Wine Tasting

Wine Tasting: A Professional Handbook is an essential guide for any professional or serious connoisseur seeking to understand both the theory and practice of wine tasting. From techniques for assessing wine properties and quality, including physiological, psychological, and physicochemical sensory evaluation, to the latest information on types of wine, the author guides the reader to a clear and applicable understanding of the wine tasting process.

Including illustrative data and testing technique descriptions, Wine Tasting is for professional tasters, those who train tasters and those involved in designing wine tastings as well as the connoisseur seeking to maximize their perception and appreciation of wine.

• Revised and updated coverage, notably the physiology and neurology taste and odor perception
• Expanded coverage of the statistical aspect of wine tasting (specific examples to show the process), qualitative wine tasting (examples for winery staff tasting their own wines; more examples for consumer groups and restaurants), tripling of the material on wine styles and types, wine language, the origins of wine quality, and food and wine combination
• Flow chart of wine tasting steps
• Flow chart of wine production procedures
• Practical details on wine storage and problems during and following bottle opening
• Examples of tasting sheets
• Details of errors to be avoided
• Procedures for training and testing sensory skill
  

For people involved in wine production, tasting, commercial judging, quality assessment of wine and wineries, wine societies, wine appreciation courses, or training of tasters (wineries, wine merchants) University researchers and students at schools with viticulture programs.. Also serious wine connoisseurs who want to maximize their perception and appreciation of wine

1 Introduction

Tasting Process

References

2 Visual Sensations

Color

Clarity

Viscosity

Spritz

Tears

Suggested Readings

References

3 Olfactory Sensations

The Olfactory System

Odorants and Olfactory Stimulation

Chemical Compounds Involved

Sensations of the Trigeminal Nerve

Vomeronasal Organ

Odor Perception

Sources of Variation in Olfactory Perception

Odor Assessment in Wine Tasting

Off-Odors

Chemical Nature of Varietal Aromas

Suggested Readings

References

4 Taste and Mouth-feel Sensations

Taste

Factors Influencing Taste Perception

Mouth-feel

Chemical Compounds Involved

Taste and Mouth-feel Sensations in Wine Tasting

Appendix 4.1

Suggested Readings

References

5 Quantitative (Technical) Wine Assessment

Selection and Training of Tasters

Pre-tasting Organization

Tasting Design

Wine Terminology

Wine Evaluation

Sensory Analysis

Chemical Analysis of Quality

Occupational Hazards of Wine Tasting

Appendices

Suggested Readings

References

6 Qualitative (General) Wine Tasting

Tasting Room

Information Provided

Sample Preparation

Wine Score Sheets

Sensory Training Exercises

Tasting Situations

Appendices

Suggested Readings

References

7 Styles and Types of Wine

Still Table Wines

Sparkling Wines

Fortified Wines (Dessert and Appetizer Wines)

Brandy

Suggested Readings

References

8 Nature and Origins of Wine Quality

Sources of Quality

Vineyard Influences

Winery

Chemistry

Suggested Readings

References

9 Wine and Food Combination

Introduction

Wine Selection

Historical Origins of Food and Wine Combination

Concept of Flavor Principles

Food and Wine Pairing

Uses in Food Preparation

Types of Occasion

Wine Presentation

Final Note

Suggested Readings

References

Glossary

Index