| | | | | The First Sip |
| There’s no great mystery to wine tasting - it | | | | Now inhale the wine again but this time bring it up |
| simply is what it says. Tasting the flavors in the | | | | to your lips with the flavors you have |
| grape and learning to appreciate the differences | | | | ‘pictured’ clearly in your mind. Close |
| between the different varieties on offer. | | | | your eyes again and take a good sip of the |
| If you’ve never done it before then try it at | | | | wine. What are your initial thoughts at it hits |
| home, perhaps with a few friends. First take | | | | your mouth? It might be immediately fresh and |
| three of four different varieties of wine (red, | | | | vibrant, it might be soft and melony, it might be |
| white, rose - or a mixture of all three). It should | | | | rich and jammy. |
| be a light-hearted occasion with perhaps everyone | | | | Letting in Air |
| contributing a bottle. Make a note of each | | | | Swirl the wine around in your mouth letting it coat |
| bottle’s name, its manufacturer and year | | | | every part and, as you do so, purse your lips as |
| produced and arm yourself with a glass for each | | | | if you are about to whistle and then breathe in |
| bottle and a notepad for your findings. | | | | just a little air to fully release the flavors of the |
| Opening Correctly | | | | wine. Don’t breathe in too much or you |
| Open the bottle with a good opener being sure | | | | may find yourself coughing - practice makes |
| not to leave any cork behind in the bottle, as this | | | | perfect! |
| can affect the taste and opacity of the wine. | | | | A Good Finish |
| Checking the Color | | | | Now hold the wine in your mouth for a few |
| Now pour a little wine into the glass (a fifth of a | | | | moments more before letting it slide seductively |
| glass is adequate for tasting purposes). Notice | | | | down your throat (professional wine tasters |
| the color of the wine as it enters the glass and | | | | wouldn’t swallow of course but this is a more |
| hold it up to the light so that you take a better | | | | personal and fun experiment). Make a note of all |
| look at it’s tone and opacity. The color is an | | | | the flavors that you have tasted and of the ones |
| indicator of the flavors and fullness of the | | | | that linger on in your mouth after you have |
| wine. Make a note of its shade; if it’s a red | | | | swallowed. Wines that continue to linger are said |
| wine, is it a light cherry shade, a rich damson red, | | | | to have a long-finish. If you find this to be the |
| or does it have an even deeper burgundy tone? | | | | case, then again, make a note of it. |
| If it’s a white wine, is it a gold or amber | | | | Cleansing your Palate |
| toned white, or does it have a fresher citrus | | | | Don’t forget to provide a good sized jug of |
| tone? If it’s rose, is it a warm rose-petal | | | | water and additional glasses, so that all of your |
| pink, or does it have cooler violet tones? | | | | guests can thoroughly cleanse their palates |
| Whatever your findings - note them down next | | | | between tastings. |
| to the name of the wine. | | | | Adding to the Experience |
| Does it have Legs? | | | | You may consider reading the wine labels, with |
| Now give the wine a good swirl in the glass and, | | | | their description of the grapes and flavors before |
| again, hold it up to the light. You may notice | | | | tasting, but I would suggest leaving this until the |
| ‘legs’ trailing down the glass as the | | | | end of the tasting and then testing your abilities |
| flavors of the wine all meld together. Again | | | | to see whether you picked up on those listed. It |
| make a note of this. | | | | all adds to the experience and can boost your |
| Breaking Down the Components | | | | confidence if you’re new to the experience. |
| Now bring the glass up to your nose and inhale | | | | Building a Collection |
| deeply. Close you eyes and try to ‘see’ | | | | One last thing; if possible, take either a |
| the components that make up the wine you are | | | | photo-copy of each wine label or, better still, the |
| smelling. For example, you might get a strong | | | | labels themselves and attach them to your notes |
| aroma of strawberries, plums or cherries, or pick | | | | so that you can, over time, build up a collection of |
| up elements of lemony zest, or even spicy | | | | your favorite varieties. |
| cinnamon or chocolate notes. Again, write your | | | | Happy Tasting! |
| findings down. | | | | |