MILAN - The training course for water sommeliers, in three volumes, is aimed at the combination of food and mineral water at the table and is edited on behalf of Adam - Mineral Water Tasters Association - by Alessandro Zanasi, doctor and expert from the Sanpellegrino Observatory, together with Mario Celotti (president of ADAM), Giovanni Gurnari, Giuseppe Amati, Giancarlo Burri and Roberto G. Bertotti.
The first volume: "The water sommelier. Discover water at your table"
What is water
- A natural renewable resource - chemical and physical characteristics - solid liquid vapour
How is water born
- The natural cycle of water or hydrologic cycle - hydrology - water on Earth - the water problem - the European water charter
Water and our body
- Water as food - water as nutritional element - effects on health - the thirst symptom
Waters used for human consumption
- Waters that are fit for human consumption - treated waters - tap water - purified water - non-treated waters - spring waters - mineral water - minerals: not only water
Natural mineral water
- Mineralisation - classification of natural mineral waters - the fixed residue - the pH - hardness - how to read the label - names of natural mineral waters (commercial name) - place of origin - chemical and chemico-physical analysis - classification - salient traits - content - indications for the correct conservation of the product - marketing authorisation decrees - bottling date - lot - pictogram - bar code - what is missing... - recently introduced...
Tasting - introductory aspects
Water and the law
The second volume: "The water sommelier. The senses to taste water"
Sensory analysis
- Taste: flavour, scent and aroma
Sight physiology
Sense of smell physiology
Taste physiology
- Differences between the taste and smell perceptions
Mineral salts and trace elements present in mineral waters
- The main components in mineral waters: cations - The main components in mineral waters: anions - trace elements
Sense perceptions in the evaluation of mineral waters
- Introduction to tasting - mineral water tasting - the complex sense aspect - water organoleptic parameter specificities.
Packaging of mineral waters
Third volume: "The water sommelier. Matching and tasting bottled waters"
The history of water, water and wine
Technical and structural aspects in the production of mineral waters
- Recognition and authorisation - environmental aspects: water collection - the bottling plant - technical and structural aspects of bottling - hazard analysis and critical control points - controls and sampling (waters destined to human consumption) - main causes for natural mineral water quality alteration - transport and storage - distribution and consumption
Water, the adventure of taste
- The long journey of water - the Italian geo-environmental and aquifer systems - taste: the first approach - the "panel test": sensory evaluation of water - tasting techniques - matching water: a difficult art - schools of thought - parameters for the evaluation of food - matching techniques - combinations between water and food - water at the bar, water drinks
by Alessandro Conte
