Food and Wine Pairing Exam Review Flashcards

Food and Wine Pairing Exam Review Lesson 1

  • What is Food Culture in Italy
    • Food culture is strongly linked to regional identity.
    • Cuisines depend on what can be grown in the specific area. (e.g., Sicily seafood, Chianti in Tuscany)
    • Traditions are passed down through generations; families often have unique ways of preparing foods.
    • Geographical isolation due to mountains led to the development of distinct cultures, foods, and wines in various villages.
  • The Italian Diet
    • 3 Meals a day:
      • Light breakfast, often a sweet pastry.
      • Quick lunch.
      • Large, long dinner, usually a social activity around 8-9 pm.
    • Common foods: pasta, cheese, vegetables, olive oil, meats, and wine.
    • Emphasis on seasonal ingredients for fresh meals.
  • Factors Influencing the Italian Ecosystem
    • Italy has diverse mountains, rivers, and climate zones.
    • This variety leads to different soil compositions, affecting the foods and wines that can grow and thrive.
    • The terroir defines what is grown in the region.
  • Wine Classification System (Bottom to Top)
    • Table wine (Vino de Tavola):
      • Basic everyday wines with minimal regulations.
    • IGT:
      • Wines regulated to a broad geographic area.
      • Requires 85% of grapes from the specified region.
    • DOC:
      • The majority of wines fall into this category.
      • Strict control over grape varieties, yield, aging, alcohol content, and geographic boundaries.
      • Governs the entire production cycle; wine is tied to the region.
    • DOCG:
      • Highest classification.
      • Includes all DOC criteria plus:
        • Stricter yield and aging requirements.
        • Mandatory batch testing.
        • Government blind testing.
      • Sealed with a government-numbered band to prevent fraud.
  • Mediterranean Diet Pyramid
    • Based around physical activity and social meals.
    • Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, and whole grains (nuts, seeds, legumes, beans, and olive oil).
      • Flavor comes from herbs and spices rather than heavy sauces.
    • Includes fish and seafood.
    • Moderate portions of poultry, eggs, cheese, and yogurt.
    • Less frequent consumption of meats and sweets.
    • Lots of water and wine in moderation.
    • Recognized for health-promoting effects.
  • Main Phases of Wine Tasting
    1. Visual Examination
      • Clarity, color, legs
    2. Olfactory Examination (Smell)
      • Intensity
      • Aromas
        • Primary - fruit and flowers
        • Secondary - from fermentation
        • Tertiary - from aging
    3. Taste Examination
      • Sugar level, acidity, tannins (dryness), alcohol, body, length, aromas
    4. Overall Impression
    5. Assessment
    • Sensory analysis by a government body.

Lesson 2: Main Festivities/Holidays in Italy and Main Food Staples

  • Easter
    • Big celebratory lunch.
    • Lamb, chocolate eggs, colomba (dove-shaped cake).
  • Christmas
    • Antipasto - cured meats, cheese, bruschetta.
    • Meat tortellini.
    • Boiled meats with green sauce.
    • Mashed potatoes, lentils.
    • Desserts: dried fruit and panettone.
    • Christmas Eve: Feast of the 7 Fish.
  • How Wine is Made
    • Red Wine
      1. Crush - breaks the skin to release juice.
      2. Ferment with skin (maceration) - The color of red wine comes from the skin of red grapes; tannins are also extracted.
      3. Press - Discard skin.
      4. Second Fermentation (Malolactic).
    • White Wine
      1. Crush - breaks the skin to release juice.
      2. Press - Discard skin.
      3. Ferment w/o skin.
      4. 2nd fermentation optional (rarely happens).
    • Rosé Wine
      1. Crush
      2. Made like white wine with red grapes.
      3. Minimal color is extracted.
      4. Press
      5. Ferment w/o skin
      6. Never a 2nd fermentation.

Italian Regional Cuisine Main Features

  • Fresh and seasonal ingredients.
  • Cheese, hams, cold cuts, pasta, vegetables, olive oil.
  • Mediterranean diet.

Italian Meal Structure and Sequence

  • Aperitivo
  • Starter - cheese plate or sharables
  • First Course - often a pasta
  • Second Course - protein
  • Dessert

Food Establishments in Italy

  • Bars
    • Basically a cafe. Offer anything from coffee to aperitivo.
    • Can be casual or high level.
  • Tavola Calda
    • Means "hot table."
    • Small kitchen where they cook fresh, hot meals.
  • Ristorante
    • Fine dining environment for traditional sit-down meals.
  • Trattoria
    • More local, informal, and relaxed dining experience.
    • Often a family business.
    • Simpler menu and wine list.
  • Osteria
    • Neighborhood spot rather than a tourist destination.
    • Many bar-like elements with restaurant-style service.
    • Home-style and affordable.
    • Wine-centric menu.
  • Agriturismo
    • Merges agriculture and hospitality.
    • Guests stay on working farms, experiencing rural life and nature.
    • Visitors can engage in farm activities, cooking classes, and wine tastings.
  • Pizzeria
    • Mainly pizza but often more than just pizza on the menu
  • Enoteca
    • Greek for "wine repository."
    • Wine shop focused on allowing consumers to taste and buy wines.
    • May also offer local foods and snacks.

How Sparkling Wines are Made (Process and Differences)

  • Start with a low-alcohol still white wine (8%).
  • Bubbles created naturally by second fermentation, trapping the bubbles from sugar and yeast.
  • Adding bubbles artificially is illegal.
  • Bottle Method (Classic Method):
    • The second fermentation is in the bottle to trap the bubbles.
    • Method used for Champagne.
    • The longer the process, the finer and more persistent the bubbles, resulting in higher quality sparkling wine.
    • Alcohol content is brought up to 12%.
  • Tank Method (Charmat):
    • Second fermentation takes place in a pressure-resistant tank for about 10 days.
    • Process used for Prosecco.
    • Wines are sent through a filter to remove sediment and put into bottles with a mixture of sugar.

What is the Contribution of Bubbles in Food Pairing

  • Bubbly texture and minimality mean these wines go especially well with salty and briny foods.
  • Saltiness in the food enhances the wine's delicate fruit and mellows its acidity.
  • Bubbles also prepare the stomach for food and increase hunger levels, making it great for aperitivo.

Lesson 3: The 4 Most Recognizable Smells

  1. Coffee
  2. Peanut butter
  3. Chocolate
  4. Vicks VapoRub

The 5 Tastes

  1. Sweet - front of tongue
  2. Salty - front/sides of tongue
  3. Sour - sides of tongue
  4. Bitter - back of tongue
  5. Umami (savory)

The Principles of Food and Wine Pairing

  • Fattiness vs. Oiliness
    • Fatness - Solid fats: counterbalance with acidity (butter, cheese, lard in food)
    • Oiliness - Liquid fats: counterbalance with alcohol (tannins) (oils, dressings)
  • Persistency - How long the flavor lingers on the palate (length)
  • Intensity - How strong the flavors or aromas are. AKA "structure"
  • Sweet vs. Sweet Tendency
    • Sweetness is the presence of sugar, counterbalanced by savory (minerality) in wine.
    • Sweet tendency is a natural sweetness but does not contain sugar (e.g., fresh bread, carrots, potatoes, rice, scallops).
  • Often, if one of these flavors in food is too high, it does not pair with wine, and it is better to opt for a beer or cocktail.
  • Spiciness
  • Bitterness
  • Acidity
  • Saltiness

Types of Wine and Their Styles

  1. Sparkling
  2. Red
  3. White
  4. Rosé
  5. Dessert
    • Ranges from light to rich

Types of Different White Wines and Some Italian Examples (Focus on Light, Medium, and Full Body White Wines)

  • Reisling
    • Ranges from dry to sweet, normally has high acidity
    • Elana Walch Reisling DOC
  • Pinot Grigio
    • Light and dry with more fruity flavor
    • Italian Wine
  • Chardonnay Alto Adige DOC
  • Sauvignon Blanc
    • Herbaceous- Dry wine that offers up intense green flavors like lime, passion fruit, green bell peppers
    • Collio Sauvignon DOC ( Venezia)
  • Chardonnay
    • Bold and dry, light body
    • Bramito DOC

Lesson 4: Types of Red Wines and Their Styles (Focus on Light, Medium, and Full Body Red Wines)

  • Light - fewer tannins than others which make them an easier pairing wine (bone-dry to off-dry, sometimes sweet)
  • Medium - more tannins than the light body and they have more presence on the palate (bone-dry to sweet, light to full-bodied)
  • Full body - highest tannin content and feel heaviest on the tongue (dry and sweet)

Examples of Tuscan Food & Wine Pairing

  • Wild Boar Pasta - Chianti
  • Bistecca alla Fiorentina (grilled steak) - Chianti Classico
  • Cacciucco (rich fish stew with garlic and herbs)
    • Red sauce: Bolgheri Rose
    • No red sauce: Vermentino white wine

Sangiovese and its Appellations in Tuscany

  • Most common grape in the Tuscan region used to make red wine, especially important ones like Chianti and Chianti Classico.

Bolgheri Wines

  • Newer winemaking area on the coast in Tuscany.
  • Smooth, rich bold red wines referred to as “Super Tuscans.”

Focus on ABC wines (Amarone, Brunello and Chianti)

  • Amarone - Veneto
    • Venice, prosecco wines region
    • Wine made with Corvina
    • Made with dry grapes, less water and more flavor
  • Barolo - Piedmont or Brunello
    • Made from Nebbiolo grape variety
    • High levels of tannins and acidity
  • Chianti - Tuscany
    • Chianti or Chianti Classico

Lesson 5: The Italian Diet and the Organization of Meals Throughout the Day

  • 3 Meals a day:
    • Light breakfast, often a sweet pastry.
    • Quick lunch.
    • Large, long dinner, usually a social activity around 8-9 pm.
  • Most common foods include pasta, cheese, vegetables, olive oil, meats, and wine.
  • Lots of importance on seasonal ingredients for fresh meals.
  • Aperitivo: Drink and snack before dinner, 6-8pm
  • Meranda: “to deserve” snack in mid morning or late afternoon

Food Evaluation

  • Smell before tasting
  • Signs of freshness
  • Color
  • Ingredients, size and shapes
  • Visual appeal
  • Taste (sweet, salty, bitter, etc.)
  • Texture, consistency, temperature
  • Flavor
  • Food Pairing: Tomato-based pastas, roasted meats, aged cheeses, and classics like prosciutto or parmigiano from Emilia-Romagna.

Different Kinds of Wine Establishments in Florence

  • Enoteca
    • Wine stores that also have tasting tables and sometimes small snacks
    • Ex: Enoteca Alessi from street tour
  • Wine Window
    • Old tradition beginning in the 1500s unique to Florence
    • Mostly sell by the glass
    • Ex: Buchetta del Vino
  • Wine Shops
    • Wine stores that stores wine in large containers and fills bottles in store, fill consumers bottles, or sells the wine in larger containers
    • Very inexpensive
    • Ex: Vino Divino

Lesson 6: Geography of Italy

  • Very diverse due to long peninsula
  • Coastlines, mountains, rivers, cool/warm
    • Sicily - southern region with warmer climates
    • Piedmont - northern region with colder climates

Influence of Cool and Warm Climate on Wine

  • Cooler climate
    • Leaner structure, low alcohol, higher acidity
    • Medium body wines
    • Ex: Casentino
  • Warm climate
    • Bigger structure, high alcohol, lower acidity
    • Full body wines
    • Ex: Bulgheri

The Nebbiolo Grape

  • Comes from Piedmont and Lombardy
    • Piedmont: Barolo Wines, strict growing conditions, hillsides
    • Lombardy: Higher altitude, lower temps
  • Food pairing: steak cuts or mushroom risotto

The Sangiovese Grape

  • Tuscany
  • Chianti and Chianti Classico

Wines of Emilia Romagna

Aglianico in Basilicata and Campania

FOOD & WINE TASTING

Review the food & wine tasting process, the main principles of pairing by similarity or contrast

Review the resources provided in the “course resources” folder

Lesson 9: History of Wine

  • To remember
    • Romans:
      • Daily wine usage
      • God of Wine - Bacchus
    • Middle ages:
      • Churches were the ones making the wine, essential for mass
      • Vineyards were neglected, wine production came to a standstill
    • Renaissance:
      • Birth of modem appellation system
  • Romans:
    • Daily wine usage
    • God of Wine - Bacchus

Middle Ages:

  • church kept making wine

Renaissance:

  • Birth of modem appellation system

New Habits, Aperitivo and Brunch

  • Aperitivo:
    • Similar to american happy hour but with no discounts
    • First began in popularity in Milan
    • Pre-dinner around 6-8 pm
    • Always paired with small snacks, usually salty and savory with a sparkling and/or bitter drink to stimulate the appetite
      • Negroni - classic aperitivo cocktail
      • Spritz - most popular aperitivo drink
  • Brunch:
    • Started by Americans but rising in popularity
    • Promotes social engagement earlier in the day
    • Bellini - popular brunch drink (peaches and prosecco)

Stereotypes

  • White wine = cold and red wine = room temp
    • Many people put white wine in the fridge, but this makes it too cold, making you not be able to taste it and the flavors shut down
    • Yes white should be colder, but not ice cold
    • Red wines: room temp for big, bold wines, but medium body wines are very good with a slight chill (cellar temp)
  • White wines with fish
    • Often true but fish like tuna and swordfish are very high in fat and similar to red meats, so these would pair best with a red wine
  • Red wines with meat
    • Also often true, but meats like grilled chicken and some veal is great with a white wine
  • Room temperature is defined as 68-70 F (18-20 C)

Rules about Food

  • Never coffee with a meal, especially a savory meal and especially not a cappuccino
  • No to-go. If you need a pick-up, stop for espresso at a local coffee shop
  • No sodas
  • Milk is for breakfast time only. Considered more as a food than a drink
  • Olive oil and vinegar isn’t served with your bread unless asked for it
  • Bread is not considered an appetizer, it’s supposed to be used with your meal
  • Eating = sitting down. It is a portion of the day, ideally shared with friends or family (only exception is gelato)
  • Tap water is not common unless inside your home (ordering it in public can be seen as frugal or even entirely inappropriate)
  • You need to ask for your bill. Restaurants are not trying to turn over tables like in the U.S., your meant to sit and enjoy and not be rushed
  • Tipping: not mandatory, if service charge is included extra tip is not needed.
    • Restaurants: For exceptional service, consider rounding up your total
    • Bars: Leaving change is acceptable, but large tips for drinks or meals are not expected
  • Caffè Sospeso - pay it forward, paying for your coffee and another coffee for someone who cannot pay for it

Food & Wine pairing dinner: analyze the two courses, wines served and elements of the food pairing

  • First course: Zucchini dish with saffron cream
    • White Wine: Erta al Mandorlo Bianca Toscana IGT
      • Cantina Galardi
        • Producer: - Paggiopiano Galardi Farm
  • Second course: Fried stockfish polpette with onion sauce dressing
    • Red wine: Belrosso, Canaiolo Rosso Toscana
      • Producer - La Querce

Lesson 11: Different Kinds of Establishments in Italy and Florence

  • How to read a wine menu
  • How the wine list is organized what are the most important information a wine list should have
  • Different kinds of food menu

Lesson 12

The regions of Umbria, Marche, Abruzzo, Campania, Sicily

Lesson 13: Wine Storage, What are the Requirements for an Ideal Storage

  • Some wines are made to be aged
    • Need quality grapes with high tannins and acidity
  • Premium wines can last between 10-15 years
  • Two wine elements that make a wine age:
    • Tannins
    • Acidity
  • Wines with higher sugar content like dessert wines can also be aged
  • Some wines are made to be consumed within the first few years
    • Average lifespan is 2-5 years
  • Proper storage:
    • Temperature stability
    • Position of bottle
    • Humidity’ventilation
    • Darkness
    • Security
    • Vibration
  • Aging wines

Tasting experience: wines tasted and their characteristics

Tasting experience:

  1. Assess the wine
  2. Food
    • Look at it
    • Taste it
  3. Put it together