myra tasting manual final

8/17/2019 Myra Tasting Manual Final

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W I N E T A S T I N G M A N U A L


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POINTS TO KEEP IN MIND WHILE CONDUCTING A WINE TASTING

Before the tasting:• Be on time! Try to be at the venue at least half hour before the tasting.

• Make sure the wines are properly chilled, and that wine buckets, spittoons, and water jugs have been provided.

• Test the projector for focus and clarity of image.

• Limit the tasting to max. 5-6 wines per tasting.

• Open the reds beforehand in order to enable them to breathe.

• Open and taste all the wines to ensure none of them are corked.

• Keep 1 spittoon for every 4-6 persons.• Brief the waiting staff on the sequence of wines to be followed and the amount of wine they should pour into each glass.

Pre-Tasting Checklist:• Glasses

• Chiller Buckets

• Openers

• Spittoons

• Wine

• Brochures and Collaterals

• Bowl for Visiting Cards• Tasting Sheet

Chill the wine appropriately:• Myra Cabernet Sauvignon – 16 - 18°C

• Myra Shiraz – 16 - 18°C

• Myra Sauvignon Blanc – 10°C

• Myra Chenin Blanc – 10°C

• Reserve Shiraz – 16 - 18°C

• Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon – 16 - 18°C

• THB Sauvignon Blanc – 10°C

• THB Shiraz – 16 - 18°C

Open the bottles:Screw-cap - If it is a screw-capped bottle, twist the skirting below the cap, itself, to open. Once the seal breaks, simply unscrew the cap.

Tasting:• At the tasting, begin by giving the background of Myra vineyards and the process of making wine

• Before starting the tasting, inform the guests about the order of tasting: Whites, Rose followed by Reds.

• Keep 1 glass for each person. Rinse the glass only with the next wine when it is a dry wine after sweet wine or white after red.

• Show the guests the bottle and label before pouring at each table. Describe the wine before of fering it to the consumer to ensure they are okay with it.

• Pour only 50 ml per glass to ensure that the consumer can swirl the wine comfortably in the glass.

• 1 bottle = 16 people/pour.

• Serve the wines quickly one after the other to ensure that the audience stays attentive.


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During the tasting:• Display the wines being tasted so that people can see the brand.

• Talk about the price.• Ask the audience what flavours they can distinguish.

• Encourage the people to eat bread/crackers between two wines being tasted so that their palate is refreshed.

After the tasting• Ask for feedback so you know which wines were liked.

• This will help you gauge the audience.

Sequence of wines to be followed while tasting1. Dry whites

2. Medium dry whites3. Rose

4. Lighter reds

5. Robust reds

6. Sparkling (This can alternatively be a welcome drink as well)

7. Dessert wines

WINE TASTING SEQUENCE

I. SEE

The appearance of the wine gives you a good guess of the type of grape, the age of the wine and

whether the wine is bad. Assess the wine by tilting the glass of wine over a white background or

holding it up against the light.

HUE (Color) – Depends on vintage, varietal, age and style.

WHITE WINEPale Yellow – Chablis, German Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc.

Straw – Gewurz taminer, Chenin Blanc, Riesling.

Butter Yellow – Chardonnay, French Burgundy.

Golden Honey – Dessert wines, aged white wines

• The wine should be poured into a clear glass and held in front o f a white background.

• White wines are not actually white; they range from green to yellow to brown.

Pale yellow Straw Butter Yellow Golden Honey


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RED WINEInky Purple – Petite Sirah.

Deep Red – Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux wines, Merlot

Light Red – Pinot Noir, Burgundy

Purplish light Red – Beaujolais (Gamay)

• Red wines are not just red; they range from a pale red to a deep brown red, usually becoming lighter and more brown in colour as they age.

INTENSITY (DEPTH OF WINE)

• Useful for red wines, which will range from opaque to transparent. Older wines tend to be brownish on the wine’s edge in the glass.

CLARITY

• Clear or cloudy, if it is the latter, it’s probably spoiled.

II. SWIRL • Swirling the wine serves many purposes, but visually it allows you to observe the body of the wine.

• The “tears” or “legs” are the droplets of wine as they sheet down the glass.

• Swirling releases the esters that make up a wine’s aromas.

III. SNIFFSniffing the wine from the glass will release smells which can be described as Fruity, Dairy, Savory,

Nutty, Spicy,Mineral, Sugary, woody, floral, Herbal. Younger wines have a fruity bouquet whereas

older wines tend to have a savor y and spicy bouquet.

• Sniffing the wine from the glass will release smells which can be described as Fruity, Dairy, Savoury, Nutty, Spicy, Mineral, Sugary, Woody, Floral, Herbal.

• Younger wines have a fruity bouquet whereas older wines tend to have a savoury and spicy bouquet.

• Use terms that people can easily identify with. Avoid using foreign terms as much as possible.

Purpely light RedLight RedDeep RedInky Purple


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Cabernet Sauvignon: Cigar box, mint, black currant, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, olives, chocolate, cream.

Chardonnay: Pears, apples, pineapple, melon, lemons, vanilla, cloves, butter.

Gamay: Fresh strawberries, strawberry soda, cinnamon, cream.

Gewurztraminer: Rose, lychees.

Grenache: Earth, black pepper, plums, coffee, spice.

Merlot: Chocolate, violets, oranges, plum, black currant.

Pinot Noir: Wood smoke, damp earth, mushroom, strawberries, barnyard smell, sweet cream.

Riesling: Green apples, apricots, peaches, honey.

Sauvignon Blanc: Grapefruit, lemons, fresh herbs, cut grass, bell pepper, green chilli

Semillon: Grass, lemon, nuts, butter, toasts

Shiraz/Syrah: Black pepper, blackberry jam, blackberries, plums, spicy

Tempranillo: Earth, mushrooms, cedar

Viognier: Apricots, fresh flowers

Zinfandel: Raspberries, chocolate, black cherries, cloves, black pepperSpoiled: Vinegar, mould, rubber, kerosene, cabbage, sulphur, fish, soap, wet wool, nail polish, wet cardboard, corky, musty.

IV. SIP Take a good-sized sip and swirl it around your mouth to allow it to reach all parts of your palate. You

should be able to guess the varietal. Is it lush, full-bodied, medium-bodied, dry, sweet, acidic, flabby,

oaky? WELL-BALANCED?

A crisp, clean and lingering finish is a mark of a good wine. And don’t forget – ENJOY!

There are 6 different character istics you may want to classify your wine:

1. Flavour: Fresh, floral, fruity, spicy, earthy, smoky, buttery, nutty, corky, complex, musty, sulphury, yeasty.

2. Acidity: (For whites) – High acidity (Dry, crisp, sharp) to Mid acidity (Off-dry) – to low acidity (sweet, rounded)

3. Tannin (For reds) – High tannic (astringent bitter, dry) to low tannic (soft, easy to drink)

4. Body (Weight of wine in mouth) – full, medium or light

5. Oakiness (Presence of wood) – oak or unoaked

6. Finish (Aftertaste – taste of wine) – Long, medium or short


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TASTING NOTES

This medium to full-bodied, fruity wine is

marked by supple tannins and a good finish.

While excellent on its own, it also pairs very

well with creamy pastas or Indian gravy

dishes, and hard cheese is an exceptionally

compatible companion.

Recommended serving temperature:

16 – 18º C

This medium-bodied, fruit-driven wine has supple

tannins and a good finish. While wonderful by

itself and paired with grilled foods and hard

cheeses, it also lends itself to experimentation.


16 – 18º C

Crisp and light to medium-bodied, this wine

features tropical notes and typical varietal

herbaceous characteristics. Great as an

aperitif or with salads and lighter styled fare,

it is also perfectly open to your interpre tation.


10º C

This light-bodied, crisp wine is infused with

tropical fruit characteristics. This makes it

excellent as an aperitif or paired with South East

Asian and Chinese cuis ines. However, do feel

free to experiment with this versatile wine.


10°C


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TASTING NOTES

– A WINE TO SPICE THINGS UP

This vivacious purple-red wine is hearty and

spicy, infused with wild black-fruit aromas and

flavours and round smooth tannins. It’s a fab

accompaniment for all kinds of of medium-

spicy Indian food.


16 – 18º C

SHIRAZ– A WINE FOR TAKING IT EASY

This easy-going semi-dry straw-yellow wine has

a light medium body, playful hints of herbaceous

and a round taste. It goes great with all kinds of

medium-spicy food, and especially well with

lightly flavoured Asian fare.

Recommended serving temperature: 10º C

This elegant purple-red wine has been raised

to maturity in fine oak barrels. Created from

hand-selected grapes, its medium-bodied

palate has a soft finesse-filled tannin

structure. Its gentle oak and vanilla nose and

palate makes it a perfect complement forgrilled meats and seafood, and medium-spicy

Indian food.


16 – 18º C

This lovely, deep red wine has come of age in

fine oak barrels. Crafted with hand-selected

grapes, it is medium-bodied and infused with rich

currant flavours. It is best paired with simpleflavours, lamb, tandoori preparations and

mildly-spiced curries.


16 – 18º C

SAUVIGNONBLANC

Shiraz CabernetSauvignon


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WORDS TO DESCRIBE WINES

Included here are some general words that can be used to describe wines. These descriptions are in addition to the ones above under the nose and taste of

the wines.

1. Astringent: a mouth drying feeling caused by tannins.

2. Balanced: Whereby all elements like acid, alcohol, flavours, texture is in pleasing proportions.

3. Clean: Fresh, without defects.

4. Deep/Depth: Complexity in flavours that requires more attention.

5. Easy: Drinks smoothly without much complexity.

6. Heady: Alcohol content is out of proportion.

7. Hollow: Lacking a satisfying middle flavour.

8. Length: The finish (aftertaste) of the wine.

9. Robust: Good body, vigorous and firm.

10. Structure: The overall a rchitecture of the f lavour. Important for good wines.

11. Supple: Used for younger wines that can further improve with maturity.

PRONOUNCING YOUR WINES

Pronouncing some wine names or terms can often prove to be a difficult task for most of the non-native wine lovers. People get turned off by some wines

simply because they are unable to read the names on the label. No fear, help is on the way!

1. Alsace al zass

2. Anjou Ahn jew

3. Appellation Controlee AH pehl lah see on koh troh layl

4. Beaujolais boh jhoe lay

5. Chablis shaa blee

6. Chardonnay shah dor nay

7. Chateau shah toe

8. Chenin Blanc Shen in blahnk

9. Chianti key AHN tee

10. Cuvee koo vay

11. Gewurztraminer gah VERTZ trah mee ner

12. Lafite-Rothschildv lah feet roth shield

13. Leoville- Barton lay-oh-veel bahr-ton

14. Mercurey mair coo ray

15. Mouton-Rothchild maa toh roth sheeld

16. Muscat Moos caht

17. Petrus Peh troos

18. Pinot Blanc pee noh blahnk

19. Riesling REESE ling

20. Sangiovese san joe VAY say

21. Sauvignon Blanc saw vee nyon blahnk 22. Semillon Sem eh lon

23. Tempranillo tem prah NEE yoh

24. Terroir ter wah

25. Syrah see rah


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PAIRING NOTES

Wine and food pairing:Pairing is not an exact science. It is simply the decision of which wine will bring out the best in a given food, and which food will bring out the best in a given wine.

If forced to choose just one wine to match with a variety of different dishes, a rose might fit the bill nicely. Otherwise a medium bodied, medium dry white is

probably the safest choice in India.

Champagne and sparkling wines can be drunk throughout a meal. Can be drunk as an aperitif as well as with dessert.

The main rule is “PAIR LIKE WITH LIKE”. For example, if the dish is slightly sweet then pair with Chenin. If it has green chilly and coriander, pair with

Sauvignon.

Some conventional guidelines:FISH - dry or medium whites.

POULTRY - pinot noir and mature Cabernet Sauvignon are delicious with roast chicken or turkey.

GAME AND RED MEAT - the classic combination is with full, mature, red wines of high quality- Burgundy, Bordeaux, Chateauneuf-du-pape or a new-world

equivalent.

LAMB - a fairly firm, robust red with some acidity, like Chianti, Rioja or Zinfandel.

CHINESE FOOD - spicy whites such as gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc or o ff dry Riesling.

INDIAN OR OTHER SPICY FOOD - very cold, semi-sweet whites.

CHEESE - there are many good cheese and wine matches- mature cheddar and mature red wine, port with stilton, goats’ cheese with Sauvignon Blanc,

sweet wine with creamy cheeses are all classic pairings.

DESSERT - the best sweet white wines are perfect partners for most desserts.

GENERAL GUIDELINES

Proper serving of wine:PROPER SERVING of wine is important for the enjoyment of the wine. It would be most tragic if an excellent bottle of aged wine is served at the wrong

temperate or with the wrong glasses. Following some of the simple rules stated below can help you impress your friends especially when you have a wine

buff among them who will settle for nothing less than a perfect glass of wine.

A. The right temperatureNot all wines should be served at the same temperature. Depending on the body and the flavour of the wine, one should vary the temperature as recom-

mended in the chart below. The thumb rule it to put the wine in the fridge two hours before serving. Take it out and let it stand for 30 minutes or less,

depending on the room temperature, Alternative, a quicker way is to chill the wine in a bucket of ice and water for 5 to 10 minutes. Many red wines might

recommend being drunk at “room temperature”. However, it is wise to know that our room temperature is often not the room temperature where the wine is

produced or labelled. Hence, a little chilling is often necessary.

Full Bodied Red Wine- Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz 15-20°C (59-68° F)

Light Bodied Red Wine- Beaujolais, Pinot Noir, Red Burgundy 12-15°C (54-59° F)

Dry White Wines. Chardonnay, Burgundy, Sauvignon 8-12° C (50- 54° F)

Light Sweet Wine- Dessert wines, Champagne and other sparkling wines. 5-10°C (41-50° F)

B. Uncorking the wine:Don’t make the embarrassing mistake of boasting about a great wine that you are opening and use an improper wine screw that leaves half the cork in the

bottle. The best brand in the market for corkscrews is probably Screw Pull but many other imitations have since hit the market.

The “waiter’s friend” or “butler’s friend” are next best alternatives.


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The three main types of wine glasses are:

White wine glasses: tulipshaped

Red wine glasses: more rounded with a larger bowl

Sparkling wine flutes: tall and thin.

A suitable all-purpose wine glass should hold 10 oz, be transparent to allow the

taster to examine the colour o f the wine and its body, and have a slight curve in

at the top to hold in the bouquet. While an all-purpose wine glass is fine for

serving a red wine, do not serve a white wine in a red wine glass.

HEALTH AND WINEThere are few passions in life that a re both enjoyable and beneficial to health a t the same time. While there were initial claims that the benefits of wine were

folklore created by wine makers to propagate wine drinking, increasing researches by many reputable research centres have concluded that it is indeed no

folklore. In fact, they discovered many other benefits of wine as well! Here are some of them.

Heart disease – Wine helps reduce the risk of cardiac diseases including angina and stroke. It helps in two ways. Red wines have HDL (a good cholesterol)

that drive the bad cholesterol from the arteries. Red wine also contains an antifungal compound called Resveratrol that can lower serum cholesterol.

Digestion – Wine stimulates flow of gastric juices to enhance the digestive processes. It has also shown that wine kill cholera bacteria and can combat typhoid.

Vitamins and Minerals – Wine contains utilisable minerals of potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorous, Vitamin B and P.

Aging – Elderly people who drink moderate amounts are less prone to disability and mental illness. Some attribute it to the mineral boron which helps older

women to maintain their oestrogen which in turn enables them to absorb calcium.

Cancer – Red wine contains a strong anti-cancer agent known as quercetin which becomes active in the body when the grape juice ferments or the body

digest food. Wine also contains gallic acid, an acknowledged anti-carcinogenic.

Stress – wine is a mild tranquiliser that can help reduce stress, which in turn can help prevent certain forms of cancers.To conclude, wine is certainly beneficial to health but as with all good things, it should be enjoyed in moderation. Too much of wine can still intoxicate your

body and the negative effects of excessive alcohol will overwhelm the positive effects of wine.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSHere is a collection of the most commonly asked questions or FAQ concerning wine apprecia tion or knowledge.

Q1: Do all wines improve with age?

A1: No. Most wines (more than 90%) should be consumed shortly after they are released. Red wines usually age better than whi te wines.

Q2: What is the sediment in the wine?

A2: Many f ine wines, especially the older red wines have sediment or deposit in the bottle. This sediment is nothing more than the result of the wine’s

development and hopefully, improvement. It is not only normal but desirable for the wines. To remove, decant the wine.

Q3: What is the “dome” in the base of a wine bottle ca lled? What is the purpose?

A3: The “dome” is technically known as the “punt”. Some of the many va lid reasons include, allowing sediments to collect around the punt, allowing pourer to

hold the bottle from the bottom with the thumb in the punt and greater strength and stability of punted vs flat bottom. Nowadays, it is used out of tradition

because a punted bottle is equated with a higher quality.

Q4: Why does the waiter in a good restaurant give you the cork of the wine to examine?

A4: Some reasons that have been going around are – it ’s for you to smell it, it’s for you to make sure what they opened is what you ordered or even, for youto keep as a souvenir. The most acceptable answer is that you can make sure the cork is still in one good piece and not ro tten or broken. If it is so, chances

are the wine will be affected by the cork.

Tulip champagne

{ 8 oz }

Flute

{ 7 oz }

Rhine

{ 6 oz }


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Q5: Do I serve my red wine at “room temperature”?

A5: Unless your “room temperature” is around 15-20 °C, you’ll need to chil l your wine. The easiest way is to keep it in the f ridge for half an hour and take it

out half an hour before serving. A short dip in the ice bucket would do as well.

Wine tasting manual:Q6: Why do people decant their wines?

A6: Decanting, which is to transfer the wine from a bottle to another container, is done for the purpose o f aera ting the wine or to remove sediments from the

wine. Aerating a wine is sometimes necessary to allow off-odours to escape from an older wine or to soften the harshness of young wines.

Q7: What wine goes best with curry chicken?

A7: Sauvignon Blanc goes well wi th curries having green chillies and coconut

Q8: Why is using a crystal glass for tasting better?

A8: Generally, the thinner the rim of the g lass, the better the wine will taste. Due to i ts stronger structure, crystal s temware can be made thinner than glass

and hence contribute to the overall taste.

Q9: What is the “New World”?

A9: This is a collective term for those winemaking countr ies of the world tha t are situated outs ide Europe l ike US, Australia, Chi le, South Afr ica etc. “Old

World” wines used to be more subdued and understated in their flavours vs. the “New World” wines but this is a changing trend.

Q10: Is Champagne a type of wine?

A10: Yes, Champagne is made from a blend of red and/or whi te grapes and undergoes two fermentations to obta in its bubbles. After the fir st fermentat ion

(similar to wine), sugar and yeast is added to the bottle itself to ferment again and the sugar is converted into equal parts of alcohol and carbon dioxide gas.

The gas is absorbed into the wine, causing bubbles. This is how a Champagne or “Methode Champenoise” wine is made.

Q11: What does Doux on a Champagne label mean?

A11: This term is used to describe the residual sugar or sweetness of Champagnes.

Brut - Very dry | Extra sec – Dry | Sec – Off-dry | Demi-sec – Sweet | Doux – Sweeter

WINE QUOTES Anything that is exquisite would have its share of human philosophy and wine is certainly no exception. Included here are a collection of ‘quotable quotes’ on wine:

1. ‘God in His goodness sent the grapes,

To cheer both great and small;

Little fools will drink too much,

And great foo ls not at all .’ -- Anonymous

2. A bottle of wine contains more philosophy than all the books in the world -- Louis Pasteur.

3. The world needs water. For every bottle of wine you drink you tribute to conserving the drinking water reserves -- Paul Emil Victor (polar-explorer)

4. Be careful to trust a person, who does not like wine. -- Karl Marx

5. If a life of wine, women and song get too much, give up the singing -- Anonymous

6. Wine improves with age. The older I get, the better I like it. -- Anonymous

7. Beer is made by men, wine by God! -- Martin Luther

8. Wine is a little like love. When the right one comes along, you know it! -- Bolla Wines

9. [Making wine] is like having children; you love them all, but boy, are they different. -- Bunny Finkelstein

10. Wine is like sex in that few men will admit not knowing all about it! -- Hugh Johnson.


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myra tasting manual final

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