Many people enjoy the experience of wine tasting, but are confused about what they should be looking for in a good wine.The world of wine can be overwhelming and intimidating, but remember: wine preference is a question of personal taste.You can love a cheap wine and hate a well-respected wine!Here are some pointers for what you might want to consider when tasting a wine:
What it looks like:Hold the glass up to the light, and look at the wine.Red wines may be reddish brown, ruby red.Red wines generally loose color as they age.White wines may become more golden with age.
What it smells like:Swirl the wine around in the glass, coating its sides and maximizing the fragrance in the glass.See what kinds of smells you can identify.They might be floral, fruity, woodsy, smokey, earthy, even spicy!Smelling the wine is almost as important as tasting the wine when fully experiencing a wine sample.
What it feels like:After you’ve taken a sip, swirl it around in your mouth to coat your tongue and mouth.Wine provides a tactile experience, called a “mouthfeel” which furthers the sensory experience.Look for feelings like refreshment, velvety, or even prickly!
And last but not least,
What it tastes like:Now that you’ve coated your tongue with wine, how does it taste?What flavors can you pick out of the wine?Enjoy and savor the wine before swallowing it or spitting it out.Make sure you look for the lingering aftertaste, or “finish.”
Here is a great (if not a bit cheesy) video documenting the proper method of tasting a wine. Frank Mangio is a famous and well respected wine connoisseur based in Temecula in Southern California. He outlines 4 basic steps in the Southern California. He outlines 4 basic steps in the wine tasting process: Color, Swirling, Smelling, and Taste. By performing all these steps. By performing all these steps, the taster can fully enjoy and savor the wine. Enjoy!
It seems like there a plethora of different types of glasses in the world of wine.Which types of glasses are meant for which types of wine?Here is a general outline of wine glasses or “stemware.”
Red Wine Glasses are rounder and wider in the “bowl” which gives the wine more room to breathe, intensifying the smell for your enjoyment.
White Wine Glasses are narrower in the bowl, with straight or tulip-shaped sides.This is intended to keep the wine chilled for longer. It is narrower to minimize contact with the hand and the transfer of body heat, and to minimize surface area on the top to lessen the amount of air circulating around the wine.
white wine glass stemware
Champagne Flutes have long stems with a tall, narrow bowl.The bowl is narrow to further minimize heat transfer from the air and hand, and to keep the champagne carbonated.
champagne glass champagne flute
A Sherry Glass is a shorter, yet still narrow type of glass intended for aromatic beverages, especially dessert wines.It is smaller, because these beverages are stronger and sweeter, so the serving is smaller.However, it is wide to maxime the aromas.
