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An Introduction To Wine Tasting: Claus Brabrand
An Introduction To Wine Tasting: Claus Brabrand
An Introduction To Wine Tasting: Claus Brabrand
Claus Brabrand
[ brabrand@daimi.au.dk ]
Universitetspædagogik, Sandbjerg Claus Brabrand: Introduction to Wine Tasting August 10, 2005
Agenda
• Background:
• France and Bordeaux
• The 57 A.O.C.s
• Optimal circumstances
• Wine Tasting:
• I) Visual Examination [sight]
• II) Olfactory Examination [smell]
• III) Gustative Examination [taste]
Universitetspædagogik, Sandbjerg Claus Brabrand: Introduction to Wine Tasting August 10, 2005
Background
Universitetspædagogik, Sandbjerg Claus Brabrand: Introduction to Wine Tasting August 10, 2005
France and Bordeaux
• Production:
• France: 12% (of world production)
• Bordeaux: 13% (of French production)
Bordeaux
• Ideal climate:
• Gulf stream, Forrest shield
• Moist spring, sunny summer,
warm fall, and rare frost
45N
• 45°N
Bordeaux
• Underground:
• Chalky + Geological diversity
Universitetspædagogik, Sandbjerg Claus Brabrand: Introduction to Wine Tasting August 10, 2005
The 57 A.O.C.s
• Médoc
• Graves
• Libournais
• Côtes
• Entre-2-Mers
• Bordeaux
Universitetspædagogik, Sandbjerg Claus Brabrand: Introduction to Wine Tasting August 10, 2005
Optimal Circumstances (1/2)
• External factors:
• Lighting conditions (lots of white light)
• Noise (no noise)
• Smells (no food smells, no perfume, …)
• Room temperature (aprox. 20°C)
• Wine temperature (mature Bordeaux red: 15-17°C)
• Decanter (only for younger wines: 1-7 years!)
• Background color (white for color identification)
• Glas (tulip-shape for Bordeaux red):
– Only 1/3 full! (for visual examination)
Universitetspædagogik, Sandbjerg Claus Brabrand: Introduction to Wine Tasting August 10, 2005
Optimal Circumstances (2/2)
• Internal factors:
• Hunger (not too full)
• Fatigue (not too tired)
• Taste interference (no coffee, tobacco, cheese, …)
• Time-of-day (optimal around 11 am)
• Note:
– Highly culture-dependent :
- depends on what you have been exposed to so far
Universitetspædagogik, Sandbjerg Claus Brabrand: Introduction to Wine Tasting August 10, 2005
Structured Tasting
• Organized:
• 3-4 wines (max. 5-6 wines)
• 2-4 people
• ”Vertical Tasting” :
• Same vintage (year)
• Different region (AOC) [ Better ”Worse” ]
• ”Horizontal Tasting” :
• Same region (AOC)
• Different vintage (year) [ Younger Older ]
Universitetspædagogik, Sandbjerg Claus Brabrand: Introduction to Wine Tasting August 10, 2005
Wine Tasting
- I) Visual Examination
- II) Olfactive Examination
- III) Gustative Examination
Universitetspædagogik, Sandbjerg Claus Brabrand: Introduction to Wine Tasting August 10, 2005
I) Visual Examination (1/2)
• [v1] Color/nuance ( general age)
– Oxidisation process:
• Blue’ish Orange’ish
Universitetspædagogik, Sandbjerg Claus Brabrand: Introduction to Wine Tasting August 10, 2005
I) Visual Examination (2/2)
• [v2] Color/intensity ( specific vintage)
• Lots of rain clear wine
• Little rain dark wine
Universitetspædagogik, Sandbjerg Claus Brabrand: Introduction to Wine Tasting August 10, 2005
II) Olfactive Examination (1/2)
• The 11 Aromatic Families:
• Animal (fresh/dried meat, blood, musk, %urine…)
• Balsamic (pine, rasin, %turpentine…)
• Woody (woody, damp wood, pencil, tobacco, %cork…)
• Chemical (alcohol, iodine, %petrol, %eggs, %metal…)
• Spicy (dill, anis, cinamon, nutmeg, %garlic, %oignon…)
• Empyreumatic (smoke, toast, caramel, coffee, cocoa, %rubber…)
• Etheral (apples, bananas, pear, %acetone, %soap,%beer)
• Floral (acasia, rose, tulip, citronella, honey, %broom)
• Fruity (grapes, raisins, cherry, prunes, berries, melon…)
• Mineral (flint, quartz, schist, limestone…)
• Vegetable (herbs, pepper, leaves, peas, %mud, %cabbage)
Universitetspædagogik, Sandbjerg Claus Brabrand: Introduction to Wine Tasting August 10, 2005
II) Olfactive Examination (2/2)
• [o1] ”First nose”
• Calm glass:
– Aromas
– …and aromatic intensity
– Aromas
– …and aromatic intensity
Note: always best first time you smell (then it converges on alcohol)
Universitetspædagogik, Sandbjerg Claus Brabrand: Introduction to Wine Tasting August 10, 2005
III) Gustative Examination (1/2)
• 4 Taste bases (4 taste buds):
• Sweet (only moelleux wines)
• Salty (not really for wines)
• Sour
• Bitter Impacts tasting sequence
Universitetspædagogik, Sandbjerg Claus Brabrand: Introduction to Wine Tasting August 10, 2005
III) Gustative Examination (2/2)
• Interaction:
• Synergy (constructive interference)
• Masking (destructive interference)
• Contrast (no interference)
• [g1] Taste:
• Swirl to stimulate all taste buds
• [g2] ”Retro-olfaction” :
• Breathe air in through mouth out through nose
Universitetspædagogik, Sandbjerg Claus Brabrand: Introduction to Wine Tasting August 10, 2005
Fin
Questions…?
Universitetspædagogik, Sandbjerg Claus Brabrand: Introduction to Wine Tasting August 10, 2005
Wine Tasting Wine Tasting
Date: --------------------------------------- Date: ---------------------------------------
A.O.C.: --------------------------------------- A.O.C.: ---------------------------------------
Château: --------------------------------------- Château: ---------------------------------------
Vintage: --------------------------------------- Vintage: ---------------------------------------
Horizontal Tasting:
- Médoc ’03, ’01, ’97, ’93
Universitetspædagogik, Sandbjerg Claus Brabrand: Introduction to Wine Tasting August 10, 2005
II) Olfactive Examination (1/3)
• Aromas:
• Primary aromas:
» From the grapes
• Secondary aromas:
» From the fermentation process
• Tertiary aromas:
» From the barrel/bottle