chap 5 wine

• Opening a bottle of light wine

  1. Remove the top of the capsule by cutting round below the lip of the bottle

  2. This can be done either with a capsule remover or knife

  3. Clean the neck of the bottle with a clean cloth

  4. Draw the cork as gently and cleanly as possible using your selected corkscrew

  5. Give the neck of the bottle a final clean inside and out
• Opening a bottle of sparkling wine

  • There is considerable pressure in a bottle of sparkling wine
  • Chilling to the correct temperature helps to reduce this pressure
  • It is possible for the cork to spring violently from the bottle and injure someone
  • You may wish to use a linen cloth to cover the cork and bottle while opening, to reduce the risk of this happening
• Opening a bottle of sparkling wine

  1. Remove the foil and the loosen the wire cage

  2. Do not remove the wire cage

  3. The cork must be kept securely in place from the moment the wire cage is loosened

  4. Tilt the bottle at an angle of about 30 degrees, gripping the cork, and use the other hand to grip the base of the bottle

  5. Turn the bottle, not the cork

  6. Hold the cork steady, resisting its tendency to fly out, and ease it slowly out of the bottle

  7. The gas pressure should be released with a quiet "phut" not an explosion and flying corks
• Serving wine by the glass

  • Wine should be bright
  • There should not be any debris floating in the wine
  • It should smell fresh
  • A wine that has been in contact with air for too long can be dull and lack flavour
  • It should not smell unpleasant
• Serving wine by the glass

  1. When serving wine by the glass it is important that you use the correct measure

  2. Glasses may be marked with a line to show you how much to pour in the glass
• How many measures you can get from a standard 75 CL bottle
• Methods used to preserve wine

  • In many cases wines used for serving by the glass are kept in the fridge with nothing more for protection than the original cork
  • Vacuum Systems - where the oxygen is removed from the bottle and the bottle is sealed
  • Blanket Systems - these systems work on the principal of blanketing the wine with a gas heavier than oxygen to form a protective layer between the wine and air
• Alcohol is enjoyed in moderation by the majority of adults
• Legislation to control the misuse of alcohol

  • Legal Age to purchase and Legal Drinking Age (LDA)
  • Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)
• Sensible drinking guidelines


  • one or two alcohol free days a week
  • Women should not drink more than two units a day on average
  • For men, not more than three units a day on average
  • Try not to exceed four units on any one occasion
  • Don't drink alcohol in some situations, such as when driving, if pregnant or in certain work situations and abstain from drinking at least once a week
• If you drink faster than one standard drink an hour, alcohol will start to flood the brain
• Risks of drinking to drunkenness

  • An increased risk of sustaining injuries and accidents
  • A greater risk of engaging in unsafe sex
  • An increased risk of flights, arguments and relationship problems
  • In extreme cases, alcoholic poisoning, coma, brain damage and death
• Health Risks of Excess Drinking

  • Alcohol dependence or alcoholism
  • Cirrhosis of the liver and alcoholic fatty liver
  • Cardiac arrest and stroke
  • Stomach disorders, such as ulcers
  • Certain types of cancer
  • Family and job related difficulties
• Food and Wine Pairing

  • Food that is consumed with wine has an effect on the way tastes, and wine can also have an effect on the taste of food
  • The purpose of food and wine pairing is to take advantage of these effects, so that ideally both the food and wine provide more pleasure than either would when consumed separately
• People have different sensitivities to various flavour and aroma components
• Primary Food And Wine Taste Interactions

  • When you place food in your mouth, your taste buds adapt so that the perception of levels of sugar, salt, acid etc. of the next item to be tasted can be altered
  • Some foods such as chocolate or thick creamy dishes can have a mouthcoating effect that impairs the sense of taste
• Sweetness in Food


  • Increases the perception of bitterness, acidity and the burning effect of the alcohol in the wine
  • Decreases the perception of body, sweetness, and fruitiness in the wine
  • With any dishes containing sugar, a good general rule is to select a wine that has a higher level of sweetness
• Umami in Food


  • Increases the perception of bitterness, acidity and alcohol burn in the wine
  • Decreases the perception of body, sweetness, and fruitiness in the wine
  • Umami is a savoury taste, umami tends to be present with other tastes (with saltiness in monosodium glutamate (MSG)) or with other flavours (e.g. in cooked or dried mushrooms)
  • Many foods that are considered difficult to pair contain high levels of umami without salt to counteract the hardening effects on wine
• Acidity in Food


  • Increases the perception of body, sweetness and fruitiness in the wine
  • Decreases the perception of acidity in the wine
  • Some acidity in food is generally a good thing for food and wine pairing as it can bring a very high acid wine into balance and enhance the fruitiness
  • However, if the level of acidity in the wine is low, high levels of acidity in foods can make wines seem flat, flabby and lacking focus
• Salt in Food


  • Increases the perception of body in the wine
  • Decreases the perception of bitterness and acidity in the wine
  • Salt is another wine-friendly component of food which can help soften some of the harder elements
• Bitterness in Food


  • Increases bitterness in wine
  • Sensitivity to bitter tastes varies greatly from person to person
  • Generally, bitter flavours add to each other, so bitterness in the food alone may be at a pleasant level, and the bitterness in the wine may be balanced, but together the bitter elements can combine to reach an unpleasant level
• Chili Heat in Food

  • This is a tactile (touch) sensation rather than one of taste and levels of sensitivity can vary greatly from person
  • Increases the perception of bitterness, acidity, and alcohol burn
  • Decreases the perception of body, richness, sweetness and fruitiness in the wine
  • The intensity of the reaction increases with the level of alcohol in the wine
  • Alcohol also increases the burring sensation of the chili; some people enjoy this effect
• Principal Grape Varieties


  The grape or blend of grape varieties used to make a wine is a key factor influencing the style and quality of wine that is produced
• Principal Grape Varieties


  The grape or blend of grape varieties used to make a wine is a key factor influencing the style and quality of wine that is produced
• Wine tasting


  How to taste like the professionals
• There are hundreds of grape varieties that can be used to make wine, but only a small number of these have established a global reputation
• There are hundreds of grape varieties that can be used to make wine, but only a small number of these have established a global reputation
• Tasting technique


  1. Look

  2. Smell

  3. Taste
• Noble varieties


  Seven grape varieties that have a distinctive character or flavor which is recognizable wherever the grape is grown
• Noble varieties


  Seven grape varieties that have a distinctive character or flavor which is recognizable wherever the grape is grown
• Becoming an expert wine taster


  • Anyone can become an expert if they follow this simple three-point plan
• Chardonnay


  • Probably the best known grape in the world
  • Produces dry wines of great variety
  • In cool regions, it can develop flavours of green fruit (apple), citrus notes and high acidity
  • In warmer regions, the wines can develop flavours of stone fruit (peach) and tropical fruits (pineapple, banana)
  • Full-bodied, creamy texture
  • Many of the best chardonnays spend some time in oak barrels, developing flavours of spice and vanilla
• Chardonnay


  • Probably the best known grape in the world
  • Produces dry wines of great variety
  • In cool regions, it can develop flavours of green fruit (apple), citrus notes and high acidity
  • In warmer regions, the wines can develop flavours of stone fruit (peach) and tropical fruits (pineapple, banana)
  • Full-bodied, creamy texture
  • Many of the best chardonnays spend some time in oak barrels, developing flavours of spice and vanilla
• Look


  First look at the wine in your glass over a piece of white paper such as your tasting sheet. Classify your wine as red, white or rosé, you may to add more to your notes, such as pale lemon, or deep purple.
• Sauvignon Blanc


  • Fruity, light to medium-bodied wines with high acidity
  • They are almost always dry
  • They can have strong aromas of green fruit, citrus (grapefruit, lime) and herbaceous notes (cut grass, green bell pepper, asparagus)
• Sauvignon Blanc

  • Fruity, light to medium-bodied wines with high acidity
  • They are almost always dry
  • They can have strong aromas of green fruit, citrus (grapefruit, lime) and herbaceous notes (cut grass, green bell pepper, asparagus)