SENSORY CHARTS/ MARKERS

  • SUB-TOPICS Of SENSORY CHARTS/ MARKERS CHAPTER
    1. Wine Tasting
    2. Demystifying The Vine Sensory Chart
    3. Words to Make You Sound Like a Sommelier

1) WINE TASTING

Sensory Evaluation of Wine Using Formalized Methodology and Standards That Have Been Established and Evolved Since 14th. Century. Specialized Terminology is Used to Describe the Range of Perceived Aromas Flavors, Structure and Other Characteristics of a Wine.

  • Salivation is Essential In Initiating the Digestion Process of Certain Foods.
  • DEMYSTIFYING PROCEDURE~  ~Appreciate Your Wine When You Drink.~
    • “Think When You Drink Wine, Don’t Be a Passive Drinker. Take the Time and Effort to Appreciate the Scents, Flavors and Structure That Grapes and Vinification Gives Us. Get Your Mind Focused, Free and Clear to Concentrate of the Wine In the Glass.”
  • WINE & PHILOSOPHY?  “Can You Persuade Your Palate to Evolve? Can You Resist Your Palates Evolution or Transformation?”
    • “Tasting by Tasting, Bottle by Bottle, Year After Year as Your Exposed to More Wine and Different Styles of Wine Your Palate Will Evolve.  A Young Person or Inexperienced Palate Will Except Sweetness and Reject Bitterness and High Acidity. Someone With an Advanced Palate Will Look Back at the Wine They Enjoyed When Younger and the Thought of What They Drank and Deemed Acceptable Will Make Them Cringe.  Can You Persuade Your Palate to Evolve? Yes, Over Time by Having an Adventurous Palate and Constantly Trying New Wine and Wine Styles Will Lead Your Palate Like and Appreciate New Wines.”
  • DEMYSTIFYING PROCEDURE~  ~Work On Developing Your Wine Palate.~
    • “Evaluating Wine is a Complex, Multi-Sensory Experience. It’s Up to You to Coax Your Palate and Brain to Make the Connection Between Sight, Smell and Taste to Create a Personal Impression of Wine.”

“Our Palates Are Mostly Based On Our Life and Personal Experiences. Someone Who Has Never Ate a Cloud Berry or Doesn’t Eats Rhubarb Will Never Pick Out Those Markers In the Wine.”

2) SENSORY CHARTS

Demystifying “The Vine”  Sensory Charts

  • Disclaimer- “The Demystifying “The Vine” Sensory Charts is Mostly Based On the Guild of Sommelier Tasting Grid, With About a 15% Variant.”

SIGHT Scale “Visual Elements”

  • CLARITY
    • WHITE=  Clear     Pale     Hazy    Cloudy     Turbid
    • RED=  Clear     Rose     Murky     Opaque     Full
  • COLOR
    • WHITE= Water     Straw     Yellow     Gold    Brown
    • ROSE= Pink     Salmon     Light Orange     Amber     Gold
    • RED= Purple    Ruby     Red      Garnet
  • INTENSITY/ CONCENTRATION
    • WHITE= Low     Medium      High
    • RED= Low     Medium     High
  • BRIGHTNESS
    • Dull     Star-Bright     Day-Bright     Brilliant
  • RIM VARIATION
    • Yes / No     Watery     Pink
  • GAS
    • Yes / No     Detectable     Little     Prevalent
  • SEDIMENT
    • Yes / No      Detectable     Little     Prevalent
  • VISCOSITY
    • Low     Medi-     Medium     Medi+     High

AROMA Scale “Scent Elements”

  • CONDITION/ CLEAN/ FAULTY
    • Clean / Faulty     Flawed     Other?
  • INTENSITY
    • Low     Medi-     Medium     Medi+     High
  • FRUIT
    • 1- 2- 3- Other?
  • EARTH
    • Yes/ No     Mineral     Forest     Other?
  • WOOD
    • Yes/ No     Old/ New      Other?
    • Old vs. New     French vs. American     Barrique vs. Large
  • OTHER
    • Chemical     Floral     Herbs     Spices     Vegetative
    • Primary Aromas     Secondary Bouquet      Tertiary Aromas

PALATE Scale “Structure Elements”

  • TANNIN
    • Low     Medi-    Medium     Medi+     High
    • –Tannin Descriptors– Aggressive, Astringent, Bitter, Chewy, Coarse, Dry, Firm, Grainy, Granular, Grippy, Hard, Harsh, Leathery, Powerful, Pungent, Rigid, Rough, Sand Paper, Silky, Smooth, Structured, Supple, Squeaky, Velvety
  • ALCOHOL
    • –ABV.(Low)     ABV.(Medium)     +ABV.(High)       Fortified
  • ACIDITY
    • Low     Medi-     Medium     Medi+     High
    • –Acidity Descriptors– Astringent, Austere, Bright, Crisp, Flabby, Flab, Lively, Nerve, Racy, Sour, Soft, Tart, Zippy
  • BODY
    • Light     Medi-      Medium     Medi+     Full
    • –Body Descriptors– Body, Creamy, Full, Hollow, Rich, Tight, Viscosity, Volume, Weight
  • TEXTURE
    • Smooth     Sand     Course     Rough
  • LENGTH
    • Short     Medi-     Medium     Medi+     Long
  • BALANCE
    • Yes/   No
  • FINISH
    • Short     Medi-     Medium     Medi+     Long
  • COMPLEXITY
    • Low     Medi-     Medium     Medi+     High

PALATE Scale “Flavor Elements”

  • SWEETNESS
    • Dry     Off-Dry     Slightly Sweet     Sweet     Desert
  • FRUIT
    • 1,   2,   3- Other?
  • EARTH
    • Yes / No     Old / New     Other?
  • WOOD
    • Yes / No     Old / New     Other?
  • OTHER
    • Chemical     Floral    Herbs     Spices     Vegetative
  • AGE ASSESSMENT
    • (1-5 Years)     (6-10 Year)     (10-14 Years)     (+15 Years)

MARKERS– “Something Familiar That the Wine Smells Like.”

  • FRUITS
    • CONDITION:  Ripe   Over Ripe   Under Ripe   Bruised   Cooked   Stewed Baked
  • ARTIFICIAL
    • Candied,  Cotton-Candy,  Fruit Cocktail,  Fruit-Loops,  Hard Candy,  Jolly Rancher,  Juicy Fruit Gum,  Licorice(Black),  Licorice(Red),  Skittles,  Starburst
  • BERRY
    •  (RED)– Cranberry,  Logan,  Pomegranate,  Raspberry,  Red-Current,  Strawberry
    • (BLACK)- Acai-Berry,  Blackberry,  Blueberry,  Black-Current/ Cassis,  Boysenberry,   Elder Berry,  Gooseberry,  Marionberry,  Mull-Berry
  • CITRUS
    • Grapefruit,  Grapefruit(Pink),  Grapefruit(Ruby),  Kumquat,  Leeche,  Lemon, Lemon(Meyers),  Lemon(Zest),  Lime,  Orange,  Orange(Blood), Orange(Burnt), Orange(Clementine), Orange(Mandarin),  Tangelo,  Tangerine
  • DRIED
    • Cassis,  Current-Black/ Red,  Date,  Fig,  Prune,  Raisin(Golden/ Green/ Black)
  • MELON
    • Cantaloupe,  Melon,  Melon(Honey Dew),  Green-Melon(Green),  Melon(Ogen),  Melon(Christmas),  Melon(Persian),  Melon(Water)
  • POMACEOUS
    • Apple,  Apple(Fiji),  Apple(Green),  Apple(Golden),  Apple(Macintosh),   Apple(Red)   Pear,  Pear(Bartlett)
  • PIT/ STONE FRUIT
    • (LIGHT)- Apricot,   Nectarine,   Peach,   Tangerine
    • (DARK)- Cherry,  Cherry(Bing),  Cherry(Black),  Cherry(Sour),  Cherry(Rainer),  Persimmon,  Plum,   Plum(Damson),  Plum(Black),  Plum(Red)
  • TROPICAL
    • Banana,  Dragon Fruit,  Coconut,  Guava,  Longan,  Loquat,  Lychee,  Mango,  Papaya,  Passion Fruit,  Plantain,  Pineapple,  Quince,  Starfruit

Earth

  • EARTH
    • Decaying,  Wet
  • ORGANIC
    • Barn,   Compost,   Dusty,   Earthy,   Farm Yard,   Forest Floor,   Horse-Manure,   Garden Soil,   Mildew,   Moldy,   Moss,   Mushroom,   Musty,   Potting Soil,   Rustic,   Truffle 
  • NON-ORGANIC
    • Chalk,   Concrete,   Flinty,   Gravel,   Gunflint,   Minerals,   Petrichor,   Slate,   Steal,   Stone,   Tin,   Wet Stone/ Asphalt
  • WOOD
    • (PHENOLIC)- Vanilla
    • (RESINOUS)- Cedar,   Oak,   Sawdust,   Toast,   Tobacco
    • (BURNED)- Burnt Sugar,   Campfire,   Cereal,   Charcoal,  Charred,   Coffee,   Graham Cracker,    Mesquite,   Mocha,   Roasted,   Smoke,  Tobacco,  Toasted,   Tree Bark,   Wood         
    • (OAK)- Barrel Room,   Carmel,   Grilled,   Timber-Yard,   Toast,  Vanilla

Other

  • ANIMAL
    • Animalesque,   Bacon,   Beef Jerky,   Grilled-Meat,   Horse-Sweat,   Hot Dog,   Leather,    Meat Raw,    Meaty,   Smoked,   Venison
  • CHEMICAL
    • (PETROLEUM)- Gas/ Petrol/ Diesel,   Kerosene,   Plastic,   Tar
    • (PUNGENT)- Garlic,   Nail Polish, Rotten Eggs,   Vinegar(Accetic Acid)   
    • (SULPHUR)- Ammonia,   Iodine,  Match,   Rubber,   Skunk,   Sulphur,  Wet Dog
  • FLORAL
    • (COLORED)- Gardenia,  Jasmine,  Lavender,  Lilac,  Rose-Petals,  Violet
    • (WHITE)- Acacia,  Blossom,   Blossom(Apple),   Blossom(Citrus),   Blossom(Orange),    Chamomile,  Elderflower,  Geranium,   Hawthorn,  Honeysuckle,  Lily,  Peony,   Rose-White
  • HERB
    • Anise,  Basil,  Chives,  Dill,  Eucalyptus,  Fennel,  Ginger,  Lavender,  Licorice,  Medicinal,  Mint,  Pine,  Rosemary,  Safran,  Sage,  Tarragon,  Thyme,  Vegetal,  Wild Herbs
  • MICRO-BIOLOGICAL
    • (CARMEL)- Honey,   Butterscotch,   Chocolate,   Dark-Chocolate,   Milk Chocolate,  Bitter,   Molasses,   Creme-Belay,   Fudge,   Coco,  Soy Sauce 
    • (DAIRY/ LATIC)-  Butter,  Cheese,  Cream,  Lactic,  Marshmallow,  Saurercrout,  Vanilla,  Yogurt
    • (OXIDATIVE)- Biscuits,  Bread,   Cheese,   Medicinal,   Sherry,  Toast,   Vinegar,   Yeast 
    • (YEASTY)– Bakers Yeast,   Leesy
  • NUTTY
    • Almond,  Coconut,  Hazelnut,  Mocha,  Peanut,  Walnut
  • OTHER
    • Coffee/Espresso,  Graphite,  Pencil Lead,  Pencil Shaving
  • SPICE
    • Ajwain, Asian, BBQ,  Galangal,  Juniper,  Licorice,  Mulled,  Pepper-Pepper/ White/ Cracked,  Saffron,  Tarragon
    • –Baking Spices–  Anise,  Cardamom,  Cinnamon,  Clove,  Ginger,  Nutmeg,  Salty,  Vanilla 
  • VEGETATIVE
    • (FRESH)- Basil,   Brussel Sprouts,   Cabbage,   Cauliflower,   Celery,   Chive,   Eucalyptus,   Fennel,   Grass,   Grass(Cut),   Green Peas,   Hay,   Lemon-Grass,   Mint,   Pepper,   Pepper(Bell),   Pepper(Red),   Tomato,   Tomato(Leaf),   Peppermint,   Rhubarb
    • (COOKED)- Artichoke,   Asparagus,   Green Beans
    • (DRIED)- Tea,   Tea(Leaf),   Tea(Green),   Straw
    • (OTHER)- Olive,   Olive(Green),   Olive(Black),   Plum Sauce,   Soy Sauce,  Tobacco(Dried,   Wet,   Sweet)
    • –Discriptors–  Stemmy, Stalky, Grassy
  • WINE & PHILOSOPHY?  “Can You Pick Up On a Wine Aroma if You Aren’t Familiar With it or Have Never Smelled It?”
    • “If Everyone is Picking Up Rhubarb or Dill In a Wine But You Have Never Smelled or Aren’t Familiar With Rhubarb or Dill it Isn’t Likely You Will Find It In That Wine.  The Best Thing You as a Wine Assessor is Go Out and Find Yourself  the Scents You Are Missing.”

BLIND TASTING

  • **Refer to “WINE EVALUATION/ Blind Tasting” For Details Information.

OTHER THINGS To ASSESS FROM The WINE

  • Concentration On the Wine Deduction is Key, But Keep In Mind These Things and Tie Them Into Your Final Conclusion.

OLD WORLD/ NEW WORLD

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN

CLIMATE

  • Cool   |   Moderate   |   Warm   |    Hot

AGE

  • 1-3 Years   |   4-6 Years   |   7+ Years

3) WORDS To MAKE YOU SOUND LIKE a SOMMELIER

  • DEMYSTIFYING PROCEDURE~ ~Construct Your Personal “Wine Vocabulary” and Hone Your Verbal Skills.~
    • “The Best Way to Learn “Wine Speak” is to Construct Your Own Personal  Wine Sensory and Description Vocabulary.  One That You Have a True Understanding of and One You Posses Complete Command of.”
  • Abrupt,  Absurb,  Abundant,  Accented,  Accessible,  Additional,  Aftertaste,  Aggressive,  Alluring,  Amazing,  Angular,  Agreeable,  Alluring,  Ample,  Angular,  Appealing,  Appearance,  Approachable, Aromatic,  Assertive,  Astringent,  Attack,  Attractive,  Attributes,  Austere
    • Approachable- A Wine That’s Ready to Drink, the Tannins Have Smoothed Out Without Pronounced Acidity or Undeveloped Flavors
  • Background,  Balance,  Backbone,  Background,  Beautiful,  Bitter,  Blast,  Boasts,  Boisterous,  Booming,  Bountiful,  Bouquet,  Bright,  Brilliant,  Brooding,  Bursting
  • Capacity,  Captures,  Challenging,  Character,  Charming,  Classic,  Clean,  Closed,  Cloudy,  Coarse,  Compact,  Compelling,  Component,  Complement,  Complexed,  Concentrated,  Conservative,  Consistent,  Contains,  Core,  Coating,  Crescendo,  Crisp
    • Chewy- Wine With Weight, Body On Palate, Higher Alcohol, Ripeness and Concentration of Fruit.
  • Dances,  Dedicated,  Deep,  Defined,  Delicate,  Delightful,  Delineated,  Delicious,  Dense,  Depth,  Developed,  Displays,  Distinct,  Distinguished,  Dollop
  • Edgy,  Elegant,  Elements,  Emphasizes,  End,  Energy/etic,  Enhanced,  Entice,  Epitomizes,  Erupts,  Ethereal,  Exhibits,  Exotic,  Expression,  Explosion,  Expose,  Extra,  Extracted,  Exuberant 
  • Fantastic,  Fat,  Feature,  Feminine,  Fine,  Finesse,  Firm,  Flabby,  Flanked,  Flat,  Flavors,  Fresh,  Flashy, Flamboyant,  Fleshy,  Focused,  Foxy,  Fragrant,  Frame,  Fresh,  Friendly,  Front
  • Generous,  Gentle,  Glamorous,  Glistens,  Gorgeous,  Grippy
  • Harmonious,  Haunting,  Harsh,  Heavy,  Hedonistic,  Hefty,  High,  Hints,  Hollow,  Honed,  Hyper
  • Ideal,  Immense,  Impressive,  Impact,  Incredible,  Indicative,  Integrated,  Intense,  Interpretation,  Inthralling,  Insipid,  Intoxicating,  Introduce,  Inviting
  • Juicy,  Juxtaposed
  • Kick
  • Laced,  Lasting,  Layered,  Leads,  Lean,  Lifted,  Light,  Lined,  Linear,  Lingering,  Lively,  Loads,  Lovely,  Low,  Luminosity,  Luscious,  Lush,  Luxurious
  • Masculine,  Massive,  Mature,  Meaty,  Medium,  Mellow,  Middle,  Mingle,  Moderate,  Modest,  Mouthwatering,  Muscular
  • Negative,  Nervy,  Notes,  Noticeable,  Nuances
  • Offering,  Opened, Opulent,  Outstanding,  Overwhelming
  • Penetrates,  Perfect,  Penetrating,  Perception,  Persistent,  Piercingly,  Pleasant,  Plenty,  Plump,  Plush,  Polished,  Positive,  Potential,  Powerful,  Precise,  Predominant,  Pretty,  Pristine,  Pronounced,  Provides,  Pungent,  Pure
  • Quite
  • Racy,  Refined,  Refreshing,  Reminiscent,  Rendition,  Rendering,  Resolved,  Restrained,  Reveals,  Rich,  Ridge,  Round,  Rustic
  • Salivate,  Saturated,  Savory,  Seamless,  Seductive,  Sensation,  Sharp,  Shimmer,  Showcases,  Short,  Showing,  Silky,  Sits,  Skrict,  Sleek,  Smidge,  Smooth,  Soft,  Solid,  Soothing,  Sophisticated, Stimulating, Structured,  Stunning,  Stupendous,  Subtle,  Subdued,  Substantial,  Succulent,  Suggests,  Superb,  Supple,  Super,  Superbly,  Supple,  Supporting,  Swirling
    • Steely- Metallic Flavor With High Acidity With the Suggestion of Minerality.
  • Tantalizing,  Taut,  Tension,  Texture,  Thin,  Tickle,  Tight,  Tinge,  Toned,  Touch,  Traditional,  Transparent/cy
  • Unabashed,  Unctuous,  Underscores,  Underlying,  Understated,  Unmasked,  Upfront
  • Velvety,  Venial,  Verve,  Vibrant,  Vinous,  Vivid,  Voluptuous
  • Waft,  Waves,  Whiffs,  Whisper
  • Youthful
  • Zesty,  Zingy,  Zippy

**Refer to “BIBLIOGRAPHY/ Sources” For Details On Scholarly Works Referenced.