Wine Tasting Wheel

Welcome to the Qimisola Tasting Wheel, a wine tasting gadget made by Qi based on AIS vocabulary to make the wine tasting more fun!

If you have the Qimisola Wine Tasting Wheel in your hand, start from the "Visual" aspects on the wheel, turn clockwise to follow the parameters one by one. There are in total 18 parameters in visual, olfactory and taste categories to complete the wine sensory evaluation. Each parameter has 3 to 5 levels of description you can choose from to match your impression. The auxiliary information about the color check and the aroma category descriptions are to be found at the outer ring surrounding the wheel. They aid you to choose the most matching colour description as well as detecting the aroma categories that are present in the wine you are evaluating. On this web page, more detailed explanation about the vocabularies on the wheel is given so you can learn more. (Content credit to: Associazione Italiana Sommelier (AIS) - "La Degustazione" Edition 2018 )

How to use?

Color Categories

Greenish yellow

Soft rosé

Purple red

Straw yellow

Cherry red

Garnet

Golden yellow

Dark rosé

Orange red

Amber

Ruby red

Aroma Categories

Aromatic

The bouquet of a wine obtained from aromatic grapes (muscats, malvasie, brochette, gewürztraminer).

Fruity

The young white wines fresh bouquet is perceived as white or yellow pulp fruit, exotic or citrus fruit. In red wines red or black berry fruit. More mature wines can be perceived as preserved fruit, very ripe fruit, dried fruits. In passito wines, also hints of exotic fruit and dried fruit such as resins, apricot and dried fig.

Fragrant

More commonly refer to the fresh and lively scent of young wines. The freshly baked bread scent can also apply to the aroma of sparkling wines obtained from re-fermentation in bottle or to still whites, also aromatic wines, bottles with their yeast.

Ethereal

This indicates the bouquet traceable to wax scent, iodine, medicines, plastic, soap, enamel and many more, caused by formation of acetals, ethers and esters, deriving respectively from various combinations of alcohols with aldehydes, other alcohols and acids.

Vinous

The young wines may have white and yellow flowers (hawthorn, orange blossoms, broom..) or red flowers (violet, rose...). More mature wines may have the scents of withered or dried flowers. The floral nuances depends on area of origin, wine type, vines, and developments.

Grassy

Green vegetal essences such as boxwood, grass, green pepper, tomato leaf, mown grass, walnut skin and many more. They are typical of particular grape varieties such as cabernet franc and Sauvignon, merlot, ligroin, sauvignon blanc, riesling and many others.

Toasted

This is used to describe the scents of cocoa, chocolate, coffee, tobacco, almonds and toasted nuts. These scents may be found in red and white wines after an evolution in barrel - in particular new barriques.

Floral

Mineral

Mineral and salty aroma, reminiscent of flint, gunpowder, oil and hydrocarbons, graphite and slate, at times slightly brackish, a typical feature of some vines and soil and weather conditions such as Sauvignon blanc from the Loire, Rhine Riesling etc.

Spicy

It's traceable to different types of spices, at times rather sweet (vanilla, cinnamon...), other times more penetrating and prickly (black pepper). It can be found both in white and red wines, especially after ageing in wooden barrels and later in bottles. Most of all ageing in new barriques may lends a strong vanilla flavour.

Tasting Parameters

Limpidity

Limpidity in a wine corresponds to absence of suspended particles.

Veiled - strong opacity and cloudiness.

Quite clear - some suspended particles which do not necessarily compromise its quality. Causes may be long raging, bottling with yeast, bottling without filtration.

Clear - free from any suspended particles, no sediment. You can easily verify limpidity by tilting the glass of wine above an inscription and checking if the outlines of the letters are perfectly sharp.

Crystal clear - totally free from suspended particles, having intense brightness. Term mostly applied to white and rosé wines.

Brilliant - With wonderful brightness, which vividly reflects the rays of light reaching it. More frequently used for semi-sparkling wines and most of all sparkling wines.

Consistency

Consistency depends on the presence of ethyl alcohol and other substances for structure.

Flowing - refers to a wine after swirl, flows to the bottom of the glass too rapidly, lightly and inconsistently, indicating watery and perhaps excessive processing. .

Scarcely consistent -the wine runs lighly into the glass, with quick tears and wide legs, indicating poor alcohol content and weak structure.

Quite consistent - flows in the glass with moderate consistency, fairly quick tears and medium size legs.

Consistent - flows to the bottom of the glass slowly and heavily with slow and regular tears and thick legs. Indicating wines rich in alcohol and structure.

Oily - slides heavily to the bottom of the glass, like a syrup, with very slow tears and very thick legs. Often found in dessert, passito, sweet liqueur wines.

Olfactory Intensity

Olfactory intensity is made of the aroma notes perceived at the same time.

Lacking - A wine with very weak scent which can be hardly perceived.

Scarcely intense - A wine with delicate scent which can slight be perceived.

Quite intense - A wine with fairly perceivable scent, in which odorous sensations are more precisely characterised.

Intense - The ordorous sensations are distinctly and often strongly perceived. The possible complexity of the different hinds may be well recognized.

Very intense- A wine in which odorous sensations are particularly strong and all-embracing, in which a wide and rich range of nuances can be clearly and distinctly perceived.

Olfactory Complexity

Olfactory Complexity is the variety of odorous sensations perceived after a series of inhalations.

Lacking - a wine which offers a very poor range of fleeting scents.

Scarecely complex - limited range of odorous nuances, unaltered after several inhalations. Often found in young simple wines with poor aromatic substances.

Quite complex - a wine with sufficient range of odorous nuances which come out after several inhalations. Often in young wines or wines underwent short maturation.

Complex- with rich range of odorous nuances belonging to differnt groups of scents which are clearly and distinctively perceived. Often in aged wines.

Ample - several varied olfactory nuances, many groups of scents, recognisable after several inhalations. Typical when tasting great wines.

Quality Bouquet

The synthesis relating to olfactory intensity and complexity, elegance, frankness and tipicity.

Coarse - a wine with poor bouquet, free of any qualities, can present faults and may be unpleasant.

Scarcely fine - a wine with a second-rate bouquet that indicates an mediocrity and its candour is concealed.

Quite fine - a wine which possesses a sufficiently pleasant scent, medium intensity and variety of nuances.

Fine - a wine with an elegant bouquet, of fairly good intensity, a remarkable range of nuances, frank and good tipicity.

Excellent - a wine with particularly distinct bouquet and personality, good intensity and ample range of odorous nuances, frankness and tipicity.

Sweetness

Sweetness is a taste sensation caused by the presence of sugars in the wine.

Dry - sweetness is not perceived, due to a very low sugar residue about 1 to 15g/l.

Medium dry -wxhibits a very light sensation of sweetness, containing a rather low sugar residue (15-30g/l)

Medium sweet -exhibits a clear sweet sensation, even if it is not prevalent, due to a medium sugar residue (30-50g/l)

Sweet - the perception of sweetness is strong, may contain 50-100g/l sugar residue. Occurs in sweet naturally sparkling dessert wines or 100-180g/l in passito and sweet fortified wines.

Excessively sweet - sweet sensation prevails over all the other tastes, which is not balanced by an adequate structure, saltiness and acidity, indicating anomality and negative impression.

Alcohol

The pseudo-warm sensation is caused by alcohols present in wines, most of all by ethanol.

Light - weak pseudo-warm sensation because of low alcohol content.

Lightly warm -a wine gives a modest pseudo-warm sensation, due to the low alcohol content (10-11%) or wines in which the fresh-tannic sensation is prevalent.

Medium warm -a wine gives a neat and plesant pseudo-warm sensation because of an average alcohol conent (11-12.5%) and a good balance between ethanol and the other components.

Warm -a wine gives strong pseudo-warm perception caused by a high alcohol content (12.5 - 15%), but also in structured wines with a perfect balance among te various components.

Alcoholic - the psudo-warm sensation is very strong and prevailing caused by a high alcohol content (15-20%). Generally for liqueur and aromatised wines, obtained adding good quality ethanol, mistelle and refills. Consider to be abnormal when lack of balance with the other components.

Softness

Caused by poly-alcohols, particularly glycerol. Also sugars and alcohol concur to its compoment.

Sharp - absence of softness and an unpleasant sensation of sharpness. Generally weak structured wines, and/or obtained with too energetic processing.

Scarcely soft -a wine with weak soft sensation. Generally occurs in young wines, not well structured, with a low alcohol and glycerine content.

Quite soft -q wine with a pleasant soft sensation, due to a balanced content of alcohol and glycerine.

Soft -a wine with a neat sensation of softness and a pleasant velvety sensation, due to a good alcohol and glycerine content. Often indicates well-structured wines.

Velvety - a wine with a storng and prevailing sensation of softness, due to the high concentration of alcohol and glycerine. Generally occurs in some special dessert wines, passito wines and sweet liqueur wines, and other wines obtained from botrytised grapes.

Acidity

Represents a taste sensation determined by the acids in wine, which gives a typical freshness.

Flat - a wine lack of acidity which causes a toal lack of freshness. Generally over-matured wines or wines affected by some pathology.

Scarcely fresh -a very light sensation of freshness, stimulates little salivation. Can happen to very mature wines, perceived as normal..

Quite fresh -a light and pleasant sensation of freshness, which stimulates some salivation. It's a distinctive quality for most wines with some years of ageing.

Fresh -a wine gives a definite sensation of freshness, causing abundant salivation. Interesting characteristic for young wines.

Acidulous - the acid taste is strong and prevailing causes abundant and fluid salivation and a slight sense of tartness. Indicating wines obtained from unripe grapes or high acid content.

Tannicity

The presence of tannins cause a tactile sensation of dryness and roughness in the mouth.

Flabby - prevailing sensation of morbidity, due to an almost absolute lack of tannins. Often found in aged or spoilt wines.

Scarcely tannic -slight dryness and roughness, usually occurs in lightly-structured red wines or great long aged reds which contain the so-called noble tannins.

Quite tannic -perceivable and pleasant dryness and rough sensation. Can be found in many reds with a medium or great structure and have undergone a sufficient ageing period.

Tannic -a definetely dry and rough sensation. indicates young red wines rich in tannins or less younger wines which have to age more.

Astringent - strong and unpleasant sensation of roughness and dryness in the mouth. Indicates too rich in tannins and flaws in taste.

Saltiness

Presence of salts of organic and inorganic acids, as well as of mineral salts.

Tasteless - completely lacking the mineral tastes, generally wines made from grapes of inferior quality or heavily treated or wines too old to preserve any flavour.

Scarcely tasty -the perception of minerals is weak. Wines with a low structure, with a low rate of dry extract and in which saltiness can be covered by acidity.

Quite tasty -fairly pleasant mineral sensation, well balanced with the fresh-tasty sensation. Indicates wines with an average rate of extract substance.

Tasty -a clear and pleasant mineral taste. Generally in wines in which the covering actions of acids does not prevail, or in well structured wines from hot lands.

Salty - taste of salt is dominant and unpleasant. May be found in wines from grapes of particularly parched or highly brackish areas.

Balance

The result of the complex interaction between the different components , particularly between softness and roughness.

Unbalanced - a clear and unpleasant sensation of roughness (acid, tannin, salts) which prevails over the sensation of softness or vice versa.

Quite balanced -sensations of softness or roughness slightly prevails over the other. The prevailing roughness indicates wines in evolution. The prevailing softness may indicates the wines getting worse.

Balanced -the soft and rough sensations are in balance giving a harmonious result, compatibly with the wine typology taken into consideration.

Intensity

Taste-olfactory intensity is determined by the impact of all substances giving taste in the mouth.

Lacking - hardly perceive any taste, tactile or taste-olfactory sensations. Occurs in wines affected by some pathology.

Scarcely intense -very modest taste, tactile and taste-olfactory sensations. Wines known to be particularly light with little structure and to be drunk young.

Quite intense -fairly perceivable taste, tactile and taste-olfactory sensations. Wines with an average structure and taste complexity.

Intense - perceive clear and well-characterised taste, tactile and taste-olfactory sensations. Generally well-structured wines, with a good complexity.

Persistency

Evaluated in seconds, starting from the moment you swallow the wine and breath out.

Short - duration of the taste-olfactory sensation is less than 3 seconds.

Scarcely persistent - duration of the taste-olfactory sensation is 3-5 seconds. Generally apply to simple wines.

Quite persistent - duration of the taste-olfactory sensation is between 5-8 seconds, applies to wines with medium structure and complexity.

Persistent - the taste-olfactory sensation is between 8 and 12 seconds. Applies to wines with good structure and complexity.

Very persistent - duration of taste-olfactory sensations is over 12 seconds. Wines with excellent structure and complexity.

Quality

Represents the synthesis of intensity and complexity of taste, tactile and taste-olfactory sensations.

Coarse - lacking any quality, with a final taste unpleasant.

Scarcely fine -a wine with second-rate taste-olfactory qualities, with average final taste.

Quite fine - a wine with some taste-olfactory qualities, fair balance and with a pleasant final taste.

Fine - a wine with good taste-olfactory qualities, balance and an elegant final taste.

Excellent - a wine with noble taste-olfactory quality, perfect balance and with a final taste with shows personality, breed, and complexity.

Structure

The structure or body depends on the presence of all solid parts in the wine.

Thin - a wine with abnormal and scanty structure. Usually in wines made from grapes spoiled by fungus attacks or wines obtained by excessive oenological processing.

Weak -a wine with a modest structure, due to the presence of few dry extract. Generally simple and light wines when taste better when young.

Full -a wine with a good structure. Generally obtained from perfectly ripe grapes and are quite rich in dry extract.

Vigorous - a wine with a great structure. Generally found in great wines, mostly reds, passito wines, liqueur wines or other wines obtained from botrytised grapes, in which sugars further strengthen the structure.

Heavy - a wine with excessive and unpleasant structure, coarse texture and lacking balance, which causes taste fatigue. Generally are wines which have undergone faulty oenological processing.

Evolution

The evolution state of a wine shows its quality related to its evolution.

Immature - a wine with many faulty situations in one or more stages of the organoleptic analysis, due to the prevalence of hardness.

Young -a wine which has not yet reached a complete balance, due to the prevalence of hardness. However, it presents fragrant and fresh taste. This can apply both to wines to be drunk young at their peak expression or to well-structure red wines to be aged.

Ready -a wine which shows a good balance, which enables it to be tasted and appreciated. Yet it is still in an evolution stage which may improve it.

Mature - a wine which , mo matter its age, presents excellent balance and harmony; all its organoleptic characteristics reached their peak.

Balance

The result of the complex interaction between the different components , particularly between softness and roughness.

Unbalanced - a clear and unpleasant sensation of roughness (acid, tannin, salts) which prevails over the sensation of softness or vice versa.

Balanced -the soft and rough sensations are in balance giving a harmonious result, compatibly with the wine typology taken into consideration.