Jan 12
25
There is a proper way for wine tasting. Some people make it too complicated and others completely miss the important points for true enjoyment. Here are the basics for tasting wine-consider these the ABC’s of proper wine tasting.
Wine tasting can be as complex or simple a process as you like. A lot depends on how interested you are in gaining the most enjoyment possible from each wine you sample. Wine is meant to be savored on many levels. Here are the basics to fully enjoy, identify and understand the best that each wine has to offer.
The process of tasting wine is fairly simple. It is should be offered to you in a glass with a very small amount of actual wine. This is because all you’re after is just one sip. The basics of wine tasting involve four simple processes. Swirl the wine, smell it, taste the wine and then spit it out. This allows you to taste a variety of wines without becoming intoxicated. It’ll also help your palette because if you swallow the wine your entire mouth will become coated and it may affect the taste of wines that follow.
Cheese or fruit is often served at wine tastings because they help to cleanse the palette. It is best to eat a piece slowly making sure it hits all the areas of your mouth where the wine has been. It will leave your palette clean and ready to taste the next wine.
There are three main things you’re looking for when tasting wine. Appearance, taste and the aroma are all important. As you swirl the wine see how the colors are affected by light and whether it is a darker or lighter variety. Then as you smell, take in the aromas and try to differentiate between them. This will probably take some practice at first. But after a while you should be able to discern the differences in aromas with various wines. You will begin to learn, from the aroma hints to the ingredients, fermenting process and storage choice.
When judging the appearance of wine you need to observe if the color is consistent. This means checking if it stays the same hue all the way through the wine – allowing for thinner areas of course – from center to rim. Differences here can indicate oxidization which may be deliberate; however it could also for tell of a problem that will affect the taste.
In smelling the wine, there are two major variants that most wines will follow. They will either be fruity, floral and spicy or they will be bouquet aromas – these come from the process of wine making itself. When wine tasting, you should eventually be able to identify both types of aromas in the wine.
As you taste you will notice that different wines produce different results in the mouth. Some feel warmer and rounder than others while some are more acidic. These are characteristics to keep in mind and while one may be better than another it is largely a case of personal preference.
Wine tasting can be a fun pastime or quite serious business. How you approach it is up to you, and if you’re interested in the details you can easily learn more and become involved in judging or wine tasting professionally.
Related Reading:
The Little Black Book of WineThe Little Black Book of Wine: A Simple Guide to the World of Wine serves up everything you need to know about wine, minus the pretense. Demystifies lingo and lore and teaches how to serve, preserve, store, and evaluate wines.Covers wine terms, developing your wine sense, types of grapes, and wines of France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, U.S., Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, and Chile. It's a mini tour guide to wine country and beyond!
