CMS Advanced Sommelier flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Deductive tasting grid order

Appearance, then nose (condition, intensity, aroma, development), then palate (sweetness, acidity, tannin, alcohol, body, flavour, finish), then conclusions on quality, origin, grape and vintage.

High acidity markers

Mouth-watering, tart edges and saliva pooling indicate high acid; a soft, broad and flabby mid-palate with low saliva flow signals low acidity.

TCA fault

Cork taint from 2,4,6-trichloroanisole, detected as damp cardboard or musty newspaper at very low thresholds; it strips fruit and flattens the wine.

Brettanomyces fault markers

Brettanomyces yeasts produce barnyard, horse, band-aid and medicinal aromas; low levels add complexity, high levels dominate and dry the finish.

Old versus New World

Restrained fruit, savoury earth notes, higher acid and lower alcohol suggest cool Old World sites; forward ripe fruit and higher alcohol suggest warm New World climates.

Nebbiolo structural fingerprint

Pale garnet colour with high acidity, high grippy tannin, medium alcohol and rose, tar and red-cherry aromas; classic in Barolo and Barbaresco.

Sparkling wine service temperature

Serve sparkling wine at 6-8 °C; warmer temperatures release CO2 too quickly and exaggerate alcohol, while over-chilling suppresses aroma.

Decanting decision rule

Decant young tannic reds for aeration to soften tannin; decant mature wines only to separate sediment, because prolonged air can collapse fragile aromatics.

Opening sparkling wine safely

Hold the cork and turn the bottle six half-turns, keeping pressure on the cork, and release with a whisper rather than a pop to retain dissolved CO2.

Corked wine protocol

Present the bottle and cork, pour a small taste for the host, and if faulty remove it quietly and replace it; never serve a faulty wine to the table.

Cellar humidity and temperature

Store wine at 12-14 °C with 60-75% relative humidity; low humidity dries corks and increases oxidation and seepage risk.

Acid and fat pairing

Acidity cuts through fat and cleanses the palate; this is why high-acid whites such as Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc suit fried and creamy dishes.

Bordeaux left bank

Médoc and Graves are Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant on free-draining gravel soils, giving structured wines with high tannin and cassis fruit.

Bordeaux right bank

Saint-Émilion and Pomerol are Merlot-dominant on clay and limestone soils, giving plush, earlier-drinking wines with plum and earthy notes.

Burgundy hierarchy

Regional, then village, then premier cru, then grand cru; grand cru vineyards are the smallest tier and only they may use the grand cru label.

Champagne grape varieties

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier; non-vintage ages at least 15 months on lees and vintage at least 36 months before release.

Northern Rhône reds

Syrah is the only permitted red grape in Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage and Cornas; Côte-Rôtie may co-ferment a small proportion of white Viognier.

German Prädikat sequence

Rising must weight at harvest: Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, then Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese and Eiswein; Grosses Gewächs marks dry top sites.

Barolo ageing rules

Barolo is Nebbiolo and must age at least 38 months in total, of which at least 18 months in wood, before release; Riserva requires 62 months.

Rioja ageing terms

Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva denote increasing minimum ageing in barrel and bottle; the terms apply to red Rioja under the DOCa rules.

US proof conversion

US proof equals twice the alcohol by volume, so a spirit at 40% ABV is 80 proof; cask strength spirits are bottled undiluted and vary by batch.

Scotch whisky minimum ageing

Scotch must mature in Scotland for at least three years in oak casks no larger than 700 litres; any age statement must reflect the youngest whisky in the bottle.

Straight bourbon rules

At least 51% corn, distilled to no more than 80% ABV, entered into new charred oak at no more than 62.5%, and aged at least two years.

Cognac versus Armagnac

Cognac is double-distilled in pot stills; Armagnac is typically column-distilled and more rustic. VS, VSOP and XO denote minimum ageing tiers.

Rhum agricole

Rum distilled from fresh pressed cane juice rather than molasses, protected by the Martinique AOC; it is grassy, vegetal and often pot-distilled.

Tequila and mezcal

Tequila uses blue Weber agave from Jalisco and neighbouring states; mezcal roasts agave in earthen pits, giving smoky aromas. Both are protected designations.

Ale versus lager yeast

Ale yeasts ferment warm at 15-24 °C and produce fruity esters; lager yeasts ferment cool at 8-13 °C and need extended cold lagering for clarity and crispness.

Beer bitterness units

Bitterness is measured in IBU, colour in SRM or EBC, and strength in ABV and original gravity expressed in Plato or OG points.

Belgian lambic and gueuze

Lambic is spontaneously fermented with wild Brettanomyces and lactic bacteria, giving sourness; gueuze blends young and old lambic for refermentation in bottle.

Sake polishing ratio

The percentage of rice grain remaining after milling: Ginjo requires 60% or less and Daiginjo 50% or less; lower percentages mean finer, more aromatic sake.

Junmai versus Honjozo

Junmai sake is brewed from rice, water, koji and yeast only; Honjozo adds a small amount of distilled brewing alcohol to lighten and lift aroma.

Sake meter value

Nihonshondo or SMV measures density relative to water: positive values indicate drier sake and negative values sweeter, balanced by total acidity.