If you haven't yet learned the wine tasting basics
the first time you go wine tasting you might be a little intimidated by all the sniffing, swirling, gurgling, and swishing going on around you. The truth is, even without knowing the wine tasting basics you will still have a great time wine tasting.
However, knowing a few things about wine and how to taste properly can enhance your tasting experience. Also, it is always fun to impress your friends with a little unexpected wine knowledge! So, here are some wine tasting tips to get you started...
There are really 3 things to consider when trying a new wine: appearance, smell, and taste. A really good wine will score strongly in all three of these categories. Once you know how to judge a wine based on these three categories, you will have mastered the wine tasting basics!
Appearance
When judging the look of a wine, there are two things to keep in mind: color andclarity. Before even taking a sip of your glass, tilt it up in front of some light and look at the color. Different varieties of wine will have different colors, of course.
The color is also an indicator of the age and freshness of the wine. White wines will have a greenish tinge when they are very young. A brownish hue could be an indicator that the wine is very old or has not been properly stored. Red wines are usually purple when they are young, and mature to a deep ruby red color.
Red wines generally taste better with age, so a reddish-orange or mahogany color is not necessarily a bad thing.
To assess the clarity of a wine hold your glass up and look at it from the side. The wine should be free from any floating particles. Some people look at the thin clear layer on the very top of the wine (called the meniscus). A good wine will be completely clear, free from any sediment or cloudiness.
Some people like to swish their wine around in the glass to look at the "body". A heavier-bodied wine will form "legs" when it flows down the side of the glass. Light-bodied wines will not stick to the glass at all. "Body" has to do with the viscosity and sugar content of the wine.
Even a beginner should be able to have a good eye for wine. While it may take years to develop the palate and nose of a wine judge, most people can easily see if the wine is clear and free of floaties!
Smell
The smell or aroma (some people call it the "nose") of the wine is the next most important thing to consider after the appearance.
First, swirl the wine around in your glass. This releases all the aromas from your wine. Take a long sniff. To judge the nose of a wine, consider thebouquetand aroma. The aroma is the basic smell of the wine, which comes from the grapes and other ingredients. The bouquet comes from the aging of the wine, and the barrel in which it is stored.
In the wine tasting room you will probably here people use many different terms to describe the nose of a wine. Here are a few to add to your repertoire:
- woody-scent of wood
- spicy-spicy or peppery scent
- vinegary-smells like vinegar (bad)
- metallic-metallic smell indicates contamination (bad)
- fruity-scent of ripe fruit, berries
Read the label on a bottle of wine and see if you can detect the scents that are described. The sommelier (wine pourer) at the winery should also be able to describe to you the scents that can be found in each wine. Don't be shy; swirl and sniff!
Taste
OK, you've thoroughly eyed and sniffed your wine to your heart's content. Now for the part you've been waiting for...tasting the wine!
Go ahead and take a small sip of your wine, making sure that it touches every part of your tongue and mouth. If you breathe in a little air, you can really feel the flavors come out.
Each part of your tongue senses different flavors and tastes (the tip of your tongue senses sweetness, the back senses acidity), so be sure to swirl it around a bit before you swallow. After you swallow, exhale slowly. The wine's aroma and taste will linger for a while. This is called the "finish".
After your initial swirl, taste, and swallow, feel free to sip your wine normally. You might taste some different flavors that you didn't catch on your first sip.
You will probably notice similarities between the nose and the taste of many wines. This is because your sense of smell is very closely related to your sense of taste! If a wine has a very fruity aroma, it is likely to be a fruit-forward wine when you taste it.
Enjoy the subtleties and try to pick out all the different hints of taste in each wine. As you learn the wine tasting basics described on this article, you will find that you will pick up on a lot more of the subtle characteristics of each wine as you practice.
You might see people swishing the wine, then spitting it out. This is because after a few sips of wine, the alcohol desensitizes your taste buds. Wine judges, buyers, and people who are planning to taste many wines, will spit out each wine after tasting. This keeps their senses sharp for the entire tasting. Of course, this isn't necessary if you're just tasting for fun. Don't feel you need to spit out the wine to be proper. If you like it, drink it!
By now you should have a pretty good handle on the wine tasting basics. If you would like a more in-depth look at how to taste properly, I recommend getting a wine tasting book. There are a ton of great books out there on wine tasting basics, as well as all kinds of tips, info and history. Most can be found on Amazon for relatively low prices.
Wine Tasting Score Card
Often when on a tasting trip, you will try many different kinds of wines. After a few, you might find yourself forgetting which wines were which, and which were the better ones. It might be a good idea to print out a few copies of my wine tasting score card to keep track of each wine you drink. This way you can go back at the end of the afternoon and buy a bottle or two of your favorites. And, as you are developing your skills and learning the wine tasting basics, you can use the card to do some blind taste tests and really test your skills.
Now you know the wine tasting basics. If you think you're ready for a more in-depth look at some wine connoisseur skills, I recommend the Wine Etiquette and Wine Tasting Mastery ebook.
Remember, don't be afraid to sniff, swirl, and swish as much as you want. It's not supposed to be a stuffy, snooty event. It's supposed to be fun! So open your minds and your taste buds and go taste some wine!