| Have you ever seen those stiff upper-lipped | | | | movement is actually needed. Just very slight |
| types doing a spot of the old wine tasting | | | | circular movements combined with a right-left |
| malarkey? You know the form - sip, swill, | | | | movement should do the trick. |
| spit. Yuck! Well this information has been | | | | |
| written to help you understand the form | | | | The idea behind all this swilling is to bring |
| should you ever find yourself in a situation | | | | the wine's aroma out of the wine itself and |
| where you need to know what to do. And don't | | | | into the empty part of the bowl thus allowing |
| go thinking "I'll never have to do any wine | | | | it to be smelled and savoured. This is why |
| tasting" because you just don't know that for | | | | wine glasses are bulbous. The wide bowl has |
| sure and the last thing you want is to be | | | | ample room for swilling while the narrow edge |
| caught unaware. | | | | 'captures' the bouquet. Clever, eh? Do this |
| | | | right and you'll look like a real wine |
| So, on with the wine tasting... | | | | tasting expert. |
| | | | |
| Study The Wine | | | | Move your glass to your nose as elegantly as |
| | | | you're able and bring it in slightly beneath |
| Pick up your glass as elegantly as possible. | | | | the tip. Inhale deeply. Savour for a few |
| There are two ways this can be done.a) For | | | | moments and then inhale again. It's a good |
| chilled wines - hold the glass by the stem | | | | idea to exhale between those two inhalations |
| and don't even touch the bowl.b) For wine | | | | or you might find yourself going dizzy. Do it |
| served at room temperature - pick up the | | | | too often and you'll faint. |
| glass by the bowl and hold it cupped in your | | | | |
| palm, the stem between your middle two | | | | You may now move your glass away from your |
| fingers. | | | | nose. |
| | | | |
| Now that you have the wine glass comfortably | | | | At this point, it's appropriate to make some |
| in your hand, hold it at a slight angle | | | | kind of comment. Ok, so maybe you won't |
| against something white. If your hostess | | | | really be able to fool anybody into believing |
| knows anything about wine tasting, she'll | | | | you're a proper wine tasting expert but at |
| have covered the table in white linen | | | | least you can make it sound as if you've |
| specifically for this purpose. | | | | actually drunk a glass of decent wine before. |
| | | | Why should the other guests need to know that |
| Be careful not to tip the glass too far - | | | | most of your wine costs £3.99 at the local |
| unless you're willing to replace an expensive | | | | Co-Op? |
| linen tablecloth, that is. You may also need | | | | |
| to adjust the distance from your eyes that | | | | Something like "mmmm, rich and fruity" or |
| the glass is held at. Most find that holding | | | | "oooh, lovely and light" will probably do the |
| it at almost arm's length is a good starting | | | | trick. When talking about red wine, 'rich' is |
| point when wine tasting although the very | | | | usually a good word to use - if the wine's |
| short sighted who are also absent minded | | | | white, go for 'light'. This is also a handy |
| enough to have left their eye glasses at home | | | | way of impressing dates when doing a spot of |
| may find themselves having to hold the glass | | | | wine tasting at the table in a restaurant. |
| almost in front of their noses. | | | | |
| | | | The Actual Wine Tasting |
| Once you've found the correct position, study | | | | |
| the colour and clarity of the wine. Now you | | | | You've probably been looking forward to this |
| may well believe that wine's either red, | | | | bit but whatever you do, remember that wine |
| pink, or white but I'm afraid, if that's the | | | | tasting is about taking small sips and not |
| case, you're very much mistaken. Wines can be | | | | guzzle it down like there's no tomorrow. |
| green, yellow, gold, pink, purple, or even | | | | |
| black. Evidently, the colour of the wine will | | | | This bit's actually trickier than you'd |
| indicate the type of grape it was made from - | | | | expect so you might want to do some more |
| as if me, you, and Jack on the street are | | | | practising. |
| likely to know about that! Still, you're | | | | |
| presumably there for the actual wine tasting | | | | Bring your glass to your lips, open them |
| rather than grape education. | | | | slightly and take a small sip. Now close you |
| | | | mouth and roll the wine around on your tongue |
| Clarity indicates age. Young wines are more | | | | for a few seconds before allowing it to slide |
| see through and cloudiness can mean there's | | | | slowly down your throat AND AT THE SAME TIME |
| something wrong. If that's the case, I'd | | | | EXHALE! |
| suggest putting it back on the table and | | | | |
| giving your hostess once of those 'down your | | | | The trouble with exhaling whilst swallowing |
| nose' type looks. That way, she'll think you | | | | is that some of the liquid might come |
| actually know a thing or two about the | | | | shooting through your nostrils. Not a pretty |
| business of wine tasting. | | | | sight and, again, think of the Axminster! |
| | | | Make a mess at this stage and you'll probably |
| The reason why you're studying the colour and | | | | never be invited to a wine tasting party |
| clarity looks has absolutely no bearing on | | | | again. |
| how the wine will taste but a proper | | | | |
| connoisseur enjoys the beauty of wine as well | | | | If you fancy, you can always take a second |
| as its taste and ... | | | | sip at this point but never a third. No |
| | | | matter how good that one particular wine is, |
| The Bouquet | | | | it's time to move on to the next. |
| | | | |
| No, we're not talking about the bunch of | | | | Other Stuff Worth Knowing |
| flowers a bride carries with her down the | | | | |
| aisle, we're talking the smell of wine. | | | | Apart from bottles and glasses, the wine |
| Sometimes, if the people at the wine tasting | | | | tasting table will probably hold plates of |
| are really posh, they might call it 'The | | | | cheese or, occasionally, sherbet. They're not |
| Nose'. | | | | there to snack on; they're used between wines |
| | | | to clean out the taste of the last wine you |
| Still holding your glass in the correct | | | | tasted. Just a little at a time is all that's |
| manner, lower your hand somewhat whilst bring | | | | needed. Do like a mouse and nibble! |
| your glass to a level position and rotate | | | | |
| your wrist so that the wine swirls gently | | | | Wear something comfortable and preferably |
| within the bowl. You might want to leave | | | | something that doesn't carry a designer |
| these instructions at this point to go to the | | | | label. After all, if you spill red wine down |
| kitchen and practise this step with a wine | | | | the front of your best frock, you're not |
| glass half filled with water. After all, if | | | | going to be happy, are you? |
| you're serious about attending a wine tasting | | | | |
| party, it's just as well to know for sure | | | | That's it. You're now clued up enough to pop |
| that you aren't going to spill expensive red | | | | along to your very first wine tasting party |
| wine over your hostess's spanking new | | | | without making a complete idiot of yourself. |
| Axminster. | | | | |
| | | | Enjoy! |
| To swill wine properly, very little wrist | | | | |