| The appreciation of a good wine is a multi-sensory | | | | center. A nice quality wine will create something |
| experience. Wine appreciation involves the eyes, | | | | called "legs," which are distinct lines that cling to |
| nose, and taste buds to get the full experience. It | | | | the side of the glass. |
| is important to allow a red wine to breathe | | | | |
| properly before you pour it out to taste it. Open | | | | Swirling and Sniffing |
| the bottle ten or fifteen minutes before you pour | | | | The strongest indication of a good wine is |
| the wine to give it a chance to react with the air. | | | | revealed through smelling the wine before you |
| If a wine is poured too soon it will taste sharp and | | | | drink it. Sense of smell is a powerful tool that can |
| unpleasant. | | | | give you a wealth of information. Swirl the wine in |
| | | | | the bottom of the glass for about 10 seconds to |
| The Difference Between Shiraz and Syrah | | | | mix it completely with the air in the glass. When |
| The grapes that produce shiraz and syrah wines | | | | you finish swirling, breathe the aroma from the |
| is exactly the same. The basic wine that is made | | | | top of the wine glass quickly. Put your nose |
| from shiraz/syrah grapes is very similar as well. | | | | directly into the wine glass and breathe deeply. |
| Both are deep red wines that are not sweet or | | | | With a good syrah or shiraz, you should be able |
| overpowering. The main difference is that a syrah | | | | to detect hints of oak blended with spiced fruits. |
| is wine that is made by old world wine producers, | | | | |
| or wineries that use the old world style. Syrah can | | | | Tasting the Wine |
| come from Italy, France, or California. It has a | | | | Drinking the wine to taste it is different than |
| subtler flavor and is more refined. Shiraz is | | | | drinking it normally. Take a small sip, just enough |
| generally produced in Australia or New Zealand, | | | | to comfortably hold in your mouth. Your first |
| and has a bolder flavor. Shiraz is considered more | | | | sensation should be a balanced flavor that is a |
| of a new world phenomenon rather than a | | | | bolder form of the aroma you sniffed from the |
| traditional wine. | | | | glass. As your palate becomes used to the wine, |
| | | | | you will begin to notice distinct flavors. With a |
| Judging the Color and Legs of a Good Wine | | | | syrah or shiraz, you will find a darker oak flavor |
| Once the wine has breathed in the bottle, pour a | | | | blended with lighter fruits. The finish is the lasting |
| couple of ounces into a round-bottomed wine | | | | impression that the wine leaves after you |
| glass. Look closely at the color of the wine, and | | | | swallow. The mark of an excellent syrah or shiraz |
| how it changes from the edge of the glass to the | | | | is that there is a very clean finish, which means |
| center of the wine. When you swirl the wine in | | | | that there is very little flavor left in your mouth |
| the glass, watch to see if lines form on the sides | | | | once the wine is gone. |
| of the glass as the wine flows back toward | | | | |