restaurant 3. Pull the corks from your two bottles of wine, a Beaujolais-Villages from France and a Cabernet Sauvignon from California. Pour each wine into a separate glass, filling each glass about 1/3 full. 4. To remember which glass is which, you might want to place the two glasses side-by-side, keeping the Beaujolais-Villages on the left and the Cabernet Sauvignon on the right. In each section of the tasting, we ll evaluate the Beaujolais-Villages first and the Cabernet Sauvignon second. This second tasting uses the 4S approach to evaluate two wines, a Beaujolais-Villages from France and a Cabernet Sauvignon from California. The focus of the tasting is tannins. The two reds are at opposite ends of the tannin spectrum; one wine has light tannins and the other has heavier tannins.see: CLARITY, Color, Intensity, Legs 20

21 Class 2 Tasting SEE: CLARITY, Color, Intensity, Legs Because sediment takes time to form, most young red wines won t have sediment. In older reds, sediment is normal. EXAMINING CLARITY 1. Set your glasses on the table before you, and looking through the wines, examine them for clarity. 2. Is each wine clear, or do you see sediment in either? 3. On your tasting checklist, circle the clarity that most closely matches each wine. SEE: Clarity, COLOR, Intensity, Legs A wine s color is largely determined by the grape variety (in addition to its age). Red wines range from (darkest to lightest): purple» ruby red» garnet/brick» tawny/amber. Color can also tell you things about the age and the health of a wine: A young red wine s color should be darker, rather than lighter, and may have a purplish tinge to it. Over time, the color of a red wine will evolve towards amber. EXAMINING COLOR Beaujolais 1. Pick up your glass of Beaujolais and tilt it away from you at a 45-degree angle. 2. Look at the core -not the edge- of the wine. Make sure the backdrop is white: a napkin, tablecloth or sheet of paper all work. What color is the wine? Do you detect a purplish tinge, indicating that it's a very young wine? 3. Circle the color on your tasting checklist that most closely describes your wine. 21

22 Class 2 Tasting Cabernet Sauvignon 1. Now pick up your glass of Cabernet and tilt it away from you at a 45-degree angle. 2. Look at its core. What color is it? Is there any purple in its color or is the color ruby? Are your two wines from the same vintage? 3. Circle its color on your tasting checklist. COMPARISON Are your two wines the same color? In general, Beaujolais tends toward purple while Cabernet Sauvignon tends toward ruby. The differences in color are due, in large part, to the different grape varieties and the age difference between the two wines. 22

23 Class 2 Tasting SEE: Clarity, Color, INTENSITY, Legs Intensity refers not to color itself, but to the concentration of color: A wine with high intensity of color will be dark ; low intensity, and it will be pale ; in-between, medium. The intensity of a wine s color indicates how much extract (the grape solids that remain after the liquid is removed) the wine has: The higher the intensity of color, the more extract, and the more extract, the more flavorful and full-bodied the wine is. Given two wines made from the same grape variety, the darker, more intensely colored wine is likely to have more concentrated flavors and fuller body than the paler, less intensely colored wine. EXAMINING INTENSITY Beaujolais 1. Look at your glass of Beaujolais. 2. On your tasting checklist, circle the level of intensity that best describes it. Cabernet Sauvignon 1. Now take your glass of Cabernet and examine it. 2. Circle its intensity on the tasting checklist. COMPARISON Which wine has the more intense color? Based on intensity, which wine would you expect to be more flavorful and full-bodied? (The more intensely colored wine will usually be more flavorful and full-bodied.) 23

24 Class 2 Tasting SEE: Clarity, Color, Intensity, LEGS Legs are the rivulets of wine that form and flow down the inside of a wine glass after the wine has been swirled. The more pronounced the legs and the longer they last, the higher the alcohol content and the more full-bodied the wine is. EXAMINING LEGS Beaujolais 1. Swirl your glass of Beaujolais for a moment and then stop. 2. Observe the legs as they form. 3. Are the legs faint and short-lived, or pronounced and long-lasting? 4. Make a note on your tasting checklist. Cabernet Sauvignon 1. Now take your glass of Cabernet, swirl it and watch its legs form. 2. Are they faint and short-lived? Pronounced and long-lasting? 3. Note your tasting checklist. COMPARISON Which wine has the longer lasting, more pronounced legs? Which wine would you expect to have a higher alcohol content and be more full-bodied? Look at each bottle s label and find the alcohol content it will be stated in percent by volume. Does the label confirm what you ve observed? (It may not, even if you re right; a slight margin of error in the alcohol level is allowed on wine labels.) 24

25 Class 2 Tasting SNIFF: AROMA INTENSITY, IDENTIFICATION SNIFF involves using your sense of smell to Identify and gauge their Intensity. If you put your glass of Beaujolais to your nose and smell strawberry, it is because the same-or nearly the same-combination of esters that make a strawberry smell like a strawberry are also there in the wine. Wine is capable of great aromatic complexity, and it is possible for a single wine to smell of many things for example, currant, plum, herbs, smoke and earth. When we smell a wine s aromas, we begin by first judging their Intensity. Intensity is the answer to the question How powerful or faint are the aromas? Try to do the following process in a single sniff per wine; form an impression and go on to the next step. Remember that, like any skill, you will improve at this with experience. SNIFF: AROMA INTENSITY, Identification JUDGING INTENSITY Beaujolais 1. Swirl and sniff the Beaujolais. 2. Are the aromas powerful? Do they pour out the glass and immediately fill your nose? 3. Are they faint, or hard to detect? 4. Circle the intensity on your tasting checklist that best describes the intensity of the Beaujolais aromas. Cabernet Sauvignon 1. Swirl and sniff the Cabernet. 2. Are the aromas powerful, faint, or somewhere in between? 3. Note their intensity on your tasting checklist. COMPARISON Which has the more intense aromas? 25

26 Class 2 Tasting SNIFF: Aroma Intensity, IDENTIFICATION IDENTIFICATION Identification involves swirling and sniffing the wine and giving a name to each aroma. Of all the steps in tasting wine, identification is the most involved, and takes a bit of practice to master. The following guidelines will help you through the process as develop your skill at identification: 1. Use your tasting checklist - it lists many possible aromas that are characteristic of Beaujolais and Cabernet Sauvignon, and breaks them into general categories ( Berry, Tree Fruit, etc.) and specific aromas ( Strawberry, Cherry, etc.). 2. Keep in mind that the order of presentation doesn t mean that you ll smell a wine s aromas in this order, nor does it mean that you ll smell aromas from every category. If you detect an aroma that isn t on the checklist, that s fine; go ahead and write it in. 3. You can identify an aroma by its general category or by its specific name. It s OK if you can only identify the general category with some wines, that s as close as you ll get. 4. Limit yourself to three or four sniffs per wine. That is enough to identify the major aromas without suffering nasal fatigue. Beaujolais 1. Swirl and sniff your Beaujolais. 2. What is the first or the most prominent aroma that comes to you? Try to name it. 3. Look at your checklist. Do any of the possible aromas jump off the page at you? 4. Try using free association. Memories involving sense of smell can be very strong. Does an aroma recall some past event? Sunday brunch» strawberry jam on toast? A walk in the woods after a rainstorm» moist earth? When you can identify an aroma, jot it down on the form. 26

27 Class 2 Tasting Cabernet Sauvignon 1. Now swirl and sniff your Cabernet. 2. What is the first or the most prominent aroma that comes to you? Try to name it. 3. Look at your checklist. Do any of the possible aromas jump off the page at you? 4. If you are having trouble, try using free association. Memories in which your sense of smell was involved can be very strong. Does an aroma recall some past event? Horseback riding» leather, animal smells? Burning leaves in autumn» smoke? When you identify an aroma, circle it on the form. Remember: limit yourself to three or four sniffs. COMPARISON Look at your checklist. Do the two wines have any aromas in common? What are their unique aromas? The aromas most commonly associated with Beaujolais are red berries such as strawberry, tree fruit such as cherry and even a pleasant earthy smell. Aromas frequently found in Cabernet Sauvignon include black currant, black cherry, mint, tobacco and bell pepper. Do you prefer one wine s aromas to the other s? 27

28 Class 2 Tasting SIP: TASTE, Body, Flavor SIP involves using your senses of taste, touch and smell to evaluate a wine s Taste, Body and Flavors. TASTE The sense that we call taste has two parts: 1. A sensation of taste-sweet, sour or bitter-which is perceived by the taste buds and 2. related feelings (mouthfeel) in the mouth. Because both occur simultaneously, we do not usually think of the sensation of taste as different from mouthfeel. When tasting wine, we usually perceive sweet first, followed by sour and finally bitter. In the white wines of Class One, acidity was the dominant taste. In the red wines of this class, tannin will be dominant. TASTING FOR TANNIN Beaujolais 1. Sip, swish and spit the Beaujolais. 2. Check your mouth for the sensation of tannin. Do you detect any: Dryness along the sides and back of the tongue? Astringency (a rough sensation on your tongue)? Furry sensations in the mouth? 3. Now evaluate the mouthfeel of the tannins: Are they rough (indicating a high level of tannin)? Do they seem light to you (indicating a low level of tannin)? Are they smooth (indicating a moderate level of tannin)? 4. Note the Beaujolais's tannins on your checklist. 28

29 Class 2 Tasting Cabernet Sauvignon 1. Now sip, swish and spit the Cabernet. 2. Check your mouth for the sensation of tannin. Do you detect any drying, astringent, furry sensations? 3. Do the Cabernet s tannins seem light to you? Smooth? Rough? 4. Note your tasting checklist. COMPARISON Which wine is more drying, furry or rough? Which wine is smoother and has lighter tannins? 29

30 Class 2 Tasting SIP: Taste, BODY, Flavor Body is the sensation within the mouth of weight and thickness. The components in wine that contribute to body include alcohol, extract, sugar and tannin. TASTING FOR BODY Beaujolais 1. Take a sip and feel its weight and thickness as you swish it around your mouth, but don t swallow or spit. 2. Would you describe the wine s body as light? Medium? Full? 3. Swallow your sip and pay attention to the sensations in the back of your throat. Do you feel any heat from alcohol? 4. Note the Beaujolais s body on your checklist. Cabernet Sauvignon 1. Swirl the Cabernet. What do its legs indicate about body and alcohol level? 2. Sip and swish the wine, feeling its weight and thickness as you do; don t swallow or spit. 3. Is it light-bodied? Medium? Full-bodied? 4. Swallow your sip: Is there any heat from alcohol? 5. Note your tasting checklist. COMPARISON Which wine is more full-bodied? Which kind of body, light or full, do you find more appealing? 30

31 Class 2 Tasting SIP: Taste, Body, FLAVOR The flavors of a wine should echo its aromas, and may also elaborate on them. When you identify a flavor in this process, underline rather than circle it on your tasting checklist. TASTING FOR FLAVOR Beaujolais 1. Sip the Beaujolais. 2. Do the flavors you detect match the aromas you sensed when you sniffed the wine? 3. Spit the wine and underline the flavors on the tasting checklist. 4. Repeat as necessary. 5. Do you detect flavors that you didn t find as aromas? 6. How intense are the flavors? Note your checklist. Cabernet Sauvignon 1. Sip the Cabernet. 2. Spit and underline the flavors on the tasting checklist. 3. Repeat as necessary. 4. Do the flavors match the aromas? 5. Do you detect flavors that you didn t find as aromas? 6. How intense are the flavors? Note your checklist. COMPARISON Look at your checklist. Do the two wines have any flavors in common? What are their unique flavors? Do you prefer one wine s flavors to the other s? 31

32 Class 2 Tasting SUMMARIZE: FINISH, Balance, Complexity SUMMARIZE involves examining a wine s Finish, Balance and Complexity, and coming to a final evaluation of quality and appeal. Finish refers to the length of time a wine s flavors linger in the mouth after swallowing or spitting and, like aftertaste, is an important indicator of quality. In general, the longer the finish, the better the wine. EVALUATING FINISH Beaujolais 1. Sip and swallow the wine, paying attention to the length of time the flavors linger. Is it a short finish? Do the flavors disappear abruptly, within about 10 seconds? Is it a long finish? Do the flavors linger for 45 seconds or more? Circle your impressions of aftertaste and finish on your tasting checklist. Cabernet Sauvignon 1. Sip and swallow the wine, paying attention to the length of time the flavors linger. Is it a short finish? Do the flavors disappear abruptly, within about 10 seconds? Is it a long finish? Do the flavors linger for 45 seconds or more? Circle your impressions on your tasting checklist. COMPARISON Which wine has the longer finish? Do you prefer one wine to the other? Please note that while a short wine would be considered inferior in quality to a long wine, a short wine may nonetheless be very enjoyable to drink. 32

33 Class 2 Tasting SUMMARIZE: Finish, BALANCE, Complexity BALANCE Similar to a long finish, balance is a sign of quality. A wine is balanced when acidity, tannin, alcohol and sweetness are in harmony; none of the components overpower the others. Hard Components Tannin and acidity are hard components. They make the wine firmer and provide structure to wine, much like the steel girders in a building or the skeleton in a human body. Soft Components Alcohol and sweetness are the soft components. They make the wine softer, rounder, and prettier, much like flesh on a human body. WINES OUT OF BALANCE When wines are out of balance, their faults are readily apparent: 1. Overly tannic reds feel rough and astringent and taste bitter. 2. Overly acidic wines feel sharp and taste very tart. 3. Overly alcoholic wines feel hot in the mouth and can leave a burning sensation in the back of the throat. EXAMINING BALANCE Beaujolais 1. Sip, swish and swallow your Beaujolais. 2. Judging by mouthfeel, ask yourself if any element seems to be too prominent: 3. Does the wine feel rough or excessively drying from too much tannin? Puckery from too much acidity? Burning from too much alcohol? If your answer to all the above is no, the wine is balanced. 4. Record your impression of its balance on the tasting checklist. 33

34 Class 2 Tasting Cabernet Sauvignon 1. Sip, swish and swallow your Cabernet. 2. Is the wine: Rough or excessively drying from too much tannin? Puckery from too much acidity? Burning from too much alcohol? 3. Record your impression on the tasting checklist. COMPARISON On the whole, Beaujolais tends to be less tannic and more acidic than Cabernet. Do you find this to be so? Some people prefer smoother wines, while others like a bit of tannin. What s your preference? Do you like the Beaujolais or the Cabernet more? Your preference may be influenced by a food match: The Cabernet, with its fuller body, will taste better with heavier foods such as beef. The lighter, more delicate Beaujolais will be overwhelmed by heavy foods, but will pair beautifully with chicken, veal or salmon. 34

35 Class 2 Tasting SUMMARIZE: Finish, Balance, COMPLEXITY A wine is considered complex if each time you take a sip, you discover another layer or nuance of flavor. By definition, all great wines are highly complex. In contrast, a wine with few aromas and flavors is called simple. Wine needn t be complex to be enjoyable - many simple wines are quite pleasurable to drink. A complex wine, however, will always be considered higher in quality. EXAMINING COMPLEXITY Beaujolais 1. Take a last sip of the Beaujolais, swish and swallow. 2. Do you notice more and more layers of aroma and flavor, or is the wine simple? 3. Circle the Beaujolais s complexity on your tasting checklist. Cabernet Sauvignon 1. One last time, sip, swish and swallow the Cabernet. 2. Is it complex or simple? 3. Note your tasting checklist. COMPARISON Which of the two wines seems more complex to you? 35

36 Class 2 Tasting FINAL EVALUATION 1. Based on aftertaste, finish, balance and complexity, which would you say is the higher quality wine? 2. Which wine would you prefer to drink? A STUDY IN CONTRASTING STYLES The two wines tasted were chosen because they tend to illustrate opposite ends of the spectrum in red wine styles. Beaujolais is usually a leaner wine, lighter-bodied with lower tannins and brighter red fruit flavors. Cabernet Sauvignon is usually fuller-bodied with heavier tannins and darker red and purple fruit flavors. Congratulations on completing the Class 2 Tasting! 36

37 Class 3 Tasting TASTING: Pinot Noir and Merlot Before you start the tasting: 1. Make sure you have the Tasting Checklist. If you don t have the checklist, please use the navigation bar at the top of this page to go to the class Introduction, where the download link is located. 2. Fill in the top portion of the Tasting Checklist. This information helps you remember the wines and also provides clues to how the wine will taste: Producer: the name of the winery or chateau Growing Area: the region where the grapes were grown; probably Washington and Oregon for these two wines Vintage: the year the grapes were harvested Alcohol: the alcohol content is given as a percentage Price: the cost of the bottle or glass in a store or restaurant 3. Pull the corks from your two bottles, a Pinot Noir from Oregon or California and a Merlot from Washington or California. Pour each wine into a separate glass, filling each glass about 1/3 full. 4. To remember which glass is which, you might want to place the two glasses side-by-side, keeping the Pinot Noir on the left and the Merlot on the right. In each section of the tasting, we ll evaluate the Pinot Noir first and the Merlot second. In this third tasting, you will continue to develop and refine your tasting abilities using the 4S approach. The contrast between these two wines is not as great as between the Beaujolais and the Cabernet Sauvignon of the previous tasting, so be prepared to look for more subtle differences. Fill in all the sections of your Tasting Checklist, even if the section isn t covered in the tasting since you are now familiar with the 4S approach, you can complete the tasting with fewer prompts. The remaining prompts will help you focus on the distinctions between the Pinot Noir and the Merlot. 37

38 Class 3 Tasting SEE: CLARITY, COLOR, INTENSITY, LEGS CLARITY COLOR INTENSITY LEGS What would you say is the clarity of each wine brilliant; clear; any sediment in either? On your tasting checklist, circle the clarity that most closely matches your wines. The color of Pinot Noir is typically ruby red to garnet; Merlot is usually ruby in color. Examine the color of your wines and note your checklist. If a wine has a lot of color, we describe it s intensity as dark. If it does not have much color, we call it pale ; if the wine is somewhere in between, we say its intensity is medium. Keep in mind that intensity of color is related to extract (grape solids): The darker the wine, the more extract in it. Examining Intensity Pinot Noir 1. Holding your glass at a 45 angle, examine its intensity. Is the Pinot pale, medium or dark? 2. Circle the best descriptor on your Tasting Checklist. Merlot 1. Holding your glass at a 45 angle, examine its intensity. Is the Merlot pale, medium or dark? 2. Circle the best descriptor on your Tasting Checklist. Comparison Which of the two wines has the more intense color? Red wines get their color from the grape skins, and because Pinot Noir grapes are lighter in color than Merlot, the Merlot should be darker than the Pinot Noir. Do you find this to be so? 1. Swirl each wine, examine its legs and mark your checklist. There is a normal or middle range that the legs of most wines fall within - as your experience increases, you ll find that you only need to take note of the legs when they are either exceptionally pronounced or unusually faint. 38

39 Class 3 Tasting SNIFF: AROMA INTENSITY AND IDENTIFICATION AROMA INTENSITY 1. Swirl your Pinot Noir, this time to release its aromas, and sniff. 2. Note on your checklist whether the aromas are faint, medium or powerful. 3. Repeat with the Merlot. Identifying Aromas Pinot Noir 1. Swirl, sniff and begin identifying the Pinor Noir s aromas. 2. Look for strawberry, raspberry, red cherry, earth and mushroom the aromas most commonly associated with Pinot Noir (but use your tasting checklist as a guide to many more possible aromas). 3. When you identify an aroma, circle it on the checklist. 4. If you can t specifically name an aroma, it s fine to identify it by its general family (i.e., Tree fruit rather than cherry ). 5. Limit yourself to three or four sniffs. Merlot 1. Swirl, sniff and begin identifying the Merlot s aromas. 2. Merlot has a set of aromas including blackberry, cherry, plum, olive/sage, earth/mushroom, chocolate, which are characteristic of this variety. Again, refer to your checklist for more possible aromas. 3. Limit yourself to three or four sniffs. Comparison In general, the predominant aromas of Pinot Noir are of red berries, such as strawberry and raspberry, whereas the aromas of Merlot lean more towards darker berries, such as blackberry, and fleshier tree fruits, such as black cherry and plum. Do you find this to be true of your wines? Look at your tasting checklist and take a last sniff of each if you d like. Both Pinot Noir and Merlot have earth as a characteristic aroma. Can you detect a hint of it in one or both of your wines? 39

40 Class 3 Tasting SIP: TASTE, BODY, FLAVOR TASTE 1. Taste is comprised of sweet, sour and bitter (and their related mouthfeels) we generally perceive them in this same order when we taste wine. 2. Since both of these wines are dry that is, fermented until all sugar has been converted to alcohol you will be tasting them for acidity and tannin. 3. Pinot Noir s acidity can range from medium to high; its tannins are usually light, and sometimes silky. 4. Merlot s acidity ranges from low to medium, and its tannins are smooth, sometimes velvety. Tasting For Acidity And Tannin Pinot Noir 1. Sip, swish and spit the Pinot Noir. 2. Check your mouth for the sensations of acidity. Do you detect any: Mouthwatering or clean, refreshing sensations (medium acidity)? Puckering or sharp sensations (high acidity)? 3. Take a note your tasting checklist. (Remember that Pinot Noir can have medium to high acidity.) 4. Sip, swish and spit again and check for the sensations of tannin. Do you detect any: Dryness along the sides and back of the tongue? Astringency? Furry sensations? 5. Now evaluate the Pinot s tannins. Are they: High, leaving a strong astringent, furry sensation in your mouth? Light, leaving little impression in your mouth so the wine feels very smooth and silky? 6. Make a note on your checklist. 40

41 Class 3 Tasting Tasting For Acidity And Tannin Cont. Merlot 1. Sip, swish and spit the Merlot. 2. Check your mouth for the sensations of acidity. Do you detect any: Mouthwatering or clean, refreshing sensations? Puckering or sharp sensations? 3. Note your tasting checklist. (Remember that Merlot s acidity ranges from low to medium. At the low end, the acidity may not be very noticeable, especially if the level of tannin is high.) 4. Sip, swish and spit the Merlot again and check for the sensations of tannin. Do you detect any dry, astringent or furry sensations in your mouth? 5. Evaluate the Merlot s tannins. Are they rough, smooth or light? 6. Mark your checklist. Comparison BODY Which of the two wines has the more prominent tannins? Merlot s tannins are often described as velvety because, like velvet, they have a certain weight and texture to them. Pinot Noir s tannins have an almost weightless, gossamer quality to them, and for this reason are often described as silky. How do the two wines compare in terms of acidity? Despite its lighter tannins, the Pinot Noir may seem firmer than the Merlot because of its higher acidity. A wine s body is directly related to extract, including sugar, acid and tannin. The more extracted and darker the wine, the more full-bodied you would expect it to be; similarly, the higher the alcohol content, the more full-bodied the wine will be. Because both wines are dry, sugar won t be a factor in your assessment of body; instead, pay attention to how each wine s alcohol and tannins contribute to its body. 41

42 Class 3 Tasting Tasting For Body Pinot Noir 1. Sip and swish your Pinot Noir, but don t swallow or spit. 2. With the wine in your mouth, assess its weight and thickness. 3. Swallow the sip and check the back of your throat for heat from alcohol. 4. Note your tasting checklist. Merlot 1. Now, sip and swish your Merlot-don t swallow or spit-and feel its weight and thickness. 2. Swallow and check for any heat from alcohol. 3. Mark your checklist. Comparison FLAVOR Which wine is more full-bodied? (Pinot Noir tends to be lighter-bodied than Merlot.) Is either wine hot from too much alcohol? Excess heat in a wine is considered a fault. (New World wines often have higher levels of alcohol than their Old World counterparts. If well made, however, their alcohol levels should still be in balance.) Do your evaluations of body agree with your observations about color intensity in other words, is the more intensely colored wine also the more full-bodied? The flavors in your mouth should echo - and may also elaborate on - the aromas you detected when you sniffed the wine. Tasting For Flavor Pinot Noir 1. Sip, swish and aerate your Pinot Noir. 2. Spit the wine and record the flavors you detect on your tasting checklist. Repeat as necessary. 3. Do the flavors match the aromas? 4. How intense are the flavors? Mark your checklist. 42

43 Class 3 Tasting Merlot 1. Now sip, swish and aerate the Merlot. 2. Spit and record the flavors on your tasting checklist, repeating this step as necessary. 3. Do the flavors match the aromas? 4. How intense are the flavors? Mark your checklist. COMPARISON Do the two wines have any flavors in common? Did you find, as we suggested earlier, that the Pinot Noir s flavors tend to be brighter and more berry-like, while the Merlot s are darker and more full, and more like tree fruit black cherry and plum than berries? Finally, did you detect that hint of earth in either or both wines? 43