Introductory Sommelier Course
Workbook + Windows
New World - Potential Reasons - - there is no dominant earth of mineral character
- fruit aromas and flavors lead and dominate the non fruit elements
-the fruit smells sweet and ripe, thus dominating the nose
- the fruit stays ripe or gets riper on the palate
Main factors of Pulp (flesh) - Water - resides in the pulp of grapes
Sugar - increases when grape ripens
Acids - decrease as grape ripens
Seeds/Pips - can give bitter flavors, if pressed
How do you describe a climate? - Large to small; Macroclimate (big picture), mesoclimate (ie,
vineyard), microclimate (ie, single row vines or specific vine)
Rain Shadow - a dry area on one side of a mountain opposite wind, rain, and generally poor
weather.
Cool Climate > Wine style? - -grapes ripen slowly and moderately
-less sugar is produced
-acidity remains high
-less alcohol potential (less sugar)
-flavors are more tart and lean;less ripe and juicy
Warm Climate > Wine Style? - -grapes ripen fully
-more sugar is produced
-acidity is lower
-higher alcohol potential
,-flavors are more ripe, lush, juicy
Green Harvest - Dropping or cutting grape bunches off vine before harvest to focus the vine's
energy on fewer, high quality bunches
The majority of the world's vineyards are planted: - between the 30-50 degree latitude lines
3 ways wind can help a vineyard - -draw in cooler air, draw in warmer air, helps prevent mold or
rot
Malolactic Fermentation - Tart malic acid, natural in grapes, are converted to softer tasting lactic
acid. "Malo" or "ML" is a process that occurs naturally in both red and white wines. NO flavor is imparted
to red wines, but ML can impart buttery or buttered popcorn flavors and a creamy texture to white
wines*
Carbonic Maceration - Tanks filled with whole berries are blanketed under the CO2 gas. Grapes
begin to ferment from the inside (Intracellular fermentation). Berries at the bottom of tank are crushed
and ferment normally. Unique aromas and flavors are produced - this technique is historically associated
with Beaujolais region of Burgundy.
Sur Lie - When wine is left in contact with the lees for an extended period of time; decomposing
yeast cells impart additional aromas and flavors to the wine (bread dough, yeast, toast, subtle white
flowers, nuts.
Name 2 Must Adjustments - 1. Chapitalization
2. Acidification
Chapitalization - Addition of sugar to must to increase the final alcohol content of the wine
Acidification - Additional of tartaric acid to increase the acidity of the must to improve
balance/outcome
,Aging White Wines leads to - deeper color, turning gold, then amber, and eventually brown
*also for Rose
Oxidation (with White Wines) - As wine ages in barrel, it is exposed to oxygen through the pores
of the wood staves, oxidizing the wine and deepening color
Aging Red Wines leads to - lightening of color, often appearing dull and may brown
Wine Fault Terms - TCA (Trichloroanisole)/Corkiness - wet cardboard
Oxidation - bad storage, poorly aged
VA (Volatile Acidity) - vinegary aromas
Ethyl Acetate (EA)- acetone/nail polish
SO2 - matches/wet wool
Brettanomyces - yeast growth
Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) - inadequate yeast nutrition during fermentation - rotten eggs
Old World - Potential Reasons - -dominance of earth and/or mineral character
-dominance of non fruit aromas and flavors
-the fruit is restrained compared to non-fruit and earth aromas and flavors
-the fruit becomes tart on the palate
-non fruit aromas and flavors become mroe apparent in the finish
Cool Climate - Potential Reasons - Acidity is elevated for the grape varietal; alcohol is more
restrained; the fruit smells and tastes somewhat tart; the wine feels linear on the palate
Warm Climate - Potential Reasons - Acidity is restrained for the grape; alcohol is elevated; the fruit
seems ripe, maybe jammy' the wine feels round and lush on the palate
, Taste Elements - 1. Sweet
2. Sour
3. Bitter
4. Salt
5. Umami
Important Pairing Interactions - Salt - help reduce our palate's perception of acidity in wine.
Intensely salty foods make tannins in wine feel more astringent.
Animal fats - reduce the palates perception of tannings in wine; and vice versa. Tannins love fats <3
Sugar - tends to work best with sweetness in the beverage pairing.
Spicy heat - heightens our perception of alcohol in beverages, but can be mitigated when paired with
beverages that are off dry, slightly sweet, or low alc.
The Appelation d'Origine Controlee (AOC) - Created by the INAO (Institut national de l'orgine et de
la qualite) in 1935 in response to widespread fraud in the wine industry.
INAO - government based org. created to restore confidence in the country's wine industry, and to
define + protect the quality and authenticity of specific wines and wine regions- the system was the AOC
AOP - Appellation d'Origine Protegee -
in 2009, the EU wine quality designation was put into effect with the intent of raising quality and
achieving more uniform standards across all member countries.
Two Quality categories in the EU (AOP) - 1. Wine with geographic indication
2. Wines without geographic indication
AOC/AOP Quality Levels - 1. Vin de France - without geographic indic.
Workbook + Windows
New World - Potential Reasons - - there is no dominant earth of mineral character
- fruit aromas and flavors lead and dominate the non fruit elements
-the fruit smells sweet and ripe, thus dominating the nose
- the fruit stays ripe or gets riper on the palate
Main factors of Pulp (flesh) - Water - resides in the pulp of grapes
Sugar - increases when grape ripens
Acids - decrease as grape ripens
Seeds/Pips - can give bitter flavors, if pressed
How do you describe a climate? - Large to small; Macroclimate (big picture), mesoclimate (ie,
vineyard), microclimate (ie, single row vines or specific vine)
Rain Shadow - a dry area on one side of a mountain opposite wind, rain, and generally poor
weather.
Cool Climate > Wine style? - -grapes ripen slowly and moderately
-less sugar is produced
-acidity remains high
-less alcohol potential (less sugar)
-flavors are more tart and lean;less ripe and juicy
Warm Climate > Wine Style? - -grapes ripen fully
-more sugar is produced
-acidity is lower
-higher alcohol potential
,-flavors are more ripe, lush, juicy
Green Harvest - Dropping or cutting grape bunches off vine before harvest to focus the vine's
energy on fewer, high quality bunches
The majority of the world's vineyards are planted: - between the 30-50 degree latitude lines
3 ways wind can help a vineyard - -draw in cooler air, draw in warmer air, helps prevent mold or
rot
Malolactic Fermentation - Tart malic acid, natural in grapes, are converted to softer tasting lactic
acid. "Malo" or "ML" is a process that occurs naturally in both red and white wines. NO flavor is imparted
to red wines, but ML can impart buttery or buttered popcorn flavors and a creamy texture to white
wines*
Carbonic Maceration - Tanks filled with whole berries are blanketed under the CO2 gas. Grapes
begin to ferment from the inside (Intracellular fermentation). Berries at the bottom of tank are crushed
and ferment normally. Unique aromas and flavors are produced - this technique is historically associated
with Beaujolais region of Burgundy.
Sur Lie - When wine is left in contact with the lees for an extended period of time; decomposing
yeast cells impart additional aromas and flavors to the wine (bread dough, yeast, toast, subtle white
flowers, nuts.
Name 2 Must Adjustments - 1. Chapitalization
2. Acidification
Chapitalization - Addition of sugar to must to increase the final alcohol content of the wine
Acidification - Additional of tartaric acid to increase the acidity of the must to improve
balance/outcome
,Aging White Wines leads to - deeper color, turning gold, then amber, and eventually brown
*also for Rose
Oxidation (with White Wines) - As wine ages in barrel, it is exposed to oxygen through the pores
of the wood staves, oxidizing the wine and deepening color
Aging Red Wines leads to - lightening of color, often appearing dull and may brown
Wine Fault Terms - TCA (Trichloroanisole)/Corkiness - wet cardboard
Oxidation - bad storage, poorly aged
VA (Volatile Acidity) - vinegary aromas
Ethyl Acetate (EA)- acetone/nail polish
SO2 - matches/wet wool
Brettanomyces - yeast growth
Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) - inadequate yeast nutrition during fermentation - rotten eggs
Old World - Potential Reasons - -dominance of earth and/or mineral character
-dominance of non fruit aromas and flavors
-the fruit is restrained compared to non-fruit and earth aromas and flavors
-the fruit becomes tart on the palate
-non fruit aromas and flavors become mroe apparent in the finish
Cool Climate - Potential Reasons - Acidity is elevated for the grape varietal; alcohol is more
restrained; the fruit smells and tastes somewhat tart; the wine feels linear on the palate
Warm Climate - Potential Reasons - Acidity is restrained for the grape; alcohol is elevated; the fruit
seems ripe, maybe jammy' the wine feels round and lush on the palate
, Taste Elements - 1. Sweet
2. Sour
3. Bitter
4. Salt
5. Umami
Important Pairing Interactions - Salt - help reduce our palate's perception of acidity in wine.
Intensely salty foods make tannins in wine feel more astringent.
Animal fats - reduce the palates perception of tannings in wine; and vice versa. Tannins love fats <3
Sugar - tends to work best with sweetness in the beverage pairing.
Spicy heat - heightens our perception of alcohol in beverages, but can be mitigated when paired with
beverages that are off dry, slightly sweet, or low alc.
The Appelation d'Origine Controlee (AOC) - Created by the INAO (Institut national de l'orgine et de
la qualite) in 1935 in response to widespread fraud in the wine industry.
INAO - government based org. created to restore confidence in the country's wine industry, and to
define + protect the quality and authenticity of specific wines and wine regions- the system was the AOC
AOP - Appellation d'Origine Protegee -
in 2009, the EU wine quality designation was put into effect with the intent of raising quality and
achieving more uniform standards across all member countries.
Two Quality categories in the EU (AOP) - 1. Wine with geographic indication
2. Wines without geographic indication
AOC/AOP Quality Levels - 1. Vin de France - without geographic indic.
