166 Chapter 7 Wine Texture Characteristics: Tannin, Oak, and Body
EXERCISE 7.4
ALCOHOL IN WINE
OBJECTIVE
To compare high and low alcohol per-
centage and their impact on identifying
the body of red and white wine.
Mise en Place: Things to Do Be-
fore the ExerciseSelect two whites
(the same varietal) and/or two reds (the
same varietal), with one wine from a cool
climate zone and one from a moderate/
warm climate zone. For example, you
might select a lower-alcohol GermanRiesling and a Riesling from a warmer cli-
mate such as Washington State or Cali-
fornia. For reds, select a red from the
Burgundy region of France (Pinot Noir)
and compare it against a Pinot Noir from
California. Be sure to check the label to
ensure alcohol level differences.STEPS
1.Sight. The cooler-climate wines will have lighter colors than the warmer-climate wines (the Riesling from the cool climate may
have a greenish tinge to it). The Burgundy will be more translucent than the California Pinot.
2.Smell.Note the character differences between the wines from the cooler and warmer climates. Can you smell more alcohol?
What are the other aroma differences?
3.Sip. The cooler-climate wines will have more acidity and be more subtle. The warmer-climate wines with higher alcohol will be
richer and more powerful. This sensation should be apparent on the tip of the tongue (initial sweetness), throughout the mouth,
and in its aftereffects.
4.Spit/swallow and savor. What differences are there in the lingering effects of these wines? Are there prominent differences in
body, alcohol, fruit character, and tannin?
NOTES
- M. A. Amerine and V. L. Singleton,Wine: An Intro-
duction,2nd ed. (Berkeley: University of California
Press, 1977). - M. C. King, M. A. Cliff, and J. Hall, ‘‘Effectiveness of
the ‘Mouth-feel Wheel’ for the Evaluation of Astrin-
gent Subqualities in British Columbia Red Wines,’’
Journal of Wine Research14, 2–3 (2003): 67–78. - T. Ishikawa and A. C. Noble, ‘‘Temporal Perception
of Astringency and Sweetness in Red Wine,’’Food
Quality and Preference6 (1995): 27–33. - S. Kallithraka, J. Bakker, and M. N. Clifford, ‘‘Effect
of pH on Astringency in Model Solutions and
Wines,’’Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry 45
(1997): 2211–6. - J. Simon,Wine with Food(New York: Simon and
Schuster, 1996). - R. Gawel, A. Oberholster, and I. L. Francis, ‘‘A
‘Mouth-feel Wheel’: Terminology for Communicating
the Mouth-feel Characteristics of Red Wine,’’Austra-
lian Journal of Grape and Wine Research6 (2000):
203–7. - King, Cliff and Hall, ‘‘Effectiveness of the ‘Mouth-
feel Wheel.’’’ - Ibid.
- E. Peynaud,The Taste of Wine: The Art and Science of
Wine Appreciation,2nd ed. (New York: John Wiley
and Sons, 1996), 225.
10. A. Immer,Great Tastes Made Simple: Extraordinary
Food and Wine Pairing for Every Palate(New York:
Broadway Books, 2002).
11. F. Beckett,How to Match Food and Wine(London:
Octopus, 2002).
12. D. Rosengarten and J. Wesson,Red Wine with Fish:
The New Art of Matching Wine with Food.(New York:
Simon and Schuster, 1989).
13. R. J. Harrington and R. Hammond, ‘‘Predicting Syn-
ergistic Matches in Wine and Food: Instrument Test-
ing and Evaluation,’’2005 Proceedings of International
Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education
(2005): 155–60.
14. B. Alexander,Le Cordon Bleu Wine Essentials: Profes-
sional Secrets to Buying, Storing, Serving and Drinking
Wine(New York: John Wiley and Sons, 2001).
15. S. Kolpan, B. H. Smith, and M. A. Weiss,Exploring
Wine,2nd ed. (New York: John Wiley and Sons,
2001); Peynaud,The Taste of Wine.
16. A. Immer,Great Wine Made Simple: Straight Talk from
a Master Sommelier(New York: Broadway Books,
2000); K. MacNeil,The Wine Bible(New York: Work-
man, 2001).
17. R. S. Jackson,Wine Tasting: A Professional Handbook
(San Diego: Academic Press, 2002).
18. T. Maresca,The Right Wine: Matching Wine with Food
for Every Occasion(New York: Grove Press, 1990).