BLIND TASTING
BLIND TASTING, NOT BLIND GUESSING
by Diego Berea and Jorge Vila
Tasting wine, unlike simply drinking it, is an exercise in conscious attention that engages all the senses. To excel at it requires three things in equal measure: the ability to identify and define stimuli received through the senses; knowledge of viticulture, winemaking and the characteristics of different types of grape varieties and wines; and, last but not least, a methodology or tasting technique.
This book will focus on the latter aspect; the technique of tasting. Frustratingly, many individuals with a keen ability to perceive a wine’s characteristics and a high level of knowledge often do not succeed in tasting examinations. This shortcoming can be attributed to the fact that they rely too much on their abilities and knowledge whilst overlooking the importance of their tasting technique.
Various blind wine tasting frameworks have been published by renowned international organisations. This book focuses specifically on the Systematic Approach to Tasting (SAT) developed by the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and is primarily aimed at students aiming to achieve the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines. The majority of the content can also be applied to candidates for the previous level, the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines.
In summary, our goal is to help improve blind tasting skills, steering tasters away from mere blind guessing.
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ERRATA
Below are the errors identified in each edition of the book, along with their associated corrections.
Revision 1.02
- Page 151. Figure 40. Missing sweetness and alcohol levels; both are medium.
- Mineral aromas in white wines. It reinforces the idea that minerals are odourless and that what is considered mineral aromas are often associations or evocations rather than aromas themselves.
Revision 1.01
- Page 159. Figure 46. The varieties of “fruity unoxidised white port” are “malvasia fina, viosinho, gouveio, and rabigato” not “muscatel”.
Initial version
- Page 137: “Austria has not 3 sufficient representative varieties” is incorrect. There could be a flight with a Grüner Veltliner, a Riesling, and a Spätburgunder, among other possible combinations. What is improbable is a flight from a specific region within Austria.