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