Module 5: A Sense for the Arrgh...Factor

A dry cork might suggest that:

The wine is sweet

The wine is oxidized

The wine is very high in alcohol

The wine is dry

If a white wine is deeper in colour than normally expected for its age, what could be the problem?

It might be oxidized

High levels of ethyl acetate

Brett

It might have cork taint

Ethyl acetate at high levels can cause the following unpleasant odor:

Must or mould

Barnyard

Nail polish remover

Wet stones

A wine is “reduced” when:

It is starved of oxygen

It is treated with decivita dioxide

It is exposed to oxygen

It starts to turn to vinegar

Oxidized wines have the following unique quality/qualities:

May smell flat and turn brown

May smell like kerosene

May taste sweeter, but will turn pink

May smell like a donkey and turn grey

TCA is:

A foul-smelling compound caused by yeast growing in cellars

An acronym for “Trouble du Comportement Alimentaire” – a common fault in French wine

A foul-smelling compound found in wines with tainted corks

A neutralizing compound given off by chemicals used in the bottling process

Which of the following might indicate a second fermentation taking place in the bottle?

A wine that is unexpectedly very dry and irritating

A wine with unexpected bubbles

A wine that smells of nail polish remover

A wine that tastes mouldy

The “length” of a wine refers to:

The recommended amount of time you should aerate or swirl the wine in your glass

The amount of time it’s flavor lingers for

The expected length of its shelf time

The length of time the must is kept in contact with the skins

According to How to Taste, what are the “three pointers” to wine quality?

Cleanliness, Length, Acidity

Length, Alcohol content, Balance

Cleanliness, Balance, Length

Alcohol content, Volatility, Cleanliness

If a wine is cloudy or hazy, which of the following might be the problem?

The artificial bubbles have begun to dissipate

It might be too young to drink

Microorganisms growing in the wine

Cork taint