WSET Level 1 Practice Question · Episode 72
Show Answer & Explanation (try the quiz first)
Practice Question
When drinking wine with food high in 'Acidity' (like lemon juice or vinegar dressing), how does the taste of the wine change?
- A. The wine tastes much more sour.
- B. The wine's acidity feels reduced, and its fruit flavors and freshness become more prominent.
- C. The wine tastes much more bitter and astringent than usual.
- D. The alcohol heat of the wine feels hotter.
Answer & Explanation
Answer: B. The wine's acidity feels reduced, and its fruit flavors and freshness become more prominent. Explanation: Acidity in food is also a friend to wine. The sourness of the food offsets the wine's acidity, making the wine feel less sour and allowing the fruit flavors to shine. If you drink a low-acidity wine with high-acidity food, the wine may taste flat and flabby. That's why the rule is to match 'high-acid food with even higher-acid wine.'
Key Theory Summary
Maximizing freshness with acid pairing: 1. Balance: High acidity in food makes the wine's acidity feel lower by comparison. 2. Fruit Highlight: Brings out the fruitiness and vibrancy of the wine. 3. Rule: Acidity in food >= Acidity in wine. (If the food is more sour than the wine, the wine tastes flat.) 4. Examples: Oysters with lemon & Chablis, salad with vinegar dressing & Sauvignon Blanc.
Expert Exam Tip
[Trap]: Don't assume "soft, sweet wines pair best with sour food." Sour food actually makes dry, high-acid wines taste much better. [Tip]: If 'Acid in food' appears in the exam, look for 'Wines taste less acidic and more fruity.'