Ever scratch your head and make the “confused face” wondering how in the world people know the differences between wines and what country certain wines are grown in and all that other confusing stuff? Well, that’s what people like us are here for. So you can go from making that confused face to being a world class wino!
Try thinking about wine as a food rather than a beverage. When you go to a restaurant, part of the enjoyment of the dish is in the preparation, presentation and appearance. The fragrance of a good dish is nearly as delightful an experience as the actual meal. The senses of smell and taste are as interrelated with wine as they are with food. The pleasure of enjoying fine dining is a simple undertaking, and one can easily appreciate the appearance, aroma, taste and balance of a dish with no formal training or special abilities. The ritual of wine tasting is intended to increase your enjoyment in a similar manner. Most people use “taste” to describe all the sensations associated with wine. However, humans can only distinguish between four tastes: sweet, salt, bitter and acid. Since there is no salt in wine, we are down to three. Becoming proficient in wine evaluation calls for just slightly more analysis than simply answering how the wine tastes, since there are so many other factors involved. Thankfully, the process is simple and you already possess the tools required to become a world-class wine taster.
All you need are some helpful guidelines to keep in mind:
1. Color and appearance
2. Bouquet/Aroma; Intensity and character
3. Fruit; Intensity of flavor and taste characteristics
4. Balance between fruit, sugar, acid and tannin
5. The finish and it’s length
Prior to tasting the wine, it might be beneficial to briefly review how to taste wine like the professionals do. First, fill the glass to about one-third of its capacity. Look at the wine’s color. All wines should have clarity, brightness and sparkle, which indicate careful wine making. Compare the different shades of red wines that can range from brilliant ruby to dark purple, or whites that appear pale straw to golden-yellow. A wine’s color and clarity can give you a suggestion as to the wine’s age. For example, a dark red-to-purple or pale white-to-straw-yellow color indicates youth, whereas, a light brick=to-brown/tawny or deeply golden-colored wine usually hints that the wine is older and more mature.
Next, swirl the wine in the glass. This exposes the wine to more oxygen, which encourages the release of the fragrances within the wine. This may take a bit of practice, so don’t be embarrassed if you spill a little wine the first few times you try this.
Evaluate the aroma. As with food, most of a wine’s taste actually comes from the aroma, hence the expression, “This smells so good I can almost taste it” or “It tastes like it smells.” Determining the fragrance of a wine is the first part of tasting it; in fact, 80 percent of what we taste actually comes from our sense of smell. Is the aroma intense or faint? What are the major characteristics? Does the scent remind you of any other foods, such as a particular fruit, spice or vegetable? With a little experience you will recognize a wide variety of scents, which will indicate the variation between different grape varieties, diverse wine-making styles, and even identification of the geography of the wine producing regions.
Sip the wine; draw in a small but comfortable amount, enough to coat your mouth evenly. The wine should be able to touch every part of your tongue. Drawing in a bit of air will further stimulate the release of flavor. Wine experts have been known to lightly “chew” the wine for a few seconds, aerating the wine and encouraging every possible bit of flavor to emerge. before swallowing, let the wine rest in your mouth briefly, coating every part of your mouth and taste buds. Ten seconds is the recommended amount of time to fully experience a wine, and you should taste it at least twice before judging the flavors. a wine’s taste should parallel its aroma. Is the texture of the wine light or heavy? Can you taste notes of fruit or a hint of woody oakiness?Is it flat (too low in acidity), harsh (too much acidity) or a pleasant medium? Is it sweet or dry, spicy or plain?Is there a bit of astringency or bitterness? All of these descriptive phrases help determine your personal preference in a wine’s flavor.
Swallow the wine. Concentrate on the flavor that lingers in the mouth. A good wine leaves a pleasurable, lingering flavor after being swallowed called the “finish.” this is similar to a sustained piano chord floating out over a music hall. The sound is strong at first, then changing, softening and gradually dissipating. An indication of a wine’s quality is found in the strength and duration of the finish.
COLOR AND APPEARANCE
Most dry white wines are slightly yellow in color, but while a white that is just released may start out exhibiting pale yellow-green hues, as it ages it will take on a deeper shade of gold, reflecting a wine that is now richer and more complex than its younger counterpart. The darker shad of a white wine indicates maturity. The colors often go from a very youthful water-white to a pale yellow, moving to a lemony shade, then shades of straw and peaking at a nice golden color when fully mature.
The color of red wine is equally important. Young reds are frequently, but not always, a bright berry red or purple. As red wine ages the color lightens, from dark purple or crimson red to brick or garnet, eventually to a brownish tinge. As the wines mature, the color change is a natural progression, initially noticed on the edges of the wine in the circumference of the outer edges in the glass.
BOUQUET & AROMA
The Oxford English Dictionary partially defines flavor as “the element in the taste of a substance which depends greatly on the cooperation of the sense of smell.” Approximately 80 percent of what we taste is attributable to our sense of smell. For instance, have you ever tried to enjoy food while battling a cold or the flu? The flavors of the food are blocked, suffocating the sense of taste. In wine tasting and evaluation, the sense of smell is a crucial aspect in determining the overall quality of a wine, as well as its taste.
To fully appreciate a wine’s bouquet and aroma, fill a wine glass to about one=third capacity. Ideally, the top of the glass should be slightly curved inwards to funnel the scent of the wine into a concentrated area. Gently swirling the wine mixes air with the wine, encouraging the aromas to emerge. When describing aromas, there are two key points to remember. The first aspect described should be the intensity of the aroma (was it highly aromatic, powerful and inviting or was it more subtle, even subdued?) The second aspect should be the description of what did the wine’s aroma remind you of?
Varietal wine can often be recognized by its specific aromas. The better the wine quality, the more apparent are the scents to the taster. Aroma is the smell of the grapes used to make the wine. Wine making modifies these aromas in different ways. For example, malolactic fermentation produces a butterscotch aroma, while aging in oak barrels contributes vanilla and clove notes to Chardonnay and most red wines. On the other hand, Sauvignon Blanc is recognizable by its varietal herbaceousness (bell pepper or grass.)
As you look down our list of wine aromas we’ve created for you, you may be asking yourself, “How can a grape smell like a pineapple, or pears, or grass, or tar, or diesel, or any of these other things?” Before you scoff at it, try tasting a glass of wine while looking at the list of possibilities. You will probably notice smells and flavors you hadn’t considered or even expected before. It is by no means an exact science and obviously opinions, as well as a persons taste buds, are subject to argument.
Continue to Part 2 —>