FOOD & WINE PAIRING

GRAPES ANATOMY
ASSESSING WINE
SENSORY EVALUATION
Appearance
Aroma

Flavor

Taste

Texture or Mouthfeel
USING
Sight
Smell

Taste

Touch senses
SENSORY EVALUATION
 Olafunction assess the sensory contribution, the
volatile components
Taste evaluate the non volatile components
Sweetness
Sourness
Saltiness
Bitterness
 Taste also evaluate
Body
Astringent
Warmth
THE MAIN WINE COMPONENTS, RESPONSIBLE

for the basic tastes of wine are sugars,

and to a lesser extent, ethanol for sweetness;

acids for soundness;

phenolic compounds for bitterness;

and salts of minerals or acids for saltiness

 alcohol can also produce warmth, and sweetness
on the palate.
Viscosity, and therefore body are also by the
concentration of sugar.
Phenolic compounds are responsible for the
drying, puckering sensation known as
astringency
Some tannins are smooth and velvety,

but some are course and rough

 In some instances, the presence of gases such as
carbon dioxide or sulphur dioxide can also
stimulate tactile sensations.
Tingling or spritz, in the case of carbon dioxide,

and irritation in the throat, in the case of sulphur

dioxide
AROMA
The olfactory system is responsible for our sense of
smell
The contribution of different volatile compounds to
wine aroma
Many of the volatile compounds present in wine are
der
ived from the grape, and these are often responsible
for the varietal character of particular grape
varieties.
For example, the floral and citrus notes of a Riesling
are distinctly different to the tropical,
vegetal notes of a Sauvignon blanc, because grapes
from these varieties accumulate different volatile
compounds
 Wines fermented or matured in oak barrels
can also extract oak-derived volatile compounds.

For example, oak lactone, guaiacol, eugenol, and

vanillin,
which impart, coconut, smoky, clove,

and vanilla aromas and flavours to wine

respectively
COLOR

The colour and clarity of wine are assessed

visually.
Colour is described in terms of both the intensity
or depth of colour and the hue or shade of colour.
Common terms used to describe the hue of white,
rose, and red wines include from colourless
through to yellow or golden for white wines,

from orange through to salmon pink for rose

wines,
and from ruby through to purple and then brick
red for red wines.
 Commercial wines generally exhibit good clarity
In contrast, wines of poor clarity
might be described as dull, hazy, cloudy, or
opaque.
Visual assessment can also indicate the age, style,
and quality of the wine.
Wine colour will develop significantly as wine
ages.
For example, a young white wine might initially
exhibit a pale straw, or even colourless hue, but
with time, colour will deepen to yellow.
Similarly, the intensity of a red wine colour would
diminish with age.
The purple hues of a young red wine will
gradually progress to red and then brick red, and
eventually, brown red with ageing.
VISCOSITY
provides an indication of its body, and therefore,
style, and can be easily assessed by swirling the
glass.
Wines that contain high levels of sugar or alcohol
will form tears on the surface of the glass due to
surface tension.
Sweet and fortified wines provide good examples.

Light-bodied wines are considerably less viscous

and will therefore appear more watery by
comparison
YOUR EVUALTION
YOUR EVALUATION