Showing myself in action for #Galvanize! Here are some fun wine tasting tips from a level one sommelier. Notes from the video are transcribed here:
Fruit Flavors: Citrus, Orchard, Stone, Tropical, Melon, Red/Black/Blue fruits
Fruit Characters: Ripe, Fresh, Tart, Baked, Stewed, Dried, Bruised, Jammy
Non-Fruit Flavors: Floral, Vegetal, Herbal, Spices, Barnyard, Petrol, Butter, Leather, Yeast
Earth: Forest floor, Compost, Mushroom, Potting soil, Freshly-turned earth
Mineral: Wet stone, Limestone, Chalk, Slate, Flint
Oak Indicators: New/Old oak barrels, French/American oak barrels, Cedar, Toast, Smoke, Baking spices, Dill, Vanilla, Sawdust
New Flavors/Change: Do new flavors come out over time? Does the wine change? Is it different from how it smelled?
Sweet vs. Dry: Residual sugar (white – Moscato, some Rieslings) (red – Port, Lambrusco)
Tannin: Astringency, Bitterness, Teeth-sucking (comes from skin, seeds of grapes)
Acidity: Refreshing, Overly Tart (saliva rushing in)
Alcohol: Heat in nose, throat, or chest
Body: Weight on palate
Texture: Lean, Creamy, Round, Viscous
Balance: Do any of the elements dominate the others?
Length/Finish: How long do the flavors stay on palate? Constant, Change, Smooth, Astringent (longer finish = higher quality)
Complexity: Number of aromas, flavors and how they react