Learning
how to taste wines is a straightforward
adventure that will deepen your appreciation for both wines and winemakers.
Look, smell and taste - starting with your
basic senses and expanding from there
you will learn how to taste wines like the pros in no time!
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: 15 minutes
1. Look
Pour a glass
of wine into a suitable wine glass.
Then take a good look at the wine. What
color is it? Look beyond red, white
or blush. If it's a red wine is the
color maroon, purple, ruby, garnet,
red or even brownish. If it's a white
wine is it clear, straw-like, golden,
light green, pale yellow or brown in
appearance?
2. Still Looking.
Move on to the
wine's opacity. Is the wine clear, cloudy,
transparent or opaque? Tilt your glass
a bit, give it a little swirl - look
again, you are looking at color, clarity,
brilliance (sounds like you're finding
the perfect diamond!) - is there sediment,
bits of cork or any other floating bits?
An older red wine will be more translucent
than younger red wines.
3. Smell
Our sense of
smell is critical in properly analyzing
a glass of wine. To get a good impression
of your wine's aroma, gently swirl your
glass (this will enhance the wine's
natural aromas) and then take a quick
whiff to gain a first impression.
4. Still Smelling.
Now stick your
nose down into the glass and take a
deep inhale through your nose. What
are your second impressions? Do you
smell oak, berry, flowers, vanilla or
citrus? A wine's aroma is an excellent
indicator of its quality and unique
characteristics.
5. Taste
Finally, take
a taste. Start with a small sip and
let it roll around your tongue. There
are three stages of taste:
6. Taste
After gathering
your initial impression of the wine,
allow a small breath of air in through
your lips and allow the wine to mingle
with the air (called swirling). This
will allow you to taste flavors more
fully (even if you look or sound a bit
funny). What do you taste? Reds will
often have berry, woody and bell pepper
tastes. White wines will often have
apple, floral or citrus flavors associated
with them.
7. Initial Taste
This is your
first impression of the wine's components
and flavors.
8. Finish
The wine's finish
is how long the flavor lasts after it
is swallowed. Did it last several seconds?
Was it light-bodied (like water) or
full-bodied (like the consistency of
milk)?
9. Impressions
After you have
taken the time to taste your wine, you
might record some of your impressions.
Did you like the wine overall? Does
it taste better with cheese, bread or
a heavy meal? Will you buy it again?
If so, jot the wine's name, producer
and year down for future reference. |