Food and Wine Pairing : A Sensory Experience

Exercise 10.1 219

EXERCISE 10.1

WINE FLAVOR INTENSITY AND PERSISTENCY

For this exercise, I suggest comparing a
jug Chardonnay and jug Cabernet Sau-
vignon with a moderately priced Char-
donnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. The
moderately priced Chardonnay can be se-
lected from a variety of producers, but
some possible suggestions include Ber-
inger, BV, Cambria, Chateau Ste Michelle,
Clos du Bois, J. Lohr, Kendall-Jackson,
Robert Mondavi, and Simi, to name a
few. For a moderately priced Cabernet
Sauvignon, try Beringer, BV, Chateau Ste
Michelle, Clos du Bois, Franciscan, Gallo
Estate, Kendall-Jackson, Robert Mondavi,
or Simi. In tasting these samples, it
should become obvious that the wine-

maker has spent a substantial amount of

extra effort in the preparation of the mod-

erately priced samples compared to the

lesser priced samples.

Use an aroma wheel to sort out the

specific flavors, and refer to the descrip-

tions of wine flavor intensity in Table 10.2

and the value bands of flavor persistency

shown in Figure B.2 to assess each sen-

sation range.

OBJECTIVES

To identify specific flavors and define

main flavor categories in white and red

wines; to assess flavor intensity and per-

sistency in wine; to practice the in-mouth

flavor evaluation process.

Mise en Place: Things to Do Be-

fore the ExerciseReview the sections

of this chapter describing the flavor inten-

sity and persistency sensations. Review

the sections on context issues in identi-

fying flavors, flavor intensity, and flavor

persistency. Review the in-mouth flavor

assessment process.

Table 10.3 Wines for Exercise 10.1

White Wine Red Wine

Low End Jug (bulk) Chardonnay Jug (bulk) Cabernet Sauvignon

High End Moderately priced, quality Chardonnay Moderately priced, quality Cabernet Sauvignon

Table 10.4 Materials Needed for Exercise 10.1

White paper placemats, 1 per student, with numbered or labeled circles to place wineglasses

(Figure 9.4a)

Crackers to cleanse the palate

1 spit cup per student Napkins

Corkscrew Drinking water for each student

1 copy of the Aroma Wheel (students bring) 4 wineglasses per student

1 copy of Figure 10.1 (Wine Intensity and Persistency Level) per student

STEPS

1.Choose and purchase the wines.

2.Chill the white wines prior to the tasting.

3.Distribute the placemats (Figure 9.4a) and set up the wine glasses.

4.Open the wines and pour them in order: jug Chardonnay, moderately-priced Chardonnay, jug Cabernet Sauvignon, and

moderately-priced Cabernet Sauvignon.

5.Taste the wine samples, focusing on the specific flavor characteristics of each sample. Identify the key flavor. On the Wine

Intensity and Persistency Level sheet (Figure 10.1), place an X in each flavor category box that applies to each wine sample.

Discuss your observations.

6.Taste each Chardonnay (sample 1, then sample 2) and retaste (sample 2, then sample 1) for flavor intensity and persistency.

Repeat this process for the two Cabernet samples.