The terms for testing and evaluating wine through human-performed "smelling and tasting" are numerous, a few of which are, for example, degustation, tasting, wine tasting and wine tasting. This is a sensory examination of the organoleptic properties of a wine with a descriptive explanation of the findings obtained in the process according to established rules and criteria using generally valid and understandable terms (see wine talk). This is not done in a scientific-analytical way with technical or other aids, but sensory "only" through the sensory organs such as eye, nose, palate and tongue. This may result in an evaluation by awarding points according to various systems. As a supplement to this, however, there are also possibilities to carry out an objective measurement by means of exact, chemical analyses. This is, for example, the determination of alcohol content, total extract, residual sugar, acids, sulphur and other substances.
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