How To Taste Wine
Wine tasting is a technique that takes some practice and skill to master. Obviously, wine tasting is the most important activity that goes along with writing a wine review and scoring a wine. That being said, wine tasting is something that you can learn, and something that you can everyone can do.
Wine tasting starts with simply looking at the wine. You should look at the wine by pouring it into a clear glass and holding it in front of a white background. This allows you to observe its full color without any background effects. Color differences can be very subtle, and can indicate many aspects of the wine. For example, colors in white wines give different flavors, or might indicate age. You could also tilt the glass to observe the color of the wine’s “rim.” In wine tasting, a purple color in the rim could indicate a young wine, while brown could mean a mature wine.
Also, with white wine, if color in the rim is green, the wine may be grassy, like a Sauvignon Blanc. Or if it is very golden, it may indicate that the wine is more sweet with residual sugar.
We now know that most of a taste actually comes from our sense of smell. Thus, after observing the wine’s color, during a wine tasting you should smell the wine’s “bouquet” or “nose.” This helps identify subtle tastes that your tongue won’t recognize. This is where things get most confusing for many wine drinkers.
When it comes to describing the wine in terms of smell, you hear all kinds of terms. Just keep in mind, that if you are starting out, terms like fruity, floral, grassy, earthy, berry like, and jam like, are good terms to start with. As your exposure to wine increases, you will start to become much more specific with the terms you are using. Eventually you will be able to identify specific fruit, flower, and other aromas.
Then, take a sip of the wine and swish the wine around in your mouth. It was first thought that only certain taste buds on the tongue were able to detect certain tastes like sweetness or bitterness. You will also be able to discern soureness, and saltiness. Let the wine wash over all parts of your tongue. At this point, you want to breathe deeply through your nose.
What happens is you are now balancing the aromas, with the flavor on the tongue. Now you can really think about what you are tasting.
While you’re tasting it, you should be able to develop a first impression, or what tastes are most apparent from the wine. Next, take a breath with the wine in your mouth to get an idea of the texture of the wine — light, rich, smooth, or harsh. Last, you can either spit out the wine or swallow it, and get an idea for the wine’s aftertaste.
Let your palate sit for a few minutes and you will now be able to discern and create your opinion of the wine.
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