Exercise 5.4 119
d.White Zinfandel
Worst match"1. 2.
- "Best match
Observations:
e.Sauternes
Worst match"1. 2.
- "Best match
- "Best match
Observations:
f.Cream Sherry
Worst match"1. 2.
- "Best match
- "Best match
Observations:
- "Best match
5.Did you find the best food-and-wine matches occurred when the food and wine sweetness levels were equal, when food sweet-
ness was less than wine sweetness, or when food sweetness was greater than wine sweetness?
6.Did you identify other food or wine characteristics that contributed more to a sensation of match than sweetness did?
7.Other observations?
EXERCISE 5.4
RANKING ACIDITY LEVELS IN WINE
This exercise is designed to establish
baseline measures of acidity levels in
wines ranging from flat to tart. The table
below provides examples of a range of
acidity levels in white wines. The exam-
ples for this exercise are those shown as
anchors in the Wine Sensory Anchor
Scale. The wine sample with the lowest
acidity in this exercise will be the warm-
climate-zone Chardonnay. Chardonnay
wines have less acidity than most white
wines. The lower acidity will be partly
due to the varietal, the warm climate
(meaning riper grapes), and the aging
process (if aged in oak). It is best to stick
with New World selections for the Char-
donnay sample in this exercise, such as
warm areas of California (Central Valley,
San Joaquin Valley), Texas, northern
Chile (Aconcagua Valley), or parts of Aus-
tralia (New South Wales, Hunter Valley).
For the second level of acidity, a Fume ́
Blanc is suggested. The term Fume ́ Blanc
was first used in the United States by
Robert Mondavi in 1968. At the time, Sau-
vignon Blanc was a less popular varietal,
and Mondavi coined the term to reflect a
style similar to that of French Pouilly
Fume ́ , which uses the same grape varie-
tal. Fume ́ Blanc is grown in moderate-
climate areas such as California and gen-
erally undergoes some aging in oak. Both
of these issues should reduce the total
acidity level below that of unoaked Sau-
vignon Blanc from cool-climate areas.
The third level of acidity is reflective of
Sauvignon Blanc produced in moderate-
to cool-climate areas of New Zealand,
California, and Washington. From New
Zealand, select wines from Hawkes Bay,
Auckland, or Gisborne. For the highest
example of acidity, select Sauvignon
Blanc from Sancerre or the Marlborough
region of New Zealand. A second option
for high levels of acidity is to try cool-
climate Riesling from Germany or Can-
ada.
While the Wine Sensory Anchor
Scale indicates that the Chardonnay will
have a numerical value of about 1–2, it
could range from 0 to 3 on the acidity
scale depending on your wine selection.
This variability is true for the other wine
suggestions as well. Your perception of
acidity will vary depending on the wine
selection, the temperature at which it is
assessed, and your individual ability in
assessing acidity (separating sweetness
or bitterness from acidity). Therefore,
during the tasting, you may find someof the wines to be closer or have a
greater range of separation in acidity
level than that shown in the Wine Sen-
sory Anchor Scale. The numerical values
are intended to provide you with a base-
line to work from as you learn to assess
acidity in wine.OBJECTIVE
The primary objectives are to identify dif-
ferences in acidity levels in wines and to
establish a numerical baseline for reliable
future assessment. This exercise also
provides experience in wine evaluation
as a whole and specifically in assessing
the balance between sweetness and
acidity.Mise en Place: Things to Do Be-
fore the ExercisePrior to evaluation,
become familiar with the numerical ex-
amples shown in the Wine Sensory An-
chor Scale (Figure B.2). Keep this scale
and an aroma wheel at your side as a ref-
erence during the evaluation process.
While this exercise focuses on acidity,
don’t miss this opportunity to do an in-
formal evaluation of the other elements
in each wine sample.