THE THREE WINES 1. Riesling from Alsace in France or from New Zealand, Austria or a dry style from Germany 2. Sauvignon Blanc from California, made with minimal or no oak 3. Chardonnay from California or Australia, with evident oak TASTING GOALS The goals of this tasting are to: Compare three white varietals (Riesling vs. Sauvignon Blanc vs. Chardonnay) Show the influence of oak (Riesling is made without oak, and most California Chardonnays are made with oak) RIESLING, SAUVIGNON BLANC, CHARDONNAY SEE >> Color & Intensity The first step is to look at each of the three wines. Compare their color and intensity. Color 1. Pick up your Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc, one in each hand. Tilt the glasses at a 45 degree angle and compare their color and intensity. 2. Put down the Sauvignon Blanc and pick up your Chardonnay. Compare them. What color is each wine? Are they all the same color? Does one have a greenish tinge? Is one more straw-colored and another more gold? Intensity Which wine is the darkest? Which is the palest? Based on intensity, which wine do you think will have the fullest body? 1
RIESLING, SAUVIGNON BLANC, CHARDONNAY SNIFF >> Aroma Identification and Intensity Swirl and sniff each of the three wines to identify and compare their aromas. SWIRL AND SNIFF YOUR RIESLING Identity What aromas can you identify? Do any of the aromas listed on your tasting checklist seem to be in this wine? Can you find any of Riesling's typical aromas and flavors in your wine? SWIRL AND SNIFF YOUR SAUVIGNON BLANC Intensity Are the aromas intense? Do they jump out of the glass? Or are they faint? Is the Sauvignon Blanc more or less intensely aromatic than the Riesling? Identity Are the aromas herbal? Or are they more fruity? Can you find any of Sauvignon Blanc's typical aromas and flavors in this wine? SWIRL AND SNIFF YOUR CHARDONNAY Identity Do the aromas remind you of really ripe, juicy fruit? Or under-ripe, slightly green fruit? Are all the aromas fruity, or can you pick up any vanilla or toasty oak aromas from oak barrels? Can you find any of Chardonnay's typical aromas and flavors in this wine? 2
COMPARE THE THREE WINES' AROMAS Intensity Similar to loud music, aromatic power is not always correlated with quality or preference. On the other hand, it does help with the identification process. Which is the most intensely aromatic wine? The least? Identity Which wine has the most green, herbal aromas? Which wine has the ripest fruit aromas? Preference Remember that personal preference is distinct from quality. Which wine's aromas do you like the most? The least? And why? DISCUSS WITH YOUR TASTING GROUP Discussing what you've observed with a tasting group will make it easier to hone in on the wine and your taste preferences. Plus, your ability to describe wine will improve dramatically. You'll notice the difference the next time you order wine in a restaurant or talk with the sales staf f in a wine store. 3
RIESLING The first two steps, see and sniff, are easy to complete all at once for the whole flight. The second two steps, sip and summarize, are easier to complete by focusing on one wine at a time. The next few pages focus on each wine in turn, starting with Riesling. SIP >> Body, Flavor, Taste, Mouthfeel & Finish Reorient yourself to the Riesling by swirling and snif fing the wine. Review the aromas you circled on your tasting checklist and circle any new aromas you detect. Body Take a sip of the Riesling-just enough to coat the insides of your mouth. Recall the skim milk, whole milk and cream analogy for body. Is the Riesling thick or heavy in your mouth? Or is it fairly light? Flavor Swish the wine around in your mouth; this is like swirling wine in your glass. The wine warms up and the alcohol evaporates, releasing the flavors so they can travel up your nasal passages. The flavors on the mouth are often the same as the aromas on the nose. Do you detect any additional flavors? Underline the flavors on your tasting checklist and look at Riesling's typical aromas and flavors. Taste Your tongue picks up the taste while the wine is in your mouth. Is there any sugar in the Riesling? Or is it just ripe fruit flavors that you interpret as being sweet? One way to test is to hold your nose while you take a sip, preventing flavors from traveling into your nasal passages. 4
Mouthfeel The mouthfeel related to taste often becomes more apparent after you spit or swallow. Does the wine make your mouth salivate and pucker, leaving it feeling clean and refreshed? These sensations indicate high levels of acidity. Or does the wine seem flabby, leaving your mouth feeling less than refreshed, indicating low acidity? Finish After spitting or swallowing... Do the flavors linger in your mouth? Or do they disappear immediately? RIESLING SUMMARIZE >> Quality & Personal Preference Quality Is the wine straightforward? Or complex, with lots of aromas and flavors? Would it hold your interest for a second glass? Are the aromas and flavors appealing? Are the components-fruit, sweetness and acidity-in balance? Or does one of them jump out at you? Is the finish short or long? Circle your conclusions on your tasting checklist. 5
Personal Preference Do you like the wine? Are the aromas and flavors appealing to you? Would you drink a second glass? Would you recommend this wine to a friend? Circle your reactions on your tasting checklist. SAUVIGNON BLANC Now evaluate your Sauvignon Blanc. SIP >> Body, Flavor, Taste, Mouthfeel & Finish First, reorient yourself to the Sauvignon Blanc by swirling and snif fing the wine. Review the aromas you circled on your tasting checklist and circle any new aromas you detect. Body Take a small sip of the Sauvignon Blanc. Is it thick or heavy? Or is it fairly light? Flavor Swish the wine around in your mouth and remember that flavors in the mouth are often same the as aromas on the nose. Do you detect any additional flavors? Underline the flavors on your tasting checklist and look at Sauvignon Blanc's typical aromas and flavors. 6
Taste Your tongue picks up the taste while the wine is in your mouth. Is there any sugar in the Sauvignon Blanc? Or is it just ripe fruit flavors that you interpret as being sweet? One way to test is to hold your nose while you take a sip. This prevents flavors from traveling into your nasal passages and makes you focus on the tastes. Mouthfeel The mouthfeel related to taste often becomes more apparent after you spit or swallow. Does the wine leave your mouth feeling clean and refreshed? These sensations indicate high levels of acidity. Or does the wine seem flabby, indicating low acidity? Does it have more, less, or about the same acidity as the Riesling? Finish After spitting or swallowing... Do the flavors linger in your mouth? Or do they disappear immediately? 7
SAUVIGNON BLANC SUMMARIZE >> Quality & Personal Preference Put all your observations together. Quality Is the wine straightforward? Or complex, with a lot of aromas and flavors? Are the aromas and flavors appealing? Are the components -fruit, sweetness and acidity- in balance? Or does one of them jump out at you? Is the finish short or long? Circle your conclusions on your tasting checklist. Personal Preference: Do you like the wine? Are the aromas and flavors appealing to you? Would you like to have a second glass? Would you recommend this wine to a friend? Do you like this wine more or less than the Riesling? Circle your reactions on your tasting checklist. CHARDONNAY SIP >> Body, Flavor, Taste, Mouthfeel & Finish Reorient yourself to the Chardonnay: Swirl and snif f while glancing at the aromas you circled on your tasting checklist. Circle any new aromas you detect. Body Take a sip of the Chardonnay, just enough to coat the insides of your mouth. Is the Chard thick or heavy? Or is it fairly light? 8
Now, look back at your Riesling. Which wine is darker in color, the Riesling or the Chard? And which has the fuller body? Usually, the more intensely-colored wine has the fuller body. Flavors Swish the wine around your mouth. Do you detect any flavors in addition to the aromas you've already circled? If so, underline them on your tasting checklist. Are there any vanilla or smoky flavors from the oak? Look at the aromas and flavors typically associated with Chardonnay and with oak barrels. Taste Is there any sugar in the Chardonnay? Circle your observation on your tasting checklist. Mouthfeel Spit or swallow and pay attention to the wine's mouthfeel. Does the wine's acidity leave your mouth feeling clean and refreshed? Or does low acidity make the wine seem flabby? Compare the Chardonnay's acidity with the Sauvignon Blanc's. When you swallow the wine, do you sense a slightly hot or burning sensation in the back of your throat? This would indicate a higher level of alcohol. Finish After spitting or swallowing... Do the flavors linger in your mouth? Does the finish seem long, rich and creamy? Or does the wine finish short? 9
CHARDONNAY SUMMARIZE >> Quality & Personal Preference Quality Is the wine straightforward? Or complex, with lots of aromas and flavors? Are the components-fruit, sweetness and acidity-in balance? Is the finish short or long? Circle your conclusion on your tasting checklist. Personal Preference: Are the aromas and flavors appealing to you? Would you like to have a second glass? Would you recommend this wine to a friend? Do you like the toasty, vanilla aromas and flavors from oak? If you don t care for them, do you prefer the Riesling, which was made without oak? Circle your reaction on your tasting checklist. Compare The Three Wines Was there a wine you didn't like at all? Did you have a favorite among the three wines? Express your preference using your responses to the body, flavor and tannin questions above and, if you are sharing this tasting with others, compare notes. This concludes the tasting. We hope you enjoyed it. 10