What's That in My Wine?

Sensory Evaluation of Wine Workshop

Learn how to identify the basic elements of taste and smell and develop your wine tasting ability in this workshop offered by Dr. Susan Rodriguez, faculty member in Fresno State’s Department of Viticulture and Enology.

This is not a “wine tasting” class per se, but an opportunity to explore the elements of wine and determine how they affect what you smell and taste in your glass. We’ll begin by tasting different concentrations of sugar in water, examine how much people differ in their ability to perceive bitterness, and use aroma wheels in a blind tasting flavor exercise.

Using red and white wines spiked with different levels of sugar, acid and bitterness, we’ll practice detecting and identifying these tastes and smells, and we’ll discuss the new fifth sense of taste, umami (savory), and its implications in wine. We’ll explore five major fault compounds by tasting wines spiked with varying concentrations of these compounds. And finally, we’ll learn about consumer preference by performing preference tests with commercial wines, followed by analysis of the results.

Date:  Saturday, November 1, 2016 • 9 a.m. – 12 noon

Place:  Enology, Classroom 102

Class No. 80407 (community members—Enrollment is limited to a maximum of 16 community members); 80467 (Fresno State students—Enrollment is limited to a maximum of 8 Fresno State students)

Fee:  $175.00 non-credit (community members); $50 (Fresno State students)

Instructor:  Susan Rodriguez has taught Wine Evaluation Techniques (Enol45) and Advanced Sensory Evaluation of Wines (Enol105), in the Department of Viticulture and Enology. She has done wine research in New Zealand, Constellation Wines and E & J Gallo Winery.

To download a flyer and registration form, click here.

Disclaimer: Participants must be 21 years of age in order to participate in this course. Please bring a valid Government Issued Identification Card, with a photograph, such as a Driver’s License and/or State Issued I.D. card to verify your age.