ms Rotterdam
Wine Tasting
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Craig Oakes conducts a wine tasting
Below, we will share with you some of what we learned from him.
So, What do those descriptions mean?
Here they are.
Appley
Ripe apples describes a full, fruity, clean smell associated with some styles of Chardonnay wine.
Fresh apples does the same for some types of Rielsing.
Berrylike
Equates with the ripe, sweet, fruity quality of blackberries, raspberries, cranberries, and cherries.
Cedar/Cedarwood
Aroma component often found in fine red wines
Citrusy
Describes aroma and flavor reminiscent of citrus fruits.
Creamy
Refers to silk-like taste component of wines as opposed to the tart/crisp taste.
Almost a synonym for buttery, Opposite of crisp.
Floral/Flowery
Suggests the aroma or taste, usually aroma, of flowers in wine.
Few red wines fave floral aromas.
Grassy
Slightly vegetal-tasting undertone, often part of the overall character of Sauvignon Blanc
and certain other grape varities.
Jammy
Word most often encountered in descriptions of California Zinfandel wines made with
Amador County grapes. Refers to the natural berrylike taste of this grape.
Lemony
Descriptive of a somewhat white wine. These wines contain flavors reminiscent of that fruit.
Oaky
The taste or aroma of freshly sawn oak. A wine, especially a red, is considered as correctly
oaked when the nose carries a bare whiff of vanilla aroma. Other components
encountered include toasty, charred, or roasted elements. The three others derive from
heating the broad iron rings which hold the barrel staves in place after contraction/and the
flaming of the interior.
Peppery
Term almost solely applied to spicy wines, such as Gewurztraminer among the whites,
or the red Rhone Syrah and Australian Shiraz wines. Is a component which can almost be described
as pungent in quality, being reminiscent of anise, cinnamon, etc.
Pruney
Overripe, sun-dried grapes can induce an undesirable pungent quality into table wines;
sometimes compared to the taste of dried prunes.
Smoke/Smoky
Some use the word in the same sense as the smell/flavor that separates smoked (anything)
from ordinary (anything). Refers to aroma contributed by the charred oak wood in barrels.
It can have a variety of impressions — eg: such as the remains of a burnt-out fire.
Needs a variant, such as wood-smoke or barbecue smoke, or sooty to
fully convey the meaning.
Woody
Almost a synonym for oaky. However, implies an overstay in a wooden container
which resulted in the absorption of other wood flavors besides oak.
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Aromatic
Descriptive term for wines of markedly flowery, spicy, or grapy character.
Buttery
Describes the taste sensation found in better white wines, particularly Chardonnay.
Cigarbox
Near synonym for tobacco aroma detected in the nose, especially if a cedar wood
component is present. Spanish cedar wood is the traditional material for making cigar boxes.
Corked
Wine has unpleasant wet cardboard taste/smell. Reason is thought to be chemical changes
in the wine caused by inadequately sterilized cork stopper inserted at bottling source
Crisp
Wine has definite but pleasing tartness, acidity. Generally used to describe white wines only.
Fruity
A fruity wine has an appley, berrylike, or herbaceous character.
Fruitiness usually incorporates the detection of a little extra sweetness as is found
in really frest grapes or berries.
Honeyed
Wines that have a taste or aroma of honey
Leafy
Somewhat analogous to vegetal. Desirable in minute detectable amounts, if adding to
notes of complexity in the wine.
Length
How long the total flavor lasts in the back of the throat after swallowing. Counted in seconds,
known as caudilie. Ten seconds is good, fifteen is great, twenty is excellent, and
fifty is superb.
Oily
Describes the vaguely fat, slippery sensation on the palate in contact with the combination of
high glycerin and slightly low acid dontent. Mostly encountered in high quality Chardonnays
and late harvest sweet wines.
Perfumed
Synonym for floral. Implies also a degree of extra residual sugar.
Raisiny
Mildly rich flavor due to excessive heat in the growing area which dries out grapes still
on the vine. Considered a fault in most dry table wines.
Spicy
Almost a synonym for peppery. Implies a softer, more rounded flavor nuance however.
Toasty
Other, similar descriptors are caramel and toffee. Some also add spicy flavors, such
as cinnamon or cloves.
Tobacco
Descriptive term, used by some, to describe a flavor component resembling the taste of raw
tobacco leaf in the finish of certain red wines. Seems to mainly apply to Cabernet Sauvignons
from Bordeaux, France or the Napa region of California. Cigar box is a common term
often used as a near synonym especially if a cedar-wood note in the aroma is detected. (
Non-smokers may have trouble with this word and its implication.)
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If you are hosting a dinner with a different wine for each course, here's a chart to help you.
Wines Associated With Each Region |
| Alsace: |
Gewurztraminer, Reisling, Muscat, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, small amount of Pinot Noir
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| Burgaundy: |
Chablis, Cote de Nuitts, Cote de Beaune, Maconnaise, Cote Chalonnaise, Pinot Noir
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| Beaujolais: |
Moulin a Vent, Fleurie, Brouilly, St Amour, Julienas
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| Rhone Valley: |
Cote du Rhone, Chateauneuf du pape, Crozes Hermitage, St Joseph
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| Bordeaux: |
Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaux, Haut-Medoc, Graves, Pemerol, St-Emillion, St-Estéphe, St-Julien, Syrah/Shiraz, Pauillac, Sauternes
Appellation 1855 — ler Cru
Chateau Margaux, Chateau Laffite-Rothschild, Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Chateau Latour, Chateau Haut-Brion
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| Loire Valley: |
Pouilly Fumé, Sancerre, Vouvray, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadet de Sévre-et — Maine |
French law controls just about everything about their wines. The Names on the Labels are very tightly controlled. They even dictate when the farmers may and may not water the vines!
Click any image above to go to the next page, or use the navigation buttons below.
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