WINE 1/21

Overview of Wine Styles

  • Different types of wines:

    • Arimaya: Style note; not necessarily better or worse, just different.

    • Boutique Wines vs. Bulk Wines:

    • Bulk Wines: More commodity and easier to find everywhere.

Influence of Climate on Wine

  • Climate Effect:

    • Cold Weather: Produces fresher wine styles.

    • Hot Weather: Leads to warmer, more alcoholic wines.

Soil and Altitude Impact on Wine Profiles

  • Soil Types:

    • Rich Soils: Yield rich wines.

    • Light Soils: Lead to more aromatic wines.

  • Altitude:

    • Higher altitudes contribute to required freshness in wine.

Understanding Wine Age and Color

  • Wine Color Indicators:

    • Green: Indicates freshness, associated with young wines.

    • Yellow: Could indicate either aging or oxidation.

    • Color Spectrum: Movement from green to brown through gold.

    • Oxidation Indicators: More yellow or brown may imply older or oxidized wine, possibly from aesthetic vinification techniques.

Characteristics of Older Wines

  • Older, oxidized wines: May have hints of different fruit characteristics or deeper colors.

  • Presence and movement of wine in glass can indicate oxidation level.

  • No direct correlation between oxidation and quality unless accompanied by personal taste preference.

Importance of Wine Presentation at Restaurants

  • Service Etiquette: Wines are presented to ensure quality; unlike meats which are served directly.

  • Issues with Bottles: Some wines may contain faults and require tasting to confirm quality.

Wine Composition Basics

  • Fermentation Process:

    • Sugar to Alcohol Conversion: Alcohol can also turn into vinegar.

    • Wine Mistakes: Identifiable flaws in wine include off flavors.

Describing Wine Sugar Content

  • Sugar Characteristics:

    • Full-bodied, does not dry out the tongue.

    • Examples of sugar's texture compared to biting a grape stem.

Steps for Wine Tasting

  1. Look at the Wine:

    • Observing hue, color intensity, and viscosity (legs).

  2. Smell the Wine:

    • Identify three fruits and three other flavors through aroma release via swirling.

    • Relationship between distance from the glass and intensity of smell.

  3. Taste the Wine:

    • Take a sizable sip, swish around, and focus on structural aspects such as sweetness, acidity, and tannin.

  4. Think About the Wine:

    • Formulate opinions based on previous observations and moments.

Detailed Steps for Each Tasting Category

Looking:

  • Color and Intensity:

    • Use a color reference chart to categorize color intensity (e.g., pale purple, ruby).

  • Viscosity and Legs:

    • Discuss Gibbs-Marangoni effect: Alcohol evaporation creating tears in glass.

    • Evaluate viscosity as indicative of sweetness or syrupiness.

Smelling:

  • Aromatic Identification:

    • Aim to recognize three fruits (e.g., sweet cherries, strawberries) and three additional notes (e.g., vanilla, rose, fennel).

    • Consider intensity based on temperature and glass type.

Tasting:

  • Overall Assessment:

    • Classify the wine into categories: sweet vs. dry, acidity, and tannin level.

    • Use visceral reactions (e.g., mouth watering, feeling of texture).

  • Tannin Level:

    • Assess as slight, medium, or coarse with correspondingly descriptive terminology such as sandpaper-like texture.

Concluding Wine Evaluation

  • Balance and Complexity:

    • Determine if the wine's components (sweetness, acidity, tannins) are competently matched.

    • Discuss any undesirable flavors encountered or overall drinking experience.

  • Personal Reflection:

    • Summarize enjoyment levels and potential for refinement of future assessments based on repeated tastings.

Final Thoughts on Wine Tasting and Learning

  • Recommend systematic evaluation with questions on bitterness, body, intensity, and mineral qualities.

  • Encouragement on consistent practice to reinforce understanding and memory of wines.