Indian Valley Country Club

Introduction to Wine
Matt Couch

5/29/17
Outline
Basics
Tasting Wine
Where does wine grow?
White Wine Overview and Regions
Red Wine Overview and Regions
Pairing Wine with Food

5/29/17
Part 1 Vocabulary
WineThe fermented juice of grapes
FermentationThe process of converting

yeast and sugar into alcohol and CO2

NoseThe term used to describe the

bouquet and aroma of wine

LegsThe term used to describe the

viscosity of wine
VintageThe year a wine is produced

5/29/17
Part 1What is Wine?
Wine GrapesWhat are they?

5/29/17
Fermentation

I Love Lucy
wasnt too far
off about how
the process
starts

5/29/17
 Step 1--Crushing

The Old School New School

5/29/17
Step 2Primary Fermentation

5/29/17
 Step 3 Racking and
Secondary Fermentation

5/29/17
Step 4Testing and Inspection

5/29/17
Step 5Bottling

5/29/17
Other Concerns
Should wine be aged in the bottle?
What is tannin? Is it good or bad?
Why is there sulfur in my wine?
What can go wrong in the bottle?
What bearing does vintage have?

5/29/17
Part 2Tasting Wine

5/29/17
 Step 1--Color

What can
we tell
about the
color of a
wine?

5/29/17
 Step 2Swirl
Why do we
swirl wine?

What do we
mean by
legs?

5/29/17
 Step 3Smell

We taste with
our nose
more than our
mouth!

If there is a
problem, your
nose will tell
you.

5/29/17
Step 4Taste

Sweetness
Acidity
Bitterness
Tannin
Fruit/Veggie

Characteristics
Aftertaste

5/29/17
5/29/17
What makes a wine
good?

5/29/17
Where Does Wine Grow?

5/29/17
White Wine Basics

5/29/17
 The Big 3 White Grapes
Riesling

Sauvignon Blanc

Chardonnay

5/29/17
Riesling
Where does it grow best?
Germany, Alsace, New York State, Washington
State
Common aromas:
Sweet
Fruity
Lychee Nut

5/29/17
More about Riesling
Riesling is typically a varietal wine (not
blended).
Different regions impart very different styles

of the same wine

5/29/17
German Riesling
Top produced German variety of wine
produced
NEVER oaked. Very clean, crisp
Typically quite sweet
Preferred grape for German sparkling wine,

Deutscher Sekt

5/29/17
French Riesling
Grown predominantly in Alsace
Tend to have slightly higher alcohol content

(12%)
NOT sweet at all.
Soil in Alsace has more calcium than in

Germanytends to impart a more mineral

nose to the wine.

5/29/17
Sauvignon Blanc
Where does it grow best?
Bordeaux, Louire Valley, New Zealand, California
(Fume Blanc)
Common aromas:
Grapefruit
Grass, Herbs
Cat pee, Green Olive

5/29/17
 What wines are made from
Sauvignon Blanc?
Pouilly-Fume, Sancerre (Loire Valley)
Limestone in the Loire Valley imparts a chalky,
mineral component to the wine
White Bordeaux
This production is typically quite dry and is
blended with Semillon and Muscadelle
Fume Blanc (California)
Robert Mondavi introduced this style of Sav.
Blanc by oaking the wine. Today it may be
oaked or un-oaked, and is really just a different
name

5/29/17
Chardonnay
Where does it grow best?
Burgundy, Champagne, California, Australia
Common aromas:
Green apple, butter, citrus
Grapefruit, Melon, Oak
Pineapple, toast, vanilla

5/29/17
Chardonnay Continued
The grape itself is pretty neutral; it takes on
the characteristics of the terroir and the
winemakers process
Grows best in chalk, clay, and limestone

soils

5/29/17
 Other wines made from
Chardonnay
Chablis
In the U.S., generally a cheap, sweet white
In Chablis, it is a very dry, mineral-y craft wine
White Burgundy
Montrachet, Macconais, Pouilly-Fuisse
Champagne

5/29/17
Other white wines
Pinot Grigio
Gewurztraminer
Chenin Blanc
Sauternes
Moscato
Viogner
Semillon

5/29/17
Red Wine Basics

5/29/17
 Common Reds
(From Lightest to Fullest-Bodied)
Gamay and Pinot Noir

Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Merlot

Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon,

Syrah/Shiraz

5/29/17
Gamay and Pinot Noir
All are light-to-medium bodied reds
Beaujolais is on the sweeter side (but not

actually sweet) and can be served chilled

Pinot grows predominantly in France, but

also grows well in Oregon, California, South

Africa, New Zealand, and Australia

5/29/17
Gamay and Pinot Noir

To talk about these grapes, we need to

talk a little about Burgundy.
All wines from Burgundy are made from
Pinot Noir except Beaujolais, which is
100% Gamay
Burgundy wines are named for the
vineyard or region in which the grapes
are grown, but dont let that confuse you
its all Pinot Noir!

5/29/17
Where the heck is
Burgundy?

5/29/17
 Medium RedsMerlot
One of the primary wines grown in
Bordeaux, France
Typical Bordeaux includes 15% Merlot
One of the most popular varietal wines on

the market
Medium tannin, berries, light fruit
In warmer climates, it can be darker and

have tobacco and chocolate notes

5/29/17
 The Big Reds
Cabernet Sauvignon
Most popular red varietal
Heavy tannin, rich, full-bodied, higher

acidity
Typically oaked and ages well
Principal grape in Bordeaux wines
Used to make Super Tuscans (more on

that later), and as a blend in Italy

Grows very well in California

5/29/17
Pairing Wine With Food
Similarity
Similar flavour notes in food and wine

Simply grilled or broiled chicken or fish drizzled

with a little olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and
some chopped frehs herbs with a clean, fresh,
crisp, acidic wine with lemony and herbal aromas
A rich deep red wine and mushroom braised beef
with a rich, earthy, meaty wine.

5/29/17
Pairing Wine With Food
Contrast
Opposites can attract

A rich, salty, fungusy cheese matched to a sweet,

viscous wine
A buttery, unctious, rich foie gras with a sweet,
fragrant wine
High acid, dry, sparkling wine with smoky, salty
and oily food like smoked salmon or deep-fried
tempura

5/29/17
Pairing Wine With Food
Adjusting food to go with wine
Add salt to soften tannin
A squeeze of lemon to balance with an

acidic wine
Bridge ingredients with umami

Shaved Reggiano Parmigiano

Mushrooms
Dried tomatoes

5/29/17
Questions?

5/29/17