28 Chapter 2 Taste Basics and the Basics of Wine Evaluation
minutes. Wine poured at an initial temperature of 60!F (15!C) will warm up two degrees
about every eight minutes.^11
Many of the substances in wine that create odors are volatile in nature and evaporate
quickly at higher temperatures. These substances fill the air space in the glass above wine
and are why a wine’s aroma and bouquet appears to be more enhanced at 60!F than at 50!F.
Aroma and bouquet will be practically nonexistent at 45!F or below (about 8!C). Conversely,
because of alcohol’s evaporation process, any appeal in the bouquet is destroyed in wines
that are tasted above 68!F. Perceivable wine faults also have a tendency to increase at higher
temperatures and become minimized when tasted cold.
The best temperature for drinking wine may not be the same as the best temperature
for tasting it. Professional tasting is generally completed with all wines between 59 and
68 !F (15–20!C). This is quite different from the standard serving temperatures, shown in
Table 2.1.
Any distraction caused by foreign odors can be a problem when trying to assess fleeting
aromas in wine. The desired surroundings should be free from kitchen smells, tobacco
smoke, and other odors. In social settings, this can be difficult to achieve. But tasters should
do everything in their power to heighten their sensory abilities, including refraining from
smoking a least an hour before a tasting (and certainly not during), washing your hands
prior to tasting to remove possible odors, not wearing perfume or cologne, and allowing
a sufficient amount of time after brushing your teeth, using mouthwash, or eating mint
candies.
Most tasting occurs in some sort of group setting. Group tasting creates several po-
tential problems when attempting a serious evaluation. Others’ opinions can be valuable, but
they also may give rise to errors if based on the wrong information. Studies have shown that
members of a group are easily swayed to concur with other group members when that
member is perceived to be knowledgeable.^12 Wine tasting is not an opinion survey, and
discussion on tasting opinions should not be entered into until all members have been able
to thoroughly evaluate each sample and reflect on their feelings. Thus, maintaining quiet
during a wine tasting is essential (though it can be difficult if in a nonprofessional setting).
Each tasting sequence may have a number of different themes that address particular
problems or areas of interest. These may include comparisons of two or more wines for
preferences, to evaluate the impact of changes in winemaking techniques, to assess the impact
of particular additives or the taste of a particular blend, and so on. In any case, all tasting
situations pose either implicit or explicit questions, whether you taste for pleasure or for
professional reasons.
These questions must be addressed prior to setting up any tasting exercise. For in-
stance, the point of a pleasure tasting event may simply be to give a pleasurable experience
to the consumer that appeals to people’s sensual, cultural, and intellectual interests. On the
other hand, professional tasting can be done to judge the influence of different root stocks
on the final product, come to a decision about whether to grant or refuse the right to use
an appellation of origin on a wine’s label, award medals at competitions, and help a company
make decisions about whether or not to sell a given product to the consumer.THE ART AND SCIENCE OF WINE EVALUATION
The evaluation of wine and food is both an art and a science. The science portion of
the evaluation process provides us with specific technique for improving the consistency of
the process. It also provides a clear measurement of wine and food elements and the levels
present or absent from a product. The art portion comes into play because most wine and
food quality measures are based on a sense of balance and the interplay between character-