178 Chapter 8 Fattiness, Cooking Method, Protein, and Body
7.Rank the wines from lowest to highest in tannin level. Remember that the interaction of acidity and bitterness can alter your
perception of tannin. Recall the palate mapping exercise in Chapter 2—where did you identify the astringent sensation in your
mouth? Try to separate the tastes of acidity and bitterness from the mouthfeel of tannin. Visualize the fabric samples from
smooth silk to rough burlap to assist you in this process.
Lowest (smoothest)!1. 2. 3.
- !Highest (roughest)
8.Write down any other comments, thoughts, and observations that you identified during this evaluation process. Were there
other factors that impacted your perception of wine tannin? What was your perception of the relationship between food fattiness
and wine tannin? Was there a relationship? Did it differ depending on whether the fat was animal-based or vegetable-based?
Did the acidity in the wine have an impact on food fattiness?
EXERCISE 8.2
FOOD BODY AND WINE BODY MATCHING
The purpose of this exercise is to show-
case the impact of matching food body
and wine body based on similarity or
contrast. This exercise includes three fin-
ished food dishes and five wines provid-
ing a range of body levels and alcohol
levels. The food items provide examples
of how protein type and cooking method
interact with each other and impact the
overall perception of food body. While all
of these food items are very wine-
friendly, you should find substantial dif-
ferences in your perception of body,
power, and texture.
For this exercise, you may utilize
many of the same varietals in Exercise
8.1 or experiment with other wines or
varietals. Using the Food Sensory Anchor
Scale (Figure B.1) and Wine Sensory An-
chor Scale (Figure B.2), you will have ba-
sic reference points for ascending levels
of alcohol level, wine body, fattiness, and
food body. When selecting the wines for
this exercise, be sure to consider the po-
tential impact of Old or New World ori-
gins, climate zones, oak aging, and wine
maturity.OBJECTIVES
To distinguish differing levels of food fat-
tiness, food body, alcohol level, and wine
body; to explore the relationships be-
tween food body and wine body; and to
explore the relationship between alcohol
level and food and its impact on per-
ceived match.Mise en Place: Things to Do Be-
fore the ExerciseReview the sections
of Chapter 7 describing the wine texture
evaluation and the sections in this chap-
ter on food texture. Time the food prep-
aration around the desired tasting time.
Recipes are included at the end of this
chapter. The braised beef dish should be
prepared well in advance to ensure that
the flavors are well blended and the beef
tips are tender. The chicken en papillote
can be prepared ahead of time and
cooked prior to the tasting session. The
grilled pork dish can be seasoned and
marinated in advance, grilled just prior to
tasting. Care must be taken to ensure the
food items are served at the proper tem-
perature.