Wine
Tasting
The three steps in wine tasting are: Look,
Smell, and Taste.
Look
You can tell much about a wine simply by studying its appearance.
The wine should be poured into a clear glass and held in front
of a white background (a tablecloth or piece of paper will
serve nicely) so that you can examine the colour.
The
colour of wine varies tremendously, even within the same type
of wine. For example, white wines are not actually white;
they range from green to yellow to brown. More colour in a
white wine usually indicates more flavour and age, although
a brown wine may have gone bad. Where as time improves many
red wines, it ruins most white wines. Red wines are not just
red; they range from a pale red to a deep brown red, usually
becoming lighter in colour as they age.
Rim
colour: You can guess the age of a red wine by observing its
"rim." Tilt the glass slightly and look at the edge
of the wine. A purple tint may indicate youth while orange
to brown indicates maturity.
Swirling:
Swirling the wine serves many purposes, but visually it allows
you to observe the body of the wine. "Good legs"
may indicate a thicker body and a higher alcohol content and/or
sweetness level.
Smell
Swirl your wine. This releases molecules in the wine allowing
you to smell the aroma, also called the bouquet or nose. The
two main techniques that wine tasters use are:
1.)
Take a quick whiff and formulate an initial impression, then
take a second deeper whiff or
2.)
Take only one deep whiff.
Either
way, after you smell the wine, sit back and contemplate the
aroma. Don't try to "taste" the wine yet, concentrate
only on what you smell.
It
may be difficult to describe in words when you're a novice,
but after trying many wines you will notice similarities and
differences. Sometimes a certain smell will be very strong
with underlying hints of other smells. Take your time. By
labelling an aroma you will probably remember it better. You
may even want to keep a notebook of your impressions of wines,
and save the labels; next time you see the wine you won't
have to purchase it to know if you like it . . . or you don't!
Taste
The most important quality of a wine is its balance between
sweetness and acidity. To get the full taste of a wine follow
the following three steps:
1.
Initial taste (or first impression): This is where the wine
awakens your senses (your taste buds respond to sensations).
2. Taste: Slosh the wine around and draw in some air (even
if you do look funny in front of your dinner guests). Examine
the body and texture of the wine. Is it light or rich? Smooth
or harsh?
3. Aftertaste: The taste that remains in your mouth after
you have swallowed the wine. How long did the taste last?
Was it pleasant?
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