Wine Tasting: A Professional Handbook

Description

Wine Tasting: A Professional Handbook, Fourth Edition presents the latest information behind tasting, including insights on physiological, psychological and physicochemical limitations associated with sensory evaluation. The book's author notes how techniques may guide in achieving improved wine quality and adjusting production procedures to match consumer preferences, occupational hazards of professional wine tasters, and the latest information on types of wine, vineyard and winery sources of quality, and the principles of food and wine combination. Fully updated, this new edition includes coverage of the statistical aspect of wine tasting, including multiple examples to demonstrate the science of wine characteristic measurement and analysis. With its inclusion of illustrative data and testing technique descriptions, the book is ideal for both those who train members of tasting panels, those involved in designing wine tastings, and the connoisseur seeking to maximize their perception and appreciation of wine through a clear and applicable understanding of the wine tasting experience. Front Cover Wine Tasting Copyright Page Dedication Contents Preface Acknowledgments 1 Introduction Tasting Process Appearance Clarity Color Viscosity Effervescence Tears Fragrance Orthonasal (In-Glass) Odor In-Mouth Sensations Taste and Mouthfeel Retronasal (Mouth-Derived) Odor Finish Overall Quality Brandy Tasting Postscript References 2 Visual Perceptions Color Color Perception and Measurement Significance in Tasting Origin and Characteristics Red Wines Rosé Wines White Wines Clarity Crystalline Deposits and Hazes Proteinaceous Hazes Metallic Hazes (Casse) Microbial Hazes and Spoilage Deposits on Bottle Surfaces Sediment Viscosity Pétillance/Effervescence Tears Postscript Suggested Readings References 3 Olfactory Sensations The Olfactory System Nasal Passages Olfactory Epithelium, Receptor Neurons, and Cerebral Connections Odorants and Olfactory Stimulation Chemical Compounds Involved Acetals Acids Alcohols Aldehydes and Ketones Esters Hydrogen Sulfide and Organosulfur Compounds Hydrocarbon Derivatives Lactones and Other Oxygen Heterocycles Terpenes and Oxygenated Derivatives Phenolics Pyrazines and Other Nitrogen Heterocyclics Chemesthesis (the Common Chemical Sense) Odor Volatility, Threshold, and Perception Sources of Variation in Olfactory Perception Odor Assessment in Wine Tasting Off-Odors Acetic (Volatile) Acidity Baked Buttery Corky/Moldy/Earthy Ethyl Acetate Ethylphenols Fusel Geranium-Like Light-Struck Mousy Oxidative Odors Reduced-Sulfur Odors Sulfur Dioxide Atypical Aging Flavor Vegetative Odors Other Off-Odors Chemical Nature of Varietal Aromas Postscript Suggested Readings References Further reading 4 Oral Sensations Taste Sweet, Umami, and Bitter Tastes Sour and Salty Tastes Factors Influencing Taste Perception Physicochemical Chemical Biologic Psychologic Mouth-Feel (Chemesthesis) Astringency Burning Temperature Prickling Body (Weight) Metallic CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS INVOLVED Sugars Alcohols Acids Phenolics Polysaccharides Nucleic Acids Taste and Mouth-Feel Sensations in Wine Tasting Postscript Suggested Readings References APPENDIX 4.1 5 Quantitative (Technical) Wine Assessment SELECTION AND TRAINING OF TASTERS Basic Requirements Identification of Potential Wine Panelist Testing and Training Basic Selection Tests Taste Recognition Taste Acuity Relative Sensitivity (Sweetness) Threshold Assessment Odor Recognition Tests Fragrance (Aroma and Bouquet) Off-Odors: Basic Test Off-Odors in Different Wines Discrimination Tests Varietal Dilution Varietal Differentiation Short-Term Memory Taster Training Assessing Taster and Panel Accuracy and Consistency Score Variability PRE-TASTING ORGANIZATION Tasting Area Number of Samples Replicates Temperature Cork Removal Decanting and Pouring Sample Volume Dispensers Representative Samples Wine Glasses Number of Tasters TASTING DESIGN Information Provided Preparing Samples Sources of Perceptive Error Timing Wine Terminology WINE EVALUATION Score Forms Statistical Analysis Simple Analyses Multivariate Techniques SENSORY ANALYSIS Discriminant Analysis Sorting and Projective Mapping Scalar Ranking Descriptive Sensory Analysis Time-Intensity Analysis Temporal Dominance of Sensation INDICATORS OF WINE QUALITY AND CHARACTER Gas Chromatography-Olfactometry Analysis Wine Color Electronic Noses OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS OF WINE TASTING Postscript Suggested Readings Instrumental Analysis Panel Selection and Training Sensory Evaluation Statistics Terminology Websites References APPENDIX 5.1 AROMA AND BOUQUET SAMPLES APPENDIX 5.2 BASIC OFF-ODOR SAMPLES APPENDIX 5.3 RESPONSE SHEET FOR TASTE/MOUTH-FEEL TEST APPENDIX 5.4 OFF-ODORS IN FOUR TYPES OF WINE AT TWO CONCENTRATIONS Appendix 5.5 Minimum Number of Correct Judgments to Establish Significance at Various Probability Levels for the Triangle T... Appendix 5.6 Rank Totals Excluded for Significance Differences, 5% Level. any Rank Total Outside the Give Range is Signific... APPENDIX 5.7 RANK TOTALS EXCLUDED FOR SIGNIFICANCE DIFFEREENCES, 1% LEVEL. ANY RANK TOTAL OUTSIDE THE GIVE RANGE IS SIGNIFICANT Appendix 5.8 Multipliers for Estimating Significance of Difference by Range. Two-Way Classification. A, 5% Level; B, 1% Level APPENDIX 5.9 MINIMUM NUMBERS OF CORRECT JUDGMENTS TO ESTABLISH SIGNIFICANCE AT VARIOUS PROBABILITY LEVELS FOR PAIRED-DIFFER... 6 Qualitative Wine Assessment Tasting Room Information Provided Sample Preparation Decanting and Associated Phenomena Temperature Wine Glasses Sample Number and Volume Cork Removal Palate Cleansing Wine Language Wine Score Sheets Sensory Training Exercises Staff Training for Medium to Small Wineries Tasting Situations Winery Tastings Wine Competitions Consumer Preference Tastings Trade Tastings In-Store Tastings Wine Appreciation Courses Wine Tasting Societies Home Tastings Postscript Suggested Readings References Appendix 6.1 Sweetness in Wine Appendix 6.2 Sourness Appendix 6.3 Phenolic Components Bitterness and Astringency Oak Appendix 6.4 Alcoholic Wine Constituents Ethanol Glycerol Appendix 6.5 Taste Interaction Sweet–Bitter Interactions Sweet–Sour Balance Appendix 6.6 Wine Appreciation Course Lesson 1 Introduction Alcohol in Wine Wine Quality Wine Types and Styles Fortified Wines Wine Tasting Lesson 2 Sensory Perception Taste and Touch Grape Growing Lesson 3 Wine Making Fermentation Lesson 4 Labels, Laws and Land Labels Appellation Control Laws Lesson 5 Origin of Wine Differences Grape Variety Wine Aging Aging Wine Storage Serving Lesson 6 Wine and Health Food Value Aid to Digestion Antibiotic Action Tranquillizer Action Arthritic Benefits Cardiovascular Diseases Anticancer effects Contra-indications Food and Wine 7 Styles and Types of Wine Historical Origins Naming Still Table Wines White Cultivars Red Cultivars Production Procedures Before Fermentation During Fermentation After Fermentation White Wine Styles Red Wine Styles Rosé Wine Styles Sparkling Wines Fortified Wines (Dessert and Appetizer Wines) Sherry Port (Porto) Madeira Vermouth Brandy Postscript Suggested Readings References 8 Nature and Origins of Wine Quality SOURCES OF QUALITY VINEYARD INFLUENCES Macroclimate Meso- and Microclimate Species, Variety, and Clone Rootstock Yield Training System Nutrition and Irrigation Disease and Pest Control Maturity WINERY Winemaker Prefermentation Processes Fermentation Fermentor Yeasts Lactic Acid Bacteria Postfermentation Influences Adjustments Blending Processing Oak Contact Closure and Packaging Aging Aging Potential CHEMISTRY TASTING PROCEDURE POSTSCRIPT Suggested Readings References 9 Wine and Food Combination Introduction Compatibility Wine Selection Historical Origins of Food and Wine Association Concept of Flavor Principles Food and Wine Pairing Uses in Food Preparation Basic Roles Involvement in Food Preparation Wine Presentation Presentation Sequence Cellaring Wine Glasses Serving Temperature Breathing Wine Preservation After Opening Label Removal Postscript Suggested Readings Web Sites References Glossary Tasting Term Glossary Index Back Cover