| A degree in Oenology, the science of winemaking, | | | | testing. |
| is not required in order to understand the art of | | | | Next you want to try to identify the odour. Does |
| wine tasting. One need not be confused by the | | | | the wine have a fruity smell similar to apples, |
| terminology used by professional wine tasters | | | | oranges or grapes? Wines such as Merlots or |
| such as: clarity, bouquet, earthly, open, crisp or | | | | Cabernet Sauvignon evoke the woody smell of |
| nostalgic. All that is required is to tune your | | | | pine or cedar needles. Syrah wines have been |
| senses and to become familiar with various | | | | known to diffuse a floral or ground black pepper |
| definitions on well-known words. | | | | scent; while Chardonnay's that are aged in oak, |
| Serving Wine | | | | can remind one of figs or apples. One can argue |
| When first starting out, it is a good ideal to allow | | | | that the scent of a wine is purely subjective, but |
| someone who is more knowledgeable to decide | | | | there is often a wide agreement amongst |
| on how to serve the wine. To acquire the skills of | | | | amateurs and experts alike, although impressions |
| wine serving you will need to gain a little more | | | | differ on some degree. |
| experience and education to start. White wines in | | | | Wine Tasting |
| general need to be served chilled, while red wines | | | | The tongue has many different areas that are |
| are usually served at room temperature. Serving | | | | attuned to various types of tastes. Some areas |
| wine chilled does not mean frozen; but usually | | | | of the tongue are more attuned to salty or sour |
| starts at 50F and can be adjusted to taste. Room | | | | tastes, while others attuned to sweet tastes. You |
| temperature usually refers to a slightly cooler | | | | want to take a sip of the wine and make sure |
| room, approximately 60F. | | | | you run it around the tongue to stimulate the |
| Red wine (with the exception of a few brands) | | | | many different kinds of taste buds. Some of the |
| should be allowed to breathe first before serving. | | | | characteristics when tasting various brands of |
| They should sit in an uncorked bottle and exposed | | | | wines may include: |
| to air for approximately 15 minutes or more. In | | | | - Pinot Noir - from Burgundy may arise a violet |
| general white wine should be served right away | | | | taste. |
| but there are also various brands of white wine | | | | - Zinfandel - this wine may remind you of berries. |
| that don't adhere to this rule. There are also | | | | - Gewurztraminer - evokes peaches. |
| wines that require decanting. This is the process | | | | - Chenin Blanc - orange blossom taste. |
| of filtering out the sediments before serving. | | | | When moving on to tasting another wine you |
| Wines that have aged considerably and ports may | | | | want to make sure to finish or set aside the wine |
| require decanting before serving them. | | | | you have just tested, and to come back on |
| An ordinary wine glass should be used when | | | | another day. Don't try to many or too much wine |
| pouring wine as opposed to a heavy cut glass | | | | at one time. Ideally one brand of wine is preferred |
| where visibility can be poor. You want to make | | | | per day, but this can be a slow way to learn. You |
| sure to fill it approximately half full. Next you want | | | | definitely do not want to try any more than three |
| to swirl the wine a bit to generate an additional | | | | wines in one day. This may hinder your ability to |
| winey vapour. | | | | discern differences in different types of wine. |
| The Scent Of A Wine | | | | On the next day you may want to try different |
| Examine the color traits of the wine. Is it Hazy? | | | | red wines. Try to concentrate on sensing that |
| Opaque? Clear? Take a short sniff and waft the | | | | oak storage cask. You will find some California |
| wine vapors into the nose rather then directly | | | | reds to have hints and traces of coffee of |
| holding your nose over the opening of the glass. | | | | chocolate. If you favour stronger scents you may |
| To help you truly experience the wine you may | | | | want to try a fine Merlot. They carry a tarry |
| want to close your eyes to allow you to focus on | | | | quality. |
| one or two senses at a time such as taste and | | | | Remember a good fine wine will not hit the nose |
| smell over the sense of sight. There are even | | | | over the head, so to speak. Above all the key is |
| experts who misidentify wines during blind taste | | | | subtlety when tasting wine. |