| Wine tasting is the art of evaluating wines. | | | | In tasting you want to first start with a small sip |
| Learning how to properly taste wine will give you | | | | and let the wine roll on your tongue. What is your |
| a greater appreciation for both the wine itself and | | | | initial impression of the wine? This is the attack |
| the winemakers. When wine tasting you utilize the | | | | phase and it involves the acidity, alcohol content, |
| sensory of sight smell and taste. Wine tasters | | | | tannin levels and residual sugar. Ideally these four |
| evaluate the look of the wine in the glass, the | | | | items will meld together so that one is not more |
| fragrance of the wine and the taste of the wine. | | | | intense than the other. In this attack phase you'll |
| There is also the "finish" of the wine or the | | | | get impressions of the intensity, whether the wine |
| aftertaste. | | | | is light or heavy, whether it is soft or firm, dry or |
| The art of wine tasting is as follows; color, swirl, | | | | sweet, and creamy or crisp. |
| smell, taste and savor. A wine taster must look | | | | The evolution phase is what the wine's actual |
| for clarity. The wine taster is looking at the | | | | taste is on your palate. Here you are determining |
| components of the wine to determine whether | | | | the flavor profile of the wine. If it's a white wine |
| the wine is balanced. Another thing a taster looks | | | | are you tasting apples, pears, or is it more floral in |
| for is the quality of the wine or the clarity of the | | | | nature? Maybe it consists more of honey or a |
| flavor. | | | | buttery taste. With red wines you'll start noting |
| "The Look Of The Wine" | | | | fruits such as berry, plum, figs or prunes. Possibly |
| Here the wine taster is looking for the color and | | | | the wine tastes peppery or cinamony or maybe |
| clarity of the wine. When distinguishing this it is | | | | has a woody flavor such as oak or cedar. In this |
| always best to have a white background such as | | | | phase you are defining more about the taste of |
| a piece of paper of cloth behind the glass. Tilt | | | | the wine. |
| your poured glass of wine away from you and | | | | The finish phase is just as we said...the wine's |
| look for the color of the wine from the rim edge | | | | aftertaste phase. How long does the flavor of the |
| to the middle of the glass. If it's a red wine | | | | wine last after you have swallowed it? Do you still |
| determine if the color is red, brownish, purple, | | | | taste the remnants of the wine in the back of |
| ruby, brick or maroon colored. With white wines | | | | your mouth? Is the taste persistent or short |
| you're looking to see if it's clear, greenish, yellow, | | | | lived? Do you want another sip or was the wine |
| golden, amber or brownish. | | | | itself too bitter at the end? |
| For clarity the wine taster is determining if the | | | | It's always a good idea to take notes of your |
| wine looks watery or dark. Is it opaque or | | | | impressions of the wines you taste, especially if |
| translucent. Older red wines tend to be more | | | | it's a wine you'd like to buy again. Jot down the |
| translucent than younger red wines. Is the wine | | | | wine's name, producer and vintage year for your |
| dull or brilliant, cloud or clear. | | | | own future reference and for use in hosting your |
| "The Smell Of The Wine" | | | | own wine tasting parties and functions. |
| The aroma of a wine is an indicator of both it's | | | | When wine tasting the order of the tasting should |
| quality and it's unique characteristics. Smell is | | | | be with the sparkling wines, the light wines, and |
| critical in analyzing a wine. The proper procedure in | | | | then the heavy whites and heavy reds. Heavy |
| smelling a wine is to first gently swirl your glass of | | | | wines have a deep color to them while the |
| wine and then take a quick whiff to get a first | | | | sweeter wines are thick and generally leave |
| impression. The swirling of the wine is important | | | | streaks called "legs" on the side of the glass when |
| to vaporize the alcohol and release the wine's | | | | it is swirled. |
| natural aromas. | | | | Wine tasters can taste several wines at one |
| After your initial whiff, stick your nose down into | | | | tasting. This being the case, the tasters do not |
| the glass of wine and inhale through your nose. | | | | actually drink the wines since they are alcohol. |
| Does it smell citrusy, flowery, oaky, or like berries | | | | When tasting the wines the taster holds the wine |
| or flowers? This second impression smell is | | | | in his mouth to get the flavor in his taste buds |
| important. | | | | then wine tasters generally spit out the wine after |
| "The Taste Of The Wine" | | | | testing. There are several wineries throughout the |
| You're finally ready to taste the wine. There are | | | | world where one can visit and taste different |
| three phases to the tasting process. There is the | | | | wines. Some wineries will charge a small fee to |
| attack phase, the evolution phase, and as we | | | | cover the cost of the tours. |
| mentioned earlier the finish phase. | | | | |