Cata de vinos - El arte al evaluar un vino.
Definición
La cata es el acto por el cual, según ciertas normas y reglas, se procede al análisis sensorial de los vinos. La misma puede ser :
La cata se realiza en tres fases:
La cata de un vino es mas un arte que una ciencia, puesto que exige una sensibilidad y sutilidad en el lenguaje que transmita de manera excitante una impresión fugaz. Actualmente existen maquinas que confirman las apreciaciones poéticas que realizan los buenos catadores. Estas maquinas pueden encontrarse en las mejores bodegas y permiten o ayudan a detectar gran cantidad de compuestos presentes en los vinos.
La técnica de la cata es fácil de aprender, pero es difícil dominar su arte. Los instrumentos típicos necesarios para una cata son:
Análisis visual
Al descorchar una botella lo primero a analizar es su corcho. Este debe estar ligeramente humedecido por el vino, esto demuestra que la botella se ha guardado siempre inclinada. Al presionar el corcho se debe comprobar su flexibilidad, su aroma y confirmar que solo huele a corcho ligeramente envinado. Cuando el corcho presenta olores fuertes y extraños, puede haber contaminación en el vino. Ante esta sospecha, se debe servir un poco de vino en la copa y comprobar su olor. Si esto no alcanza, se prueba el vino en boca y si no resulta agradable se escupe. Se debe rechazar cualquier botella que tenga el corcho estropeado.
Ya comprobado que el corcho esta en buen estado, se sirve el vino en una copa hasta aproximadamente un tercio de su capacidad. Se agita suavemente y se coloca la copa delante de la luz. Se ve así, si esta limpio, sin sedimentos y aquí es donde se decide si conviene decantar el vino o servirlo directamente.
Al mismo tiempo se vera su brillo, si refleja frente a la luz de manera viva y alegre. Si fuese mate y apagado, mostrara defectos. Si se inclina la copa hacia adelante sobre el mantel blanco, se podrá apreciar la intensidad del color y el matiz del vino.
Los vinos blancos con reflejos verdes o sutilmente dorados son vinos jóvenes, y los que tienen reflejos intensamente dorados o ámbar son viejos (han sido criados en madera o han sido mal conservados).
Los tintos jóvenes son de color violáceo, y a medida que envejecen adquieren tonos cobrizos.
Al agitar la copa nuevamente y con suavidad se comprueba, a trasluz, como se forman las lágrimas del vino. Los vinos ricos en glicerina y los de alto contenido alcohólico derraman lágrimas en la copa.
Cuando se evalúan vinos espumosos, se observa que un buen vino debe tener burbujas diminutas, vivas y de incesante formación. Esta cualidad suele ser una promesa de otras cualidades. Las burbujas suben verticalmente formando un interminable rosario espumoso.
Análisis de los aromas
Esta es la fase mas importante y decisiva de la cata, para comenzar se aproxima la nariz a la copa para comprobar de manera global que no hay aromas desagradables en el vino. No deben detectar olores avinagrados, azufres, ajo, caucho o papel. Por esto, es muy importante vigilar la limpieza de la cristalería que se usa en la cata y secarla al aire, para no confundir los aromas.
Al remover la copa y sosteniéndola por su pie, los aromas del vino se airean, y es este el momento de acercar la nariz intentando reconocer los olores del vino. Los mejores vinos son siempre aromáticos y complejos, y se van abriendo, expanden o aparecen en la copa, haciéndose más expresivos a medida que hacen contacto con el aire.
La primera sensación notable, y la más fácil de explicar es la intensidad aromática. Según la potencia se calificara el vino por su intensidad desde débil hasta desarrollada, pasando por otros adjetivos como neutra, insípida, discreta, cerrada, aromática, abierta, expresiva, fuerte o intensa.
El paso siguiente es observar la limpieza aromática, es decir su nitidez desde la ausencia de defectos.
Una noción más subjetiva que requiere experiencia es observar la armonía de los olores: el vino será desagradable o complejo, pasando por común, simple, fino, severo, elegante, refinado, armonioso y con clase.
Para el final, se realiza el ejercicio más espectacular: la identificación de los matices aromáticos.
Se suele proceder identificando un olor: la frambuesa, la vainilla, la rosa u otros. En esta etapa, se utiliza algún término instantáneo que describa el aroma sin mucha reflexión. Pero cuando no se identifica un aroma preciso se observaran impresiones agrupándolas por familias aromáticas.
Para distinguir los aromas se clasifican las diferentes gamas:
Una vez la copa esta vacía, la historia aromática no se detiene. Aun hasta la última gota del fondo de la copa dirá alguna cosa.
Análisis de las sensaciones en la boca
Después de analizar los aromas se procede a degustar el vino en boca, para ello se debe beber lentamente una pequeña cantidad de vino. Un buche medido para mantenerlo y removerlo en la boca durante unos segundos. El primer contacto del vino se nota en los labios y en la punta de la lengua.
Lo más conveniente suele ser utilizar un termómetro para medir la temperatura del vino en la copa, y así memorizar las sensaciones en las diferentes temperaturas. Típicamente se utilizan 10ºC para los blancos, 11ºC para los rosados, y 16ºC para los tintos.
Siempre que los vinos estén calientes se los debe enfriar, y si están a menos de 6ºC no se los debe catar ya que sus aromas serán imperceptibles.
Para saborear el vino se debe pasar una y otra vez por la lengua, apretándolo contra el paladar, para buscar las sensaciones dulces en la punta de la lengua. La menor o mayor graduación alcohólica, se percibe en boca también, porque el alcohol produce una sensación calida y dulce.
Luego se buscan solo las sensaciones ácidas y amargas, los ácidos se notan en los laterales de la lengua, y los amargos en la parte posterior. Esos sabores amargos se deben a los taninos, donde en el caso de los vinos tintos, los taninos ponen la lengua rasposa y los labios tirantes.
Cuando el vino se calienta en la boca se comienzan a apreciar mas los aromas, ya que la boca y la nariz están íntimamente ligadas.
Por ultimo se traga y todos los aromas y sensaciones persisten en la boca después de ingerido, esa mayor o menor persistencia en boca es la que permitirá distinguirlos.
La cata es el acto por el cual, según ciertas normas y reglas, se procede al análisis sensorial de los vinos. La misma puede ser :
La cata se realiza en tres fases:
La cata de un vino es mas un arte que una ciencia, puesto que exige una sensibilidad y sutilidad en el lenguaje que transmita de manera excitante una impresión fugaz. Actualmente existen maquinas que confirman las apreciaciones poéticas que realizan los buenos catadores. Estas maquinas pueden encontrarse en las mejores bodegas y permiten o ayudan a detectar gran cantidad de compuestos presentes en los vinos.
La técnica de la cata es fácil de aprender, pero es difícil dominar su arte. Los instrumentos típicos necesarios para una cata son:
Análisis visual
Al descorchar una botella lo primero a analizar es su corcho. Este debe estar ligeramente humedecido por el vino, esto demuestra que la botella se ha guardado siempre inclinada. Al presionar el corcho se debe comprobar su flexibilidad, su aroma y confirmar que solo huele a corcho ligeramente envinado. Cuando el corcho presenta olores fuertes y extraños, puede haber contaminación en el vino. Ante esta sospecha, se debe servir un poco de vino en la copa y comprobar su olor. Si esto no alcanza, se prueba el vino en boca y si no resulta agradable se escupe. Se debe rechazar cualquier botella que tenga el corcho estropeado.
Ya comprobado que el corcho esta en buen estado, se sirve el vino en una copa hasta aproximadamente un tercio de su capacidad. Se agita suavemente y se coloca la copa delante de la luz. Se ve así, si esta limpio, sin sedimentos y aquí es donde se decide si conviene decantar el vino o servirlo directamente.
Al mismo tiempo se vera su brillo, si refleja frente a la luz de manera viva y alegre. Si fuese mate y apagado, mostrara defectos. Si se inclina la copa hacia adelante sobre el mantel blanco, se podrá apreciar la intensidad del color y el matiz del vino.
Los vinos blancos con reflejos verdes o sutilmente dorados son vinos jóvenes, y los que tienen reflejos intensamente dorados o ámbar son viejos (han sido criados en madera o han sido mal conservados).
Los tintos jóvenes son de color violáceo, y a medida que envejecen adquieren tonos cobrizos.
Al agitar la copa nuevamente y con suavidad se comprueba, a trasluz, como se forman las lágrimas del vino. Los vinos ricos en glicerina y los de alto contenido alcohólico derraman lágrimas en la copa.
Cuando se evalúan vinos espumosos, se observa que un buen vino debe tener burbujas diminutas, vivas y de incesante formación. Esta cualidad suele ser una promesa de otras cualidades. Las burbujas suben verticalmente formando un interminable rosario espumoso.
Análisis de los aromas
Esta es la fase mas importante y decisiva de la cata, para comenzar se aproxima la nariz a la copa para comprobar de manera global que no hay aromas desagradables en el vino. No deben detectar olores avinagrados, azufres, ajo, caucho o papel. Por esto, es muy importante vigilar la limpieza de la cristalería que se usa en la cata y secarla al aire, para no confundir los aromas.
Al remover la copa y sosteniéndola por su pie, los aromas del vino se airean, y es este el momento de acercar la nariz intentando reconocer los olores del vino. Los mejores vinos son siempre aromáticos y complejos, y se van abriendo, expanden o aparecen en la copa, haciéndose más expresivos a medida que hacen contacto con el aire.
La primera sensación notable, y la más fácil de explicar es la intensidad aromática. Según la potencia se calificara el vino por su intensidad desde débil hasta desarrollada, pasando por otros adjetivos como neutra, insípida, discreta, cerrada, aromática, abierta, expresiva, fuerte o intensa.
El paso siguiente es observar la limpieza aromática, es decir su nitidez desde la ausencia de defectos.
Una noción más subjetiva que requiere experiencia es observar la armonía de los olores: el vino será desagradable o complejo, pasando por común, simple, fino, severo, elegante, refinado, armonioso y con clase.
Para el final, se realiza el ejercicio más espectacular: la identificación de los matices aromáticos.
Se suele proceder identificando un olor: la frambuesa, la vainilla, la rosa u otros. En esta etapa, se utiliza algún término instantáneo que describa el aroma sin mucha reflexión. Pero cuando no se identifica un aroma preciso se observaran impresiones agrupándolas por familias aromáticas.
Para distinguir los aromas se clasifican las diferentes gamas:
Una vez la copa esta vacía, la historia aromática no se detiene. Aun hasta la última gota del fondo de la copa dirá alguna cosa.
Análisis de las sensaciones en la boca
Después de analizar los aromas se procede a degustar el vino en boca, para ello se debe beber lentamente una pequeña cantidad de vino. Un buche medido para mantenerlo y removerlo en la boca durante unos segundos. El primer contacto del vino se nota en los labios y en la punta de la lengua.
Lo más conveniente suele ser utilizar un termómetro para medir la temperatura del vino en la copa, y así memorizar las sensaciones en las diferentes temperaturas. Típicamente se utilizan 10ºC para los blancos, 11ºC para los rosados, y 16ºC para los tintos.
Siempre que los vinos estén calientes se los debe enfriar, y si están a menos de 6ºC no se los debe catar ya que sus aromas serán imperceptibles.
Para saborear el vino se debe pasar una y otra vez por la lengua, apretándolo contra el paladar, para buscar las sensaciones dulces en la punta de la lengua. La menor o mayor graduación alcohólica, se percibe en boca también, porque el alcohol produce una sensación calida y dulce.
Luego se buscan solo las sensaciones ácidas y amargas, los ácidos se notan en los laterales de la lengua, y los amargos en la parte posterior. Esos sabores amargos se deben a los taninos, donde en el caso de los vinos tintos, los taninos ponen la lengua rasposa y los labios tirantes.
Cuando el vino se calienta en la boca se comienzan a apreciar mas los aromas, ya que la boca y la nariz están íntimamente ligadas.
Por ultimo se traga y todos los aromas y sensaciones persisten en la boca después de ingerido, esa mayor o menor persistencia en boca es la que permitirá distinguirlos.
How to become a Wine Connoisseur.
If you're an oenophile (a lover of wine), you're probably wondering what's keeping you from becoming a true connoisseur. Luckily, you don't have to be a wine-maker or have a basement cellar in order to appreciate fine wine. With a notebook and a few bottles handy, you'll be well on your way.
Building Your Wine Know-How
Drink wine with the 4 S's in mind. Even if you don't know much about wine, you probably know that there's a certain way you're supposed to drink it. Truly, you can drink it however you want – but to get the most out of its aroma and taste, a legitimate art has been formed. Here are the basics in four steps:
Know your tannins and terroir. Oenophiles and connoisseurs will throw around the term "tannin." This is a textural element of wine that makes it "dry." Try a very "dry" wine, and you'll get the sense for what this word means (obviously any liquid isn't actually dry). Tannins are naturally occurring in grapes (and bark and wood and leaves, actually) and they add a bitterness, astringency, and complexity to a wine's flavor. For the record, this applies mostly to red wines.
Get your temperatures right. Each type of wine should be served at a slightly different temperature for its best taste to surface. Here's what you should know before you throw that wine-tasting gala and invite all your friends over to your house:
Use the right glass. Each type of wine does best in a certain size and shape of glass to open up their aroma to the fullest. To do your wine justice, put it in the right glass:
Know how to hold the glass, too. You will never be mistaken for a wine connoisseur if you're holding your glass incorrectly. To look like an expert, holding and swilling wine like it's your job, make sure to hold the glass by its stem. This goes double for white wines that are chilled – you don't want the heat of your hands warming the bowl, altering the taste.
Familiarize yourself with how to describe a wine's aroma. Being a wine connoisseur is mainly about being able to describe what you're tasting and recognize what's happening on your palette. To get at a wine's aroma, there are generally five categories: fruity, mineral, dairy and nutty, sweet and wooden, and spicy and savory. Here's what "flavors" fall under each:
Cultivating a Taste
Go to a wine shop and ask the staff for recommendations. Look for bottles of wine with write-ups near them, award citations and high magazine ratings. Try to go when you know the store is holding a tasting with samples – for many, this is on Saturday mornings. Pick the staff's brains – what are their favorites and why?
Attend a local wine tasting or a wine appreciation class. These are held at adult schools, wine-making schools, wineries, and fine restaurants. Don't feel intimidated – many people who think they can distinguish between a $2 bottle of dirt and a nice vintage often can't.
Join a wine group. Wine is trendy. There are wine bars, wine stores, wine newsletters, and even wine podcasts. Finding a group of wine-lovers in your area is probably much easier than you think it is. Finding like-minded people who have connections and know what's going on in the area is the first step to developing your expertise.
Have an informal tasting at home, a friend's house, or a BYOB restaurant where each person brings a different bottle of wine. This way you can taste a bunch of different things without spending a lot of money. And, not to mention, you get a great deal of wine experience (and wine!).
Developing Your Palette
Start exploring wine varieties. Many people start with a fruity white white that is subtle in flavor and some happen to stop there. You probably have a couple of wines that you know are safe – so start branching out! Move onto rose wines, and start busting into reds with a vengeance. Even if you don't like it, now you know if you like it or not.
Find your "Aha!" wine. Plenty of people spend years in the realm of, "Oh, I don't really care for robust reds," or "Moscato is just too sweet," and their expertise and understanding stops there. And then bam – an "aha" wine hits. It's that wine where you can actually taste the cedar, or the smoke, or the chocolate. All of a sudden, you get it. And how do you find your "aha" wine? Trial and error.
Start researching. Now that you've got your feet wet, start going outside of your own circle for information. Read books and blogs on wine. Try The New Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia by Tom Stevenson or wineeducation.com, where you can even take quizzes on your growing wine knowledge. Purchase wine guides. Subscribe to wine magazines. The possibilities are almost endless.
Get bolder and bolder. So you've got the taste of a Pinot Grigio down. You know the difference between a good Merlot and a good Cabernet. But there's so much more to it than that. You've done the basics, so let's get bold. Here's a few to try:
Becoming a True Connoisseur
Start widening your "wine-describing" vocabulary. The difference between someone who loves wine and someone who is a wine connoisseur is largely the fact that they can confidently talk about it to others (and accurately, to boot). Here's a few goals to hit when describing your next few glasses:
Try sparkling wines, ice wines and dessert wines. You've gone bold, now let's go a bit off the main path: try other wines, like sparkling, dessert, and ice wines (ice wines are made from grapes that have experienced a frost). They're not the wines you'll be experiencing with a main course at a 5-star restaurant, but they're important nonetheless.
Learn about different grape varieties. Traditionally fine wine was made from mainly French grape varieties, but now a much wider range of grape varieties are being used. Wineries are popping up all over the place, and the "terroir" of your average grape is changing. How do you feel about each region and variety?
Go back to the basics. Now that you're a world traveler when it comes to wine, go back to the very first wines you tried. There will be such difference you'll wonder who the person was that tasted it originally, or how it's possible the wine has completely morphed – but it's undeniable that it has. Take that basic Chardonnay that's been sitting in your cupboard and take a sip, basking in your progress.
Look for a wine school in your area. Most host courses or tastings, offering you some sort of "certificate" or "accreditation" upon finishing. Local adult schools and restaurants also hold wine appreciation classes. When people ask if you know wine, you can mention that you've even studied it.
Take the Court of Masters test. In America, to be a master sommelier, you need to take the Court of Masters test. There's a course you can take (you have to apply), though you can take the test without taking the course. This is as high as you can get in the wine world – and it comes with quite the badge of respect.
Building Your Wine Know-How
Drink wine with the 4 S's in mind. Even if you don't know much about wine, you probably know that there's a certain way you're supposed to drink it. Truly, you can drink it however you want – but to get the most out of its aroma and taste, a legitimate art has been formed. Here are the basics in four steps:
Know your tannins and terroir. Oenophiles and connoisseurs will throw around the term "tannin." This is a textural element of wine that makes it "dry." Try a very "dry" wine, and you'll get the sense for what this word means (obviously any liquid isn't actually dry). Tannins are naturally occurring in grapes (and bark and wood and leaves, actually) and they add a bitterness, astringency, and complexity to a wine's flavor. For the record, this applies mostly to red wines.
Get your temperatures right. Each type of wine should be served at a slightly different temperature for its best taste to surface. Here's what you should know before you throw that wine-tasting gala and invite all your friends over to your house:
Use the right glass. Each type of wine does best in a certain size and shape of glass to open up their aroma to the fullest. To do your wine justice, put it in the right glass:
Know how to hold the glass, too. You will never be mistaken for a wine connoisseur if you're holding your glass incorrectly. To look like an expert, holding and swilling wine like it's your job, make sure to hold the glass by its stem. This goes double for white wines that are chilled – you don't want the heat of your hands warming the bowl, altering the taste.
Familiarize yourself with how to describe a wine's aroma. Being a wine connoisseur is mainly about being able to describe what you're tasting and recognize what's happening on your palette. To get at a wine's aroma, there are generally five categories: fruity, mineral, dairy and nutty, sweet and wooden, and spicy and savory. Here's what "flavors" fall under each:
Cultivating a Taste
Go to a wine shop and ask the staff for recommendations. Look for bottles of wine with write-ups near them, award citations and high magazine ratings. Try to go when you know the store is holding a tasting with samples – for many, this is on Saturday mornings. Pick the staff's brains – what are their favorites and why?
Attend a local wine tasting or a wine appreciation class. These are held at adult schools, wine-making schools, wineries, and fine restaurants. Don't feel intimidated – many people who think they can distinguish between a $2 bottle of dirt and a nice vintage often can't.
Join a wine group. Wine is trendy. There are wine bars, wine stores, wine newsletters, and even wine podcasts. Finding a group of wine-lovers in your area is probably much easier than you think it is. Finding like-minded people who have connections and know what's going on in the area is the first step to developing your expertise.
Have an informal tasting at home, a friend's house, or a BYOB restaurant where each person brings a different bottle of wine. This way you can taste a bunch of different things without spending a lot of money. And, not to mention, you get a great deal of wine experience (and wine!).
Developing Your Palette
Start exploring wine varieties. Many people start with a fruity white white that is subtle in flavor and some happen to stop there. You probably have a couple of wines that you know are safe – so start branching out! Move onto rose wines, and start busting into reds with a vengeance. Even if you don't like it, now you know if you like it or not.
Find your "Aha!" wine. Plenty of people spend years in the realm of, "Oh, I don't really care for robust reds," or "Moscato is just too sweet," and their expertise and understanding stops there. And then bam – an "aha" wine hits. It's that wine where you can actually taste the cedar, or the smoke, or the chocolate. All of a sudden, you get it. And how do you find your "aha" wine? Trial and error.
Start researching. Now that you've got your feet wet, start going outside of your own circle for information. Read books and blogs on wine. Try The New Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia by Tom Stevenson or wineeducation.com, where you can even take quizzes on your growing wine knowledge. Purchase wine guides. Subscribe to wine magazines. The possibilities are almost endless.
Get bolder and bolder. So you've got the taste of a Pinot Grigio down. You know the difference between a good Merlot and a good Cabernet. But there's so much more to it than that. You've done the basics, so let's get bold. Here's a few to try:
Becoming a True Connoisseur
Start widening your "wine-describing" vocabulary. The difference between someone who loves wine and someone who is a wine connoisseur is largely the fact that they can confidently talk about it to others (and accurately, to boot). Here's a few goals to hit when describing your next few glasses:
Try sparkling wines, ice wines and dessert wines. You've gone bold, now let's go a bit off the main path: try other wines, like sparkling, dessert, and ice wines (ice wines are made from grapes that have experienced a frost). They're not the wines you'll be experiencing with a main course at a 5-star restaurant, but they're important nonetheless.
Learn about different grape varieties. Traditionally fine wine was made from mainly French grape varieties, but now a much wider range of grape varieties are being used. Wineries are popping up all over the place, and the "terroir" of your average grape is changing. How do you feel about each region and variety?
Go back to the basics. Now that you're a world traveler when it comes to wine, go back to the very first wines you tried. There will be such difference you'll wonder who the person was that tasted it originally, or how it's possible the wine has completely morphed – but it's undeniable that it has. Take that basic Chardonnay that's been sitting in your cupboard and take a sip, basking in your progress.
Look for a wine school in your area. Most host courses or tastings, offering you some sort of "certificate" or "accreditation" upon finishing. Local adult schools and restaurants also hold wine appreciation classes. When people ask if you know wine, you can mention that you've even studied it.
Take the Court of Masters test. In America, to be a master sommelier, you need to take the Court of Masters test. There's a course you can take (you have to apply), though you can take the test without taking the course. This is as high as you can get in the wine world – and it comes with quite the badge of respect.
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