Foundation Study Guide 06-07

®

‘confidence for front line staff’‘confidence for front line staff’

FoundationWSET® Level 1Certificatein Wines

Study Guide

www.wset.co.ukwww.wsetinternational.comISSUE THREE • AUGUST 2006

The WSET® School Academic Year 2006 - 2007

WSET® Level 1 Certificate in Wines

Contents

1 - 2 Introduction

3 - 17 An Introduction to Wine

4 - 5 What is wine?

6 - 9 Styles of wine

10 What makes wines different?

11 - 15 Grape varieties

16 - 17 How wine is made

18 - 19 Wine tasting

20 - 30 Service and preparation of wine: Hospitality

31 - 37 Sale of wine: Retail

38 - 39 Professional responsibility

40 - 43 An Introduction to Food and Wine Matching

40 - 41 Food flavours and textures

42 - 43 Wine flavours and textures

44 - 56 Portfolio of Tasting Notes

45 - 46 Tracking sheets

47 - 56 Tasting notes

Academic Year 2006 - 2007 Introduction

WSET® Level 1 Programme

1

• Describe the procedures for thereceipt, storage and sale ofwine. (Retail)

• Understand the main health andsafety considerations whenserving wine.

• Use the Level 1 WSET®

Systematic Approach to Tastingto produce simple tastingrecords.

• Offer basic food and winematching advice.

• Describe the main styles ofwines available.

• Display a basic understandingof factors that determine themain styles of light wines.

• Describe in general termsthe main characteristics ofthe principal grape varieties.

• State the correct servicetemperatures, equipment andglassware for the service ofwine. (Hospitality)

Introduction

The Level 1 Programme provides a basic introduction to the main styles of winesavailable to front line staff involved in the service of wine. The programme introducesyou to the technique of tasting wine and the characteristics of the common grape varieties used to produce wines. The programme aims to provide the basic productknowledge and skills in the service of wines required to prepare you for your new jobin wine service.

Your Learning Objectives

By the time you have completed this programme you will be better able to:

The Qualification Structure

The programme will prepare you for the Level 1 Certificate in Wines. You will use thisstudy guide with the help of your assigned trainer to achieve the knowledge requiredfor the Level 1 and to collect and organise the evidence you need for your portfolio.It will usually take between six to nine hours to cover all the requirements for thequalification, but you may wish to take more time to study, especially if you have anextensive range of wines for sale.

Unit Title Element Element Title

Unit 1Introduction to Wine 1.1 Wines by Style

1.2 Service of wines (Hospitality)

The Sale of wines (Retail)

1.3 Matching Food and Wine

Academic Year 2006 - 20072 Introduction continued

The AssessmentUnit One

You will need to pass a 30 multiple choice question exam paper assessing yourknowledge and understanding. You will need to get 21 questions correct to pass.

You will also need to present a portfolio of tasting notes you have completedwhile undergoing your programme of study. Your assessor will sign your portfo-lio once you have completed the correct amount of tasting notes to cover theminimum amounts stated in the portfolio section of this study guide.

Unit 1 An Introduction to WinesWelcome to the WSET® Level 1 Programme in Wine.

This course has been designed by the WSET® for the hospitality and retailindustry to give an insight into what wine is, what it tastes like and how toserve it or sell it. By the end of the course you will be able confidently adviseyour customers on the wines you sell. Perhaps just as important, because youwill know more about wine, you will personally get more enjoyment from anywines you try.

The course will usually be delivered in your workplace and all the samples youwill be trying will come from your list, so this course is tailor-made to yourneeds, and of course those of your company. Remember, wine is not just anenjoyable drink; in our business it is a useful way of making a profit, which isafter all, what pays our wages.

Throughout this study guide there are exercises that you will be asked toperform before you move on to the next stage. Some of these will form part ofthe assessment and will therefore count towards your final mark, so don’t skipany. The exercises are designed to help you progress through the course andthey will help you check your own understanding on the subject.

Academic Year 2006 - 2007 3Unit 1 An Introduction to Wine

• Approximately, how many wines do you stock?

• What is the range of prices?

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Wine is made in many different types and styles, and sells at a vast range ofprices. This course will help you make sense of that diversity, but to start withlet’s look at what varieties of wine you stock.

ActivityYou will be given a copy of your wine list, take a few moments nowto look through it and see how the wines are listed. Think aboutthe following questions before you go on to the next stage:

How big is the list?

• What categories or headings are used?

• Are these divisions useful to your customers?

• Why?

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Now look at the layout of the list.

This programme is divided up according to the style of the wine, rather thanprice or country of origin. This may not match the layout of your list, but itmeans in effect that the flavour, structure and texture of the wines within eachsection are similar, so once you have discovered a customer’s taste you will beable to recommend a suitable wine.

Academic Year 2006 - 20074 Unit 1 An Introduction to Wine continued

What is Wine?

Put very simply, wine is a drink made from the fermented juice of freshly-pickedgrapes. As such it is often described as one of the most natural of all alcoholic drinks.

Fermentation is a natural process caused by yeast. Yeast are microscopic organismsthat live naturally alongside grapes in the vineyard and winery. To live, yeast feed onsugar, as found in grape juice, converting it into alcohol and carbon dioxide gas.

However, as you know, there is a lot more to wine than just alcoholic grape juice.There are many influences on how a wine looks, smells and tastes, which give a widevariety of styles. That variety will give your customers a wide selection of wines tochoose from whenever they buy a wine in a bar, restaurant or shop.

Wine Types / Wine Styles

First let’s think about some basics. There are three types of wine.

They are:

• Light Wine;

• Sparkling Wine;

• Fortified Wine.

Academic Year 2006 - 2007 Unit 1 An Introduction to Wine continued 5

You will need to know about the differences between each of these three, andbe able to identify which types the wines you stock. We will take them in turn.

Light Wines

The majority of wines fall into this category. These are what you would normallythink of when someone says ‘wine’. They are still, that is not sparkling, or fizzy,and are between 8–15% alcohol. Many light wines are named after the regionthey are produced in; examples include Bordeaux and Burgundy from France,Rioja from Spain and Chianti from Italy. Wines from New World countries suchas Australia are often labelled with the name of the grape used, such asChardonnay or Shiraz.

Sparkling Wines

These are wines where bubbles of carbon dioxide gas have been trapped inthe wine. Often seen as the wine for celebration, its best known (and usuallymost expensive) example is Champagne from France. Other examples areCava from Spain and Asti from Italy, but sparkling wine is made all over theworld.

Fortified Wines

These are also known as ‘liqueur’ wines, which means that the wines have hadextra alcohol added to them and therefore have higher alcohol levels of15–22%. Examples of liqueur wines are Sherry from Spain and Port fromPortugal.

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ActivityThink back to the exercise you did earlier, when you looked at yourwine list. Were the three different wine types listed separately?

Academic Year 2006 - 2007

ActivityLook at your wine list. Which of the wines on your list would fit in the categories in the grid below?

Write the names of two or three wines from your wine list in each of the boxes. Don’t worry if your listdoesn’t have all the categories, ask your trainer to give you some suitable suggestions.

6

Styles of WineEach of the three types of wine can be made in a variety of styles according tocolour and taste.

COLOUR

The colour of a wine can be determined by the type of grapes used and/orthe way the wine is made:

RedThe colour of the wine will come from using black grapes to make the wineas the colour comes from the grape skins. The skins also contain othersubstances such as tannin (that’s the substance in tea that makes your mouthfeel dry), which will make the wine different not only in colour to white wines butin the way it tastes.

WhiteWhite wine is usually made from the juice of white grapes, but because allof the colour in black grapes is in the skin, it is possible to make white wine fromblack grapes if you remove the skins before fermentation. White wines are oftenseen as the lighter, refreshing, alternative to red wines.

Rosé These wines are made from black grapes where the wine has had less contactwith the skins. You will often see very pale rosé wines labelled as ‘blush’ wines.Rosé wines are usually not as full as red wines but offer more body thanwhite. Rosé tends to be a very seasonal drink, selling mostly in summer.

Unit 1 An Introduction to Wine continued

Light Wine Fortified Wine Sparkling Wine

Red

White

Rosé

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Academic Year 2006 - 2007 7Unit 1 An Introduction to Wine continued

SWEETNESS

Grape juice is naturally sweet but as yeast feed on the grape sugars duringfermentation, the juice becomes less sweet. Yeast will die once the alcoholreaches 15% or when all the sugars have been used Any sugar remaining inthe wine once the yeast are dead will determine how sweet a wine is.

DryThe majority of wine you will taste will be dry because the yeast will haveturned all the sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide gas. Most red wines andthe majority of white are dry, although some are drier than others. Examplesof dry white wines are Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, Fino Sherry fromSpain and Brut Champagne. Dry red wines include Châteauneuf-du-Papefrom France, Valpolicella from Italy and Pinotage from South Africa.

MediumThe wines you will taste that are medium will usually be white or rosé. To makea medium wine the winemaker will either remove the yeast from the juicebefore all the sugar has been consumed or add unfermented, sweet grapejuice to dry wine. A medium wine should have sweetness but not be cloying orsickly. Many popular wines from Germany such as Liebfraumilch are in thisstyle; as are many rosé wines such as Blush Zinfandel from California.

SweetSweetness is immediately noticeable on the front of the tongue. Often thesugar will make the wine feel thicker and richer. The best sweet wines aremade from grapes so rich in sugar that the yeast dies before all the sugar isconsumed. Often sweet wines will be balanced in flavour due to refreshingacidity in the wine. Examples of sweet wines are Sauternes from France, Portfrom Portugal and Asti from Italy.

BODY

This is the general feel of the wine in the mouth when you taste.

Light BodiedWines light in body are usually refreshing and easy to drink. An example of alight-bodied white is Pinot Grigio from Italy and for red wine, Beaujolais fromFrance.

Medium BodiedThe wine will feel richer and more substantial, this may because of the grapesused or because the wine may have been in oak barrels, thereby giving anextra texture to the wine. Examples of medium-bodied wines are whiteBurgundy from France and red Merlot from Chile.

Full BodiedThe wine will be powerful and will seem more concentrated and heavy. This isusually due to the ripeness of the grape and for some wines the use of oak.Examples of full-bodied wines are oaked Chardonnay from California andShiraz from Australia.


OTHER FACTORS

The other considerations you should take into account when describing a winestyle are:

OakYou may have noticed the word ‘oaked’ on wine labels. This means that the winehas fermented or matured in oak and will gain flavours, tannin and texture fromcontact with the wood. Wines can have distinctive changes in style if they are incontact with oak - in white wines the wine can become buttery and have vanillaflavours, with red wines they can become smoother with added spicy character.

TanninTannin has been mentioned before as a substance found in grape skins.Tannin isfelt on the teeth, gums and tongue and makes the mouth feel dry. It can make ayoung red wine seem harsh. It doesn’t sound good to have tannin in wines - butthey do bring some positive qualities to wines, they can help a wine maturegiving structure and complexity and making the taste balanced.

AcidityAcidity is very important to wine, it gives the wine its refreshing qualities, you candetect acidity by a mouth watering sensation. Too much acidity can make thewine tart, too little, the wine will be flabby and seem flat. Acidity can help a winemature such as the white wines made from Riesling from Germany or can stopsweet wines from been cloying and sickly by cleansing the palate and givingbalance.


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ActivityDid your mouth water?

That’s acidity.

Can you taste sweetness on the tip of your tongue?

That’s the sugars in the grape juice.

Next chew the skin. What has happened to your mouth?

Describe what has happened in your mouth in the box below

Skin

Did your mouth dry out?

That’s the effect of the tannin in the skins.

Now taste the second grape.

Note how the taste is different from the separate parts - not as sweet,not as acidic and not so tannic - more balanced, in fact.

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ActivityYou will need two grapes with some stalk attached for the next task.

Firstly, peel one of the grapes so you have the skin separate from theflesh of the grape. If your peeled grape has pips (many table grapes don’t)separate the pips from flesh and set aside.

Now you are ready to undertake your first tasting task.

First taste the flesh only, what are you tasting and where in your mouth areyou tasting it? Write down what you have tasted in the box below:

Flesh


WHAT MAKES WINES DIFFERENT?

CLIMATE

To understand what makes wines different we will first need to look at how grapesripen. It is important, like any other fruit, that the vine has enough sunshine toripen. If the grape does not have enough sun it will remain green and hard, andwill taste acidic and sour. If the grapes receive enough sun the sour acids in thegrapes will turn into sugar, the skins will ripen and in the case of black grapes turnred through to deep purple in colour. Too much sun and all the acid will turn intosugar and the wine produced will be flabby and lacking balance, too little the winewill taste thin and sour. The success of a wine will depend upon the correctbalance between rainfall, sunshine and temperature.

One of the most important factors that influence the style of wine is where thegrapes are grown and the climate for that region. A knowledge of a region’sclimate gives us an idea of the expected temperatures and weather conditionsfor the wine and the general style of wine.

Cool ClimateExamples include regions in Northern France, Germany, and New Zealand.Cool climate regions will give wines that are:

• Mainly white

• High in acidity

• A refreshing flavour

Hot ClimateExamples include regions in the South of France, Spain and Australia. Hot climateregions will give wines that are:

• Mainly red as black grapes need more heat to ripen

• High in alcohol

• Rich in flavour


Wine Producing Regions

RUSSIA

CHINA

EUROPE

NEWZEALAND

AUSTRALIA

SOUTHAFRICA

NORTHAFRICA

SOUTHAMERICA

CHILE

BRAZIL

ARGENTINA

CALIFORNIA

NORTHAMERICA

CANADA

50˚N

30˚N

Equator

30˚S

50˚S

50˚N

30˚N

Equator

30˚S

50˚S

ATLANTICOCEAN

PACIFICOCEAN

PACIFICOCEAN

INDIANOCEAN

ARCTIC OCEAN

THE WORLD WINE PRODUCING AREAS

Academic Year 2006 - 2007 11

GRAPE VARIETIES

The variety or blend of varieties used to make the wine will have the biggestinfluence on the style of wine produced. There are hundreds of grape varietiessuitable for wine, but only a small number of varieties have established areputation for making outstanding wines. The five grape varieties you willstudy as part of this unit are known as ‘noble’ varieties, each variety has adistinctive character or flavour which is recognisable wherever the grape isgrown.

White Grapes

Chardonnay

Say it - Shard-on-ay

Probably the best known grape in the world it produces dry wines of greatvariety, from light apple fresh delicacy to rich full bodied buttery richness.

Chardonnay is planted all over the world and is the grape used for manyclassic wines such as Chablis and Champagne from France, in New Worldcountries Chardonnay will, more often than not, have spent some time in oakwhich will complement its fuller bodied tropical fruit character.

ActivityNote some of wines you list, that are made from Chardonnay.


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Sauvignon Blanc

Say it - Sew-vin-yon-Blonk

Often described as having a fresh green fruit aroma and flavour, it produces fullon fruity, light to medium bodied wines with refreshingly zesty acidity. Sancerreand Pouilly Fumé from France are popular wines made from this variety. InCalifornia they make an oaked Sauvignon Blanc known as Fumé Blanc.

ActivityNote some of wines you list, that are made from Sauvignon Blanc.

Riesling

Say it - Reez-ling

The Riesling grape produces wines that range from bone dry through to luscious-ly sweet, but above all, it will be aromatic and have good levels of acidity. It canbe minerally, peachy or petrolly in aroma with flavours from fresh green applethrough to dried apricot. Riesling is the classic grape of Germany producing someof the great sweet wines of the world. Alsace in France produces dry styles. In theNew World, Australia is producing some very distinctive wines.

ActivityNote some of wines you list, that are made from Riesling.


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Black Grapes

Cabernet Sauvignon

Say it - Cab-ur-ney-Sew-vin-yon

Widely planted around the world, Cabernet Sauvignon produces wines with ablackcurrant aroma and flavour, often backed up by firm tannins. It can rangein style between medium and full-bodied.

Because of its forceful presence Cabernet Sauvignon is often blended withother grapes such as Merlot in Bordeaux, where the red wine is also known asClaret. In Australia it is often blended with Shiraz which adds richness andspice to the wines character. Many wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon willneed to be matured before they are ready to drink.

ActivityNote some of wines you list, that are made from Cabernet Sauvignon.


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Merlot

Say it - Mer-low

Popular, softer, fruity alternative to Cabernet Sauvignon. Merlot has a rich plumand berry fruit flavour with refreshing acidity and soft to medium tannins.

St Emilion is a Merlot based wine from Bordeaux. In the New World, Chilemakes good value rich and fruity examples. Merlot can gain added richnessfrom maturing in oak.

ActivityNote some of wines you list, that are made from Merlot.

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Pinot Noir

Say it - Pee-no N-wa

This wine can have the taste of summer fruits like raspberries and cherrieswhen young, but as it matures it will take on vegetal aromas. Pinot Noir wineis lighter in colour and body than Cabernet Sauvignon, but can age well.Pinot Noir is the grape used for the red Burgundy. Pinot Noir can also be usedin Champagne. In the New World, New Zealand makes stylish wines.

ActivityNote some of wines you list, that are made from Pinot Noir.

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Syrah/Shiraz

Say it - Seer-ah/Sheer-az

This grape variety produces rich, powerful and peppery wines, the wines aredeeply coloured and have the ability to age.

In the Northern Rhône in France it is used to produce Hermitage and CôteRôtie. In Australia it can produce full bodied, warm, spicy wines with flavoursof black fruits and quite often vanilla aromas and flavours of oak.

ActivityNote some of wines you list, that are made from Syrah/Shiraz.

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How Wine is Made

Grapes are harvested in the Autumn.

Black grapes for red wine are crushed and stems are removed, the juice is keptin contact with the skins during fermentation to give colour to the wine andadd tannin, both of which are found in the skin. The mixture of skin, pulp andjuice of the grapes is called must.

For rosé wines the time spent in contact with the skin is shorter so that thewine is lighter in colour, pink rather than red.

For white wine, the juice only is used from white and/or black grapes as anyprolonged contact with the skin will cause coloration of the wine.

The must/juice is then fermented, the winemaker will have a choice ofwooden vats, stainless steel tanks or cement tanks, this can influence the finalstyle of wine by either adding flavours or not.

The newly fermented wine will be removed from its fermentation vessel, and inthe case of red wine it will be pressed first to remove the wine from the skins.

The wine will now be matured. Some wines will mature for longer than othersaccording to the style of wine required. Wines matured in oak barrel will takeon oak flavours and aromas.

Finally the wine is bottled, some wines are ready to drink, others, in particulartannic red wines and vintage ports will mature further in bottle.



Let’s check what we have learnt so far by completing the word search…

What type of wine has extra alcohol added?

The name of a famous sparkling wine

Another name for a rosé wine

What can make your mouth water when tasting wine?

A red wine from Spain?

A substance found in the skins of grapes?

Another name for the black grape Syrah

Well known German white grape variety

The material used to make barrels for maturing wine

C H A M P A G N E K

O T R D D R W O V K

P R I E S L I N G O

S H I R A Z M B T A

A O D G D M T O R C

F E A K L O A O I I

G E M K M T N P O D

O A W R O C N N J I

P R E D I V I T A T

Z U X L Y A N I O Y

O U Y B L U S H P P

Z F O R T I F I E D



Taste

How to taste like the professionals

Wines are often described in terms of various characteristics of taste. You willprobably have heard people talking about dry or sweet wines, light-bodied orfull-bodied wines, wines with ‘hints of oak’, or wines reminiscent of anynumber of different fruits. Before we go any further we need to look at howprofessionals taste and describe wine.

Tasting Technique

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

LookFirst look at the wine in your glass over a piece of white paper such as yourtasting sheet.

You will need to classify your wine as red, white or rosé, you may wish to addmore to your notes, such as pale lemon, or deep purple. Your trainer will helpyou recognise some of the colours, but what is important is that you knowwhich of the wines on the wine list are reds, whites or rosé, so that you canhelp your customers in their wine selections.

SmellSniff the wine then swirl the wine around the glass and sniff again. Noticehow this releases the aromas. The smell of the wine should be clean, youdon’t want to serve faulty wines. The aromas will give you an idea of thewine’s character.

Fruit aromasCan indicate certain grape varieties, for example, Sauvignon Blanc givesgooseberry or cat’s pee or Cabernet Sauvignon can give blackcurrant aromas.

Floral aromasCan indicate certain grape varieties such as young Riesling.

Spicy aromasCan indicate oak with vanilla and spicy aromas like cinnamon. Some grapeswill have spicy peppery aromas like Shiraz.

Vegetal aromasCan indicate age (maturation in bottle) and some grape varieties such as PinotNoir. When describing a vegetal character it is often a whiff of cabbage thatyou may detect.These aromas should be pleasant! If you detect a vinegary or musty smell or any smell equally unpleasant, askyour supervisor to check the wine before it is sold.

Unit 1 Wine Tasting


Taste

Taste the wine and without dribbling draw the wine and some air over theirtaste buds.Try to make a hilarious noise!

The taste of the wine can indicate the following:

Sweetness Dry, medium or sweet

Fruit Character Fruity, floral, spicy, and vegetal in character

Body Light, medium or full bodied

Other Tannin, acidity, oak

At the front of your tasting note section is the list of types and styles of winesyou are required to taste and for which you need to produce tasting notes. Tickthe ones you have tasted. You will need to have tasted the number in thebrackets to pass this qualification. You may taste more as part of your trainingso note these as well. It will help you to do your job if you have tasting notesyou can use to help you give information to customers.

ActivityTasting

Now let’s taste some wines.

Your trainer will make a selection from your wine list to cover yourFoundation Certificate assessment. You will need to complete tasting notesin your portfolio for this activity.

Unit 1 Wine Tasting continued


Service of Wine

Prior Preparation will Prevent Poor Performance

This is true for any job, if you prepare properly it will make your job easier,giving you greater satisfaction in your work and providing high qualitycustomer service.

Storage prior to service

Let’s first look at the storage of wine. If a wine is incorrectly stored it can affectthe flavour of the wine and in severe cases the wine will become faulty.

The following general points should be followed when storing wine:

• For long-term storage, temperature for all wines should be cool andconstant as extremes of cold and heat can damage wines.

• Store wine on its side to ensure the cork remains contact with the wine.If the cork dries out it can let in air and the air will make the wine tastestale and old.

• Keep wines away from strong light, natural sunshine or artificial lightwill heat the wine and it will become stale and old before its time.

Unit 1 Service of Wine


Preparation of Wine

It is important that all the equipment and the wine are prepared before servicecommences.

Let’s look at the preparation of wines that need chilling. White, rosé andsparkling wines will need chilling before service. Enough stock should beplaced in refrigerator well in advance. Stock rotation is important – you shouldalways move the old stock to the front when replenishing the wine chiller,so that the wine that has already been chilled is served first.

Remember over chilling can mask the flavours in white wines.

Red wines should also be prepared and available at the correct temperature.This could mean bringing supplies out of a cool cellar to ensure they are at toocool, or some red wines may need a slight chilling before service.

Remember the average room temperature will vary due to the time of year, heatingor air conditioning. Be careful that red wines don’t get too warm or too cold.

Unit 1 Service of Wine continued

Style of Wine Example of Style of Wine Service Temperature

Medium/full-bodied oaked white White Burgundy Slightly chilled 12°C

Light/medium-bodied white Muscadet, Pinot Grigio, Fino Sherry Chilled 10°C

Sweet wines Sauternes, Sweet Muscat’s Well-chilled 6 - 8°C

Sparkling wines Champagne, Cava, Asti Well-chilled 6 - 8°C

White, Rosé and Sparkling Wines


Light-bodied red Beaujolais, Valpolicella Lightly chilled 12°C

Medium/full-bodied red Claret, Red Burgundy, Room temperatureAustralian Shiraz, 17 - 18°CChâteauneuf-du-Pape, Port

Red Wines


Preparation of Equipment

You have prepared the wine, now you will need to check that you have theequipment you need for serving it.

Wine Menus

You may use a printed menu or have your list written up on a blackboard. It isimportant that the menu/list is accurate and up-to-date - make sure that youcheck with your supervisor if there are any changes you need to be aware of.It is always better to tell a customer before they make a selection from the winelist that certain wines are unavailable rather than delay service by the customerhaving to reselect. You will also be able to ask for advice from your supervisoron suitable alternatives.

Always check that printed menus are clean and free from damage, check thatmenus written on blackboards are free from errors and tidy. If too many itemsare wiped out, request that the list is rewritten neatly.

Glassware

An enormous range glass shapes and sizes are used for the service of wine,each designed to emphasise a particular wine’s characteristics. The use of thecorrect glass will enhance the experience for the customer. However, mostrestaurants and bars will only have a few different shaped glasses and it isimportant that you know which is the correct glass to use where you work.

Red Wine

Red wines are best served in larger-sized glasses. This will allow air to comeinto contact with an enlarged wine surface and develop the aromas andflavours – remember when you tasted wine earlier, how the aromas whereeasier to smell when you swirled the wine.

White and Rosé Wine

White wines require medium sized glasses so that the fresh, fruitcharacteristics are gathered and directed towards the top of the glass.


Academic Year 2006 - 2007 23Unit 1 Service of Wine continued

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Sparkling Wine

Sparkling wines are served in flute glasses. This shape enhances the effect ofthe bubbles (and thus the wine’s aroma) allowing them to travel throughlarger areas of the wine before bursting at the top of the glass. For this reasonthe saucer-shaped glasses are completely inappropriate as the bubbles arevery quickly lost.

Fortified Wine

Fortified wines should be served in small glasses to emphasise the fruitcharacteristics rather than the alcohol.

ActivityUsing a selection of glasses from your workplace select the onesyou use for which type and style of wine.


Preparing Glasses

Clean glassware is of the uppermost importance, as even the slightest taintcan ruin the flavour of the wine. This can also apply to ‘clean’ glasses from aglass washing machine. It is worth checking the glasses to make sure noresidue from the detergent and salts remain in the glass as they can givestrange flavours to wines. In the case of sparkling wine, it will make it lose itssparkle more quickly.

The best way to prepare glasses is to polish them before each service. Thiswill make sure the glasses are clean and free of finger marks and dust.

Linen

When polishing glasses it is best to use a specialist glass cloth, as this willnot leave bits of fluff in the glass. Clean linen should be available for theservice of wine, as you will use it when pouring wine to catch drips from thebottle and for the service of wines from ice buckets to prevent water andmelted ice dripping from bottle. A cloth should be used when openingsparkling wine as it will act as a safeguard to prevent the cork causingdamage.

Corkscrews

Types of Corkscrews



Styles of Service

Table Service

This is when the order is taken at the table where the customers are seated.Usually, but not always, the customer will be ordering wine to accompany ameal. The customer may select the wine after they have selected their foodand will quite often ask the waiter for a recommendation. When providing atable service the wine will be ordered, opened and served to the customer bythe waiter. If the customer orders a glass of wine it will be collected and takento the table by the waiter.

Bar Service

This is when the order is taken at the bar. The bar person will open the wineand give the customer the number of glasses needed. The customer or the barperson will pour the wine and often the customer will carry the wine andglasses to a seating area and pour it themselves.

Whatever service type you use one thing that will remain the same - thecorrect procedure to follow when opening a bottle of wine, unless of course,the wine has a screwcap.

Opening a bottle of light wine

Remove the top of the capsule by cutting round below the lip of the bottle.This can be done either with a capsule remover or knife.

• Clean the neck of the bottle with a clean cloth

• Draw the cork as gently and cleanly as possible using yourselected corkscrew

• Give the neck of the bottle a final clean inside and out

• Pour a sample into the host’s glass for approval.



Opening a bottle of Sparkling Wine

Danger - It is important to remember that there is considerable pressure in abottle of sparkling wine. Chilling to the correct temperature helps to reducethis pressure. Even when the wine is chilled it is possible for the cork to springviolently from the bottle and injure someone.

• Remove the foil and then the wire muzzle.

• The cork must be held in place by the hand from the moment the wireis removed.

• 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.

• Turn the bottle, not the cork.

• Hold the cork steady, resisting its tendency to fly out, and ease itslowly out of the bottle.

• The gas pressure should be released with a quiet “phut” not anexplosion and flying corks.


27

ActivityWhat procedures do you follow when serving wine at the table?

Your workplace will have procedures to follow when serving wine. Familiariseyourself with the procedures, and answer the following questions:

When do you offer the customers the wine menu?

Unit 1 Service of Wine continuedAcademic Year 2006 - 2007

✍

When do you tell customers of any changes or additions to wine lists?

✍

When would you take the order for the wine?

✍

Who do you give copies of the wine order to?

✍

Do you show the bottle to the customer before opening and if so, why?

✍

28 Unit 1 Service of Wine continued Academic Year 2006 - 2007

Red Wine

✍

White Wine

✍

Sparkling Wine

✍

Where do you open the wine for table service?

Mark on the glass (right) the level to which you would pourwhen serving wine

✍

Do you top up the glass for the customer?

✍

What equipment would you need to take to the table for the service of thefollowing wines?

29

Serving wine by the glass

Wine by the glass is a very popular drink option. However, this is fraught withproblems. Wine left in opened bottles deteriorates rapidly, which can lead toa large amount of wastage, or worse still the customer being served a poorquality glass of wine.

It is important to check any open wine before serving to a customer to ensurethat it is in good condition.

What to look for:

• Wine should be bright. Any dullness in the colour could meanthe wine is spoiled.

• There should not be any debris floating in the wine.

• It should smell fresh. When a wine comes into contact with oxygen(which happens as soon as you pull the cork) it will start to lose itsfreshness and flavours. A wine that has been in contact with oxygenfor too long will be dull and lack flavour.

• Check the nose of the wine. It should not smell unpleasant.

Once you have opened or checked the wine the next stage is to pour it. Thissounds easy enough, but you will need to take into consideration some legalmatters.

When serving wine by the glass it is important that you use the correctmeasure. The legal measures for wine in the UK are: 125ml, 175ml or amultiple of 125ml (e.g. 250ml).

Glasses can be marked with a line to show you how much to pour in the glass.

It is useful to know how many measures you can get from a standard 75clbottle. This (diagram below) will help you work out how many bottles you willneed for an order.

6 x 125 mls glasses

4 x 175 mls glasses

3 x 250 mls glasses

Unit 1 Service of Wine continuedAcademic Year 2006 - 2007

30

Methods used to Preserve wine

Once you have served a glass of wine it is important that you store the winecorrectly as this will help prolong the wine’s life and prevent wastage. It iswasteful and unprofitable if you have to throw away the rest of the bottle forevery glass of wine you serve.

In many cases wines used for service by the glass will have no more than thecork put back in them and placed in fridge. In this case stock rotation will bevery important, as will keeping a record of when the bottle was opened. Thereare some methods of preservation that can be used which will preserve thewine and its flavour for an extended period of time. You may use one of thesesystems in your premises.

Vacuum Systems

These are systems where the oxygen is removed from the bottle and thebottle is sealed. Vacuvin and Le Verre de Vin are two systems available.

Blanket Systems

These systems work on the principal of blanketing the wine with a gasheavier than oxygen to form a protective layer between the wine and air. WineSaver is a system available.

ActivityWhat procedures do you follow when preserving wine for service bythe glass?

Unit 1 Service of Wine continued Academic Year 2006 - 2007

✍

31

Sale of Wine

Prior Preparation will Prevent Poor Performance

This is true for any job, if you prepare properly it will make your job easier,giving you greater satisfaction in your work and providing high qualitycustomer service.

Storage, display and service of wine

Let’s first look at the storage of wine. If a wine is incorrectly stored it can affectthe flavour of the wine and in severe cases the wine will become faulty.

The following general points should be followed when storing wine:

• For long-term storage, temperature for all wines should be cool andconstant as extremes of cold and heat can damage wines.

• Store wine on its side to ensure the cork remains contact with the wine.If the cork dries out it can let in air and the air will make the wine tastestale and old.

• Keep wines away from strong light, natural sunshine or artificial lightwill heat the wine and it will become stale and old before its time.

• Bottles in the window displays should be changed regularly.

Unit 1 The Sale of WineAcademic Year 2006 - 2007

32 Unit 1 The Sale of Wine continued Academic Year 2006 - 2007

Preparation of Wine

You might be interested to know that 99% of all wine purchased on the HighStreet is consumed within a week and 98% is drunk within the weekend.Often customers will buy wine on the way home form work and wine will beconsumed as soon as the customer gets home. If you have a fridge, make sureit is always stocked with popular lines.

The charts below will help you if you are asked for recommended servingtemperatures.

Always fill shelves from the back, moving existing stock to the front. Thisensures that bottles do not hang around for too long, as they deteriorate, andmake sure that the front label is to the front Face-up as often as necessary- nothing is more off-putting than empty shelves.

Remember over chilling can mask the flavours in white wines.

Red wines should also be prepared and available at the correct temperature.This could mean bringing supplies out of a cool cellar to ensure they are at toocool, or some red wines may need a slight chilling before service.


Medium/full-bodied oaked white White Burgundy Slightly chilled 12°C

Light/medium-bodied white Muscadet, Pinot Grigio, Fino Sherry Chilled 10°C

Sweet wines Sauternes, Sweet Muscat’s Well-chilled 6 - 8°C

Sparkling wines Champagne, Cava, Asti Well-chilled 6 - 8°C

White, Rosé and Sparkling Wines


Light-bodied red Beaujolais, Valpolicella Lightly chilled 12°C

Medium/full-bodied red Claret, Red Burgundy, Room temperatureAustralian Shiraz, 17 - 18°CChâteauneuf-du-Pape, Port

Red Wines

Remember the average room temperature will vary due to the time of year, heatingor air conditioning. Be careful that red wines don’t get too warm or too cold.

33Unit 1 The Sale of Wine continuedAcademic Year 2006 - 2007

Merchandising

You should understand the importance of merchandising to the sale of wines.

You may or may not have any influence over how wine is merchandised, but youwill have responsibility to ensure shelves and other fittings are full and faced up.Speak to your trainer about how much leeway you have in yourcompany.

If you are issued with bay plans or computerised grid systems for you to follow,do comply with them as it makes it easier for customers to find what they arelooking for. You might be surprised to know how much time and money themajor companies invest in designing the merchandising plans. Why do theybother? Simply because well-merchandised bays laid out in an attractivemanner attract people who then make a purchase, but empty messy bays donot tempt customers in the same way.

If you have the flexibility to, or are able to create your own displays, make themas attractive as possible. You may find it useful to use half barrels, baskets etc.Often the product will sell itself, if well displayed.

Take the time to go and see how your competitors merchandise their shelves;it may give you some ideas.

Remember - the better the display the more you will sell!

Stock Receipt and Control

What are your procedures for the receipt and storage of wines?

Many of you will not be responsible for taking delivery and receipt of wines,and those who are will have to

• Ensure you are familiar with your company procedures detailing theprocess.

• If you are regularly receiving stock, usually it will come straight from yourwarehouse (or the warehouse of one of your suppliers).

• It is important to ensure that you check that the paperwork matches whathas been delivered.

✍


Dealing with Breakages and Damage

It is inevitable that sometimes you or a customer will break a bottle, or one mightarrive broken in a delivery.

It is the responsibility of the store to ensure that customers and their staff arenot at risk of slipping /cutting themselves etc, so the area must be cleanedimmediately.

Remember to log the incident, as if you do not, the item will appear as a loss,when you have the next stocktake.

ActivityWhat procedures do you follow if a bottle is broken on the shop floor?

If you are unable to verify that the order you have received is correct -what should you do?

Your trainer will be able to help you with these.

Promotions

A large percentage of wine sold in off licenses and supermarkets is boughtwhen in promotion.You need to be aware of what is currently on special offer atall times.

Procedures you should follow at promotional changeover

• Always put up new point of sale (POS) immediately and ensure that pricesare correctly marked.

• Remember to remove Special Offer POS as soon as a promotion is over.Customers get irate when they arrive at the till and discover that they areexpected to pay more for their wine than they expected.

• Keep an eye on how quickly individual lines are selling, and ensure youalways have enough stock.


In Store Tasting

Occasionally you may have the opportunity to offer tastings to customers. Hereare some basic guidelines that will enable you to gain maximum sales.

Ensure that you have some information on the wine. If this has not beenprovided, bone up on what is on the back label - taste the wine yourself andform an opinion.

• Taste every new bottle that you open to check that it is in good condition.

• Try to keep white wines cool; an ice bucket is ideal.

• In warm weather, don’t let red wines get too warm. If necessary havetwo bottles on the go and pop them in the fridge for a few minutes.

• Learn how to open a bottle efficiently.

You may be restricted to using certain glasses of even plastic cups. If you havea choice, use the largest glasses you have available, and make sure theyare clean and polished; smeared glasses not only look unattractive, they caninfluence the aroma.

Offer the customer an ice bucket in case they want to spit. Most will swallow, butas a responsible retailer, you should give them the option.

Larger Orders

When customers are planning an event they often need advice on what to buy,how far will it go and how they should store it.

Quantities

For parties/barbecues or picnics wine boxes are useful. They are usuallyrelatively inexpensive and very portable.

• A 3 litre wine box holds 24 standard (125ml) glasses of wine.

• A standard wine bottle (75cl) holds 4 large (175ml) or 6 standard glasses.

• A litre bottle of wine holds 6 large glasses or 8 standard glasses.

• A magnum (1.5 litres) holds 9 large or 12 standard glasses.

Champagne/Sparkling wine is usually served in smaller measures, so it ispossible to get an additional glass per bottle.


Formal Occasions

For weddings, christenings etc, most customers prefer bottles to boxes; theylook more impressive.

Although own brands offer excellent value, branded Wines may be moreappropriate. This is the ideal opportunity to persuade customers to trade-up.

For 50 people the minimum quantities they should allow are

• 9 /10 bottles of fizz, if there is to be a toast.

• Champagne is the obvious choice, but Cava is an excellent andinexpensive alternative.

• 6 bottles of white wine.

• 5 bottles of red wine.

If you offer sale or return facilities it is better to order too much than run out onthe day - anything left over can returned.

A selection of non-alcoholic drinks is useful. Suggest a mix of orange juice,sparkling mineral water and perhaps some fizzy drinks.

Additional Services

Most retailers offer additional services to assist their customers.

Do you offer any of the following?

• Sale or return facility

• Quantity discount

• Packing for customers

• 6-bottle wine carriers

• Carrying to car

• Home delivery

• Glass hire/loan

ActivityWhat additional services does your company offer to customers?


Point of Purchase Procedures

There are many different ways of selling wine in a shop. In small retail outletsyou will be expected to answer customer queries, complete the sale andpack the wines for the customer, whereas in a supermarket the wine staffinvolvement ends when the bottles are placed in the trolley and wheeled away.Even here though, if six bottles are purchased and you have bottle carriers,remember to offer one to the customer. Don’t forget to point out any discountsthat are applicable.

If you will be dealing with the sale, follow the guidelines within your store.Pay particular attention to the correct procedure for Credit cards.

ActivityIf a customer buys six or more bottles, what can you offer them byway of added value? (bottle carriers-discounts etc)

What to do when it all goes wrong

It is inevitable that from time to time, customers will bring a bottle back asthey are unhappy with the quality or the taste.

These days most companies have a ‘no quibble’ policy and will replace thebottle or offer a refund.

Speak to your trainer about your company’s policy.

✍

38

Personal safety

Most customers are legitimate and polite, unfortunately you may have to dealwith customers who are out for trouble, that’s why it is important that youknow how to handle awkward situations without breaking the law.

The Portman Group in the UK have produced materials to help staff inlicensed premises deal with underage drinkers and intoxicated customers.

Below is a brief outline of some of the advice they give.

Refusing to serve underage drinkers and drunks

It is important that you stand your ground. By backing down, you could riskprosecution.

When refusing to serve someone

• Always be polite and calm

• Don’t antagonise by getting annoyed or aggressive

• If you shout, expect to be shouted at

• Be professional, apologise, tell the customer that you’d be putting yourlicence at risk if you serve them alcohol

• A refusal can embarrass a customer, so be tactful

• Never talk down to the person in question, especially if they are youngand in a group. It will make them feel small in front of others in the groupand can provoke violence. Instead, maintain a professional tone

• If faced with a group, move the person you’re talking to away fromthe rest. This lessons the chance of them playing to the crowd.

Dealing with aggression

People sometimes get aggressive without warning, you need to keep yourdistance and be aware of yours and others safety. When faced with aggressivecustomers

• Don’t respond to aggression with aggression, but try to stay calm

• Apologise, use relaxed body language and avoid prolonged eye contact,this signals that you do not want a fight, and slims down the chance ofa punch being thrown

• Use slow and deliberate body movements and try to keep somethingbetween you and the aggressor, this provides a barrier should violenceoccur

• Refuse to be drawn into an argument, saying sorry gives aggressorsa way out without losing face

• If they get physical don’t retaliate, but try and keep your distance

• If things get out of hand, call the Police.

Unit 1 Professional Responsibility Academic Year 2006 - 2007

39

Safe alcohol consumption

The drinks industry places increasing emphasis on the responsible appreciationof alcoholic beverages.

Responsibility begins with observance of the laws prohibiting the sale ofalcohol to young people.

Dangers exist in two principal ways. Mild intoxication can impair a person’sability to perform potentially dangerous tasks, such as driving a motor vehicleor operating factory machinery.

Regular excessive drinking can lead to permanent ill health, as well asbehavioural, emotional and financial problems.

Assessing Intake of Alcohol

In order to guard against these problems, consumers need to assess reliablyhow much alcohol they have taken. There is a simple relationship betweendifferent drinks in terms of the amount of alcohol they contain. In standardmeasures, each type of drink contains a similar amount of alcohol, known asone unit.

Drinking and Driving

The law is concerned with the alcohol level in the blood, measured inmilligrams per 100 millilitres (mg/100ml). The fact that it is dangerous to drivewith alcohol in the bloodstream is reinforced by legislation in many countries.

The amount of alcohol needed to reach this limit varies between individuals,so it is recommended that no alcohol is consumed if driving.

The Danger to Health

The accumulative effects of regular alcoholic consumption are difficult tochart precisely. Few would dispute however, the strong correlation betweenexcessive drinking and the onset of liver cirrhosis.

The UK Health Education Authority has advised that damage to health isalmost unknown in:

• Men who consume no more than 21 UK units (210ml) per week

• Women who consume no more than 14 UK units (140ml) per week

Regularly drinking moderate amounts is less harmful than drinking a largequantity at once. The UK Health Education Authority recommends limits of3 to 4 UK units daily for men and 2 to 3 for women.

The lower figure for women is because, in most women, a lower percentage oftheir body weight is made up of water.

Although excessive consumption of alcohol is likely to cause health problems,recent research has indicated that moderate consumption of alcohol can bebeneficial to health. For more information and an international perspective, seewww.drinkingand you.com

Unit 1 Professional Responsibility continuedAcademic Year 2006 - 2007

One UK Unit =10ml pure ethanol.

This is equivalent to

a half pint ofordinary beer or lager

at 3.5% abv.

or

a single 25ml measureof spirits (eg whisky,

gin, brandy)at 40% abv.

or

a 125ml glassof wine at 8% abv.

For more details andinternational guidelineson sensible drinking,

consult the AIM (Alcoholin Moderation) website

www.drinkingandyou.com

40

Food and Wine Matching

There are reasons why some foods work better than others with the food you’reeating. There are some basic principles that can be followed when matchingfood and wine which will help you make recommendations to customers.

Let’s look at the type of food being served. In general terms fish will need adifferent type of wine from say a chocolate pudding. White meat is usuallybetter with white wine than red, but you can’t make a choice of the type of wineto drink based on the main protein in the dish as other factors come into play.There is no single choice of wine which must be drunk with a certain dish, butsome are definitely better than others.

You will need to analyse the basic elements of taste in both the wine and food.The principle is to try and balance these elements so that neither the food northe wine overpower each other.

FOOD FLAVOURS AND TEXTURES

METHOD OF COOKINGThe way food has been cooked can mean that the same main ingredient willrequire a different style of wine.

If a food is cooked by a moist gentle method such as, steaming, poaching orboiling it will require a lighter bodied wine than a food that is barbecued, grilledor roasted which will require wines that are fuller and more robust in body asthe method of cooking adds flavours to food. Foods that have been cookedby quick frying methods such as pan fried, stir fried, or deep fried need lighterwines with good acidity, as the method of cooking increases the fat content. Aslow cooked dish that has been braised or stewed will be weightier and needfuller bodied wines as the flavours are intensified by the method of cooking.

SERVICE TEMPERATUREThe temperature at which the food is to be served can also be important whenchoosing wines. If a food is to be served cold it will need a lighter wine that canbe chilled. However, this does not mean white wines only – rosé wines and redwines that can be chilled such as a light fruity red like Beaujolais could be used

SEASONINGSThe stronger the flavours of the seasonings used in a dish the more flavour andbody the wine will require to balance with the food. Imagine that you havea dish of steamed breast of chicken. Served as it is would need a dry, light-bodied, fairly neutral wine. But if it seasoned with chilli and garlic or otherstrong seasonings, its character would change and you would need a fuller-flavoured and bodied wine to stand up to the seasoning. The neutral winewould seem bland if it were served.

ACCOMPANIMENTSYour food may be plainly cooked but could be accompanied by a full flavouredvegetable dish or garnish. If you think of a traditional Christmas lunch of roastturkey, the turkey is quite bland in flavour. It is the chestnut stuffing, the sprouts,etc. that are the strong flavours which will influence your choice of wine. Alwaysmatch to the strongest flavour on the plate, which in many cases is the saucethat accompanies the dish.

Unit 1 An Introduction to Food and Wine Matching Academic Year 2006 - 2007

41

KEY FLAVOURS IN FOOD

STRENGTH OF FLAVOURS

Strongly-flavoured foods need to be matched in strength by the concentrationand strength of flavours in wine. Strong-flavoured wild mushrooms will needa far more robust wine than pale commercial button mushrooms; a maturevintage Cheddar cheese is going need a richer, fuller-bodied wine than a freshcream cheese.

SOUR Dishes dominated by tart acidic flavours like lemon, lime or vinegar can bedifficult and require care when matching. Acidic foods require wines with highacidity; in the case of tomatoes which are naturally high in acidity, Italian winesare a good choice as the wines have been developed to match the cuisinewhich is dominated by the use of tomato.

SWEETSweetness in food can make a wine seem drier. Sweet wines should alwaysbe sweeter than the dessert they accompany. If you have a savoury dish whichis accompanied by a fruity or a sweet sauce it is important that the wine hasgood fruit to match.

SALTYSalty foods such olives, oysters and other shellfish go best with crisp, dry,light-bodied white wines such as Muscadet, Chablis and Fino sherry.

SPICYHot spices like chilli reduce the sweetness in wines and can make dry redwines seem more astringent. Spices can also accentuate the flavours of oak.

A good match for spicy food are wines that are made from really ripe juicy fruit,either unoaked or lightly oaked. Wines like New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc canwork well with spiced foods, as can ripe Chilean Merlot.

SMOKYSmoked foods need wines with enough character to cope with the strength ofthe smoking. Lightly smoked salmon is a classic partner for Brut Champagne,smoked meats like pork can benefit from some slight sweetness in wine likethat found in some German Rieslings, smoky barbecued flavours suitpowerful wines like Australian Shiraz.

Unit 1 An Introduction to Food and Wine Matching continuedAcademic Year 2006 - 2007

42

WINE FLAVOURS AND TEXTURES

Now we need to analyse the character of the wine.

WEIGHTA full-bodied wine needs rich heavy foods. Powerful reds are often the firstchoice for game and red meat casseroles, although the weight of the wine ismore important than the colour. A full-bodied white will be far better choicethan a light bodied red wine. Light bodied red or white wines will complementdelicate foods.

SWEETNESSDry wines will seem tart and sour when drunk with any food that has a degreeof sweetness. Sweet wines need foods that are similar or lighter in the degreeof sweetness. Rich sweet wines with good levels of acidity can also go wellwith rich oily food such as paté. A classic match is Sauternes with foie gras -both foods luscious but the acidity of the wine will help the wine stand up tothe fattiness of the food.

Sweetness in wine can balance saltiness in food, such as blue cheese - thinkof the classic combination of Port and Stilton cheese.

ACIDITYWines with crisp acidity are good with oily food as the richness of the foodlessens the perception of acidity in wine; too soft, and the wine will seemflabby. Wines with good acidity and body can help enhance dishes with creamas a component such as savoury cream sauces and cream-based desserts, ifthe wine has enough sweetness.

TANNINTannin in wine reacts with protein. Foods with high protein content, particularlyred meat, will soften the effect of the tannin on the palate. This is why winesfrom tannic grape varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah/Shiraz gowell with roast meat and stews.

Tannin in combination with oily fish can result in an unpleasant metallic taste,so the general recommendation is to avoid red wines with fish. However, lowtannin reds are fine with meaty fish such as tuna. High tannin wines can alsotaste bitter with salty foods, which can mean that the red wine from the maincourse will not always suit the cheeses later on.

FLAVOUR AND FRUIT CHARACTERThe flavour and fruit character of a wine can sometimes be matched with food.Grapey, floral characteristics like wine from the Muscat grape variety with fruit,spicy flavours like Gewurztraminer with spicy dishes, smoked food with oakedwines, the stronger the smoke the greater the oak. The stronger the flavour inthe wine, the more robust the flavour of the food.

Unit 1 An Introduction to Food and Wine Matching continued Academic Year 2006 - 2007

43

ActivityWINE TASTING EXERCISE

You should taste at least four styles of wines to see how they react with the foodslisted below.

In each box, write down how the food and wine reacted, what worked and whatclashed.

Give each wine a rating from 1 to 5

1 to be given for the best match, 5 for the worst match

Let’s recap some of the general rules to follow:

• Wine should compliment, not dominate the food

• Match the wine to the dominant flavour in a dish

• The stronger the flavours of the food the more intense the flavours in the wineshould be

• Full-flavoured food needs a full-bodied wine, light food needs a lighter wine

Remember - The aim is to help your customer enjoy the food and wine equally. Theserules above are guidelines to avoid disastrous combinations, but people’s tastes areso personal, if your customer orders a particular combination that may seem unusual,don’t be rigid, don’t tell them they are wrong, they may enjoy that particular pairing.

Unit 1 An Introduction to Food and Wine Matching continuedAcademic Year 2006 - 2007

Wine Dish 1 Dish 2 Dish 3 Dish 4 Dish 5

44

PORTFOLIO OF TASTING NOTES

What you need to do

By the time you have finished your training you will have tasted andcompleted tasting notes for a number of wines. For you to complete thissection you need to present to your assessor a file of tasting notes coveringa minimum number of wines. The list below shows how many you will needto taste.

You will present tasting notes for two of the following styles of wines:

• White

• Rosé

• Red

You will present tasting notes for three of the following styles of wines:

• Dry light bodied

• Dry medium bodied

• Dry full bodied

• Sweet

• Sparkling

• Fortified

You will present tasting notes for two white wines from the following grapevarieties:

• Chardonnay

• Sauvignon Blanc

• Riesling

You will present tasting notes for three red wines from the following grapevarieties:

• Cabernet Sauvignon

• Merlot

• Pinot Noir

• Syrah/Shiraz

Portfolio of Tasting Notes Academic Year 2006 - 2007

45Portfolio of Tasting NotesAcademic Year 2006 - 2007

You will need to fill in the tracking sheet to show which wines you have tasted.Below is an example of how to fill in your tracking sheet:

CO

LOU

R - 2

ST

YLE

- 3W

HIT

E - 2

RE

D - 3

Ref.

Assessed

Com

pleted

✓C

omp

leted ✓

Com

pleted

✓C

omp

leted ✓

Wine

Chab

lis

Claret

Australian S

hiraz

Chilean M

erlot

South A

fricanS

auvignon Blanc

Sauternes

Red

Rosé

White

Dry Light

Dry medium

Dry full

Sweet

Sparkling

Fortified

Chardonnay

Sauvignon Blanc

Riesling

CabernetSauvignon

Merlot

Pinot Noir

Syrah/Shiraz

✓

✓

✓✓

5 3 1426

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓✓

✓✓

✓✓

✓✓

46

Candidate’s name:

Assessor’s signature:

Date of assessment:


CO

LOU

R - 2

ST

YLE

- 3W

HIT

E - 2

RE

D - 3

Ref.

Assessed

Com

pleted

✓C

omp

leted ✓

Com

pleted

✓C

omp

leted ✓

Wine

Red

Rosé

White

Dry Light

Dry medium

Dry full

Sweet

Sparkling

Fortified

Chardonnay

Sauvignon Blanc

Riesling

CabernetSauvignon

Merlot

Pinot Noir

Syrah/Shiraz


Reference:

Wine Price

Colour

Condition

Sweetness

Body

FlavourCharacteristics

Other

Kangaroo Leap Oaked Chardonnay £9.95

White - deep lemon

Clean

Dry

Full-bodied

Fruity-tropical fruit, spicy-vanilla

Oaky s a m p l e

WSET® LEVEL 1 SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO TASTING

APPEARANCE

Copyright Wine & Spirit Education Trust 2005

The copyright in the “WSET® Level 1 Systematic Approach to Tasting” is the property of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, which alsoowns the moral rights therein. WSET is a Registered Trademark of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust.

The WSET® Level 1 Systematic Approach to Tasting may be reproduced freely without royalty or fee upon terms that:

i. it is reproduced in full, without alteration, omission or addition

ii. the title “WSET® Level 1 Systematic Approach to Tasting” is always included therewith

iii. the Wine & Spirit Education Trust is acknowledged as the author thereof

iv. the foregoing copyright claim is reproduced in full in connection with every publication thereof.

Colour red - rosé - white

Condition clean - faulty

Sweetness dry - medium - sweet

Body light - medium - full-bodied

Flavour fruity - floral - spicy - vegetalcharacteristics

Other acidity - tannin - oak

48

Reference:


Wine Price

Colour

Condition

Sweetness

Body

Fruit character

Other

Reference:

Wine Price

Colour

Condition

Sweetness

Body

Fruit character

Other


Reference:

Wine Price

Colour

Condition

Sweetness

Body

Fruit character

Other

Reference:

Wine Price

Colour

Condition

Sweetness

Body

Fruit character

Other

50 Portfolio of Tasting Notes Academic Year 2006 - 2007

Reference:

Wine Price

Colour

Condition

Sweetness

Body

Fruit character

Other

Reference:

Wine Price

Colour

Condition

Sweetness

Body

Fruit character

Other


Reference:

Wine Price

Colour

Condition

Sweetness

Body

Fruit character

Other

Reference:

Wine Price

Colour

Condition

Sweetness

Body

Fruit character

Other

56 The WSET® School Academic Year 2006 - 2007

Reference:

Wine Price

Colour

Condition

Sweetness

Body

Fruit character

Other

Reference:

Wine Price

Colour

Condition

Sweetness

Body

Fruit character

Other

Foundation Study Guide 06-07

Documents

Transcript of Foundation Study Guide 06-07