Wine Tasting for Dummies
How to taste?
Doubtlessly, the most important thing makes drinking wine joyful is its appealing to 3 senses all at once. Moreover there are lots of things to talk about it. To enjoy it more than you do, you should make lots of wine tasting and be aware of what you do.
It is very easy to taste wine and it gets easier when you learn more. Let’s start with the easiest part: Why do we prefer some wines to the others?
We can compare the wines’ taste and the smells; as a result we can distinguish the quality of each of them. We can start with contrasting the favorite one with the unloved one. Since it completely depends on the sharpness of the senses, it seems like a “sense examination”. Believe me it is going to ease as a result of the experience, practice and time!
If you want to comment a wine, you must sharpen your senses and listen to the whispers of the wines. You receive lots of messages from each glass of wine. All those messages are added into a library consisting of smells and tastes. After a while, you will become familiar with those smells/tastes; and you will immediately take the perceived smells/tastes out of the shelves of that library. Then you will realize that, you have been in the world of wine for a long time.
Eye
Observe the details of the color of wine. Try to evaluate the wine on a white surface. Tip the glass and look at the color. A good quality wine should be clear and bright. If the wine color is constantly changing, it indicates that wine is too old.
Red Wine:
Reddish Purple > Crimson > Dark red > Ruby Red > Reddish Brown > Brick Red > Amber > Brown
The color scale and the names of the colors on the scale are expected to be seen. Amber and brown are the colors that we won't want in our glass, because to observe them means our wine is really old and it has loss in value. It is convenient to drink any wine in a color range from reddish purple to brick red.
When you tip your glass onto a white surface; if the observed color of the wine is dark, you are about to taste a high quality delicious wine. On the contrary, if it is a light colored wine, it means bad circumstances were experienced by the wine during wine-making or by the grapes during viniculture.
When glass is tipped; if the center of the wine is darker than the side; bear in mind that it is possible to observe such a change as a result of the wine-aging.
However darkening is an indication for a suspicious wine since it is observed as a result of high exposure to oxygen
(For detailed information about red wine: Red Wine)
White Wine:
Colorless > Greenish > Straw Colored > Lemon > Golden > Brownish Yellow > Amber > Brown
It is normal that a white wine can experience all color in between colorless and amber. However, the lighter the color of the wine means the lighter taste it has. When a white wine is brown in color, then it means it is highly oxidized and not appropriate to drink due to the loss in value.
Nose
It is the most confused but also most distinguishing property of the wine. There is not any wine that looks or smells alike. Each wine spreads characteristic and unique odor.
Maximum 1/3 of the glass will be filled. Bring the glass up to your nose and inhale. Try to evaluate. Put the glass on a table and draw the circles on it. This will make the wine aerated and smell again. Try to make a new evaluation. You will perceive new aromas and define them as certain as you can do.
Hint: Wine includes the characteristic odors of the grape it is made of. Other than the aromas of the grape, it should not include any disturbing odor. Cooked cabbage, vinegar, sulphur or other foreign smells are the widest one. When you perceive these types of smells, the wine is called as suspicious. If the wine is a quality one, you will immediately feel the rich harmony, in addition to the complex and generous aromas.
Mouth
The last step of the wine-tasting: Taste… take enough wine into your mouth to coat the whole surface of the mouth and tongue. Swirl (chew) the wine and focus on the tastes. Let your mind understand it for 3-4 seconds and spit it out.
Was it dry or sweet?
Was there sufficient acidity?
What was the "weight" or body of the wine?
Was there any tannin?
How much alcohol was present?
Was the tactile sense pleasant?
Were the flavours agreeable?
Are the component parts harmonious (in balance)?
Does the flavour linger in the mouth?
What potential does the wine have? (aging, tannen?)
Was there sufficient acidity?
What was the "weight" or body of the wine?
Was there any tannin?
How much alcohol was present?
Was the tactile sense pleasant?
Were the flavours agreeable?
Are the component parts harmonious (in balance)?
Does the flavour linger in the mouth?
What potential does the wine have? (aging, tannen?)
Professional Suggestions
PreparationProfessionals suggest making wine tasting when you are hungry, since the senses are stronger when your stomach is empty. Therefore, you are more sensitive to the smells and tastes. Immediately after the tasting, you should eat something to gain the lost energy due to the tasting.
Plan
If you are in a festival, first decide how you will start. For that reason you should pick a festival catalog and the arrangement of the area. But I will give some hints for you:
If you are in a festival, first decide how you will start. For that reason you should pick a festival catalog and the arrangement of the area. But I will give some hints for you:
Taste according to grape varieties. For example, if you chose Syrah, visit all the stands to taste the Syrah wines. Then pass from it to the Merlot. As same as the first one, visit all the stands for Merlot this time.
Taste according to the strength. In this case, it will be convenient to start with the champagnes and with the sweets.
Taste all on one stand.
When you move from one stand to the other one, you should be careful to the strength of the wines. You should move from soft ones to the strong ones. If you leave Gamay to the final instead of Cabernet Sauvignon, tasting will be more difficult. When your senses meet with a strong wine, it will mask the following softer wine’s properties.
While tasting wines, share your thoughts with other people and ask questions. You will improve your senses by making comments. Especially try to learn from the professional behind the stands.
Whatever the route, please do not forget to take notes. At the end of the day, there will be lots of wine types and brands in addition to the acidity, tannins etc.
Spit Out
It is more convenient to spit the wine out after you taste it. Otherwise, because of the high alcohol levels, your senses will lose its sharpness. Then you will not be able to perceive the following wines. A little bucket on or around the stands are for this purpose.
It is your choice
Anything may be talked about wine and may be discussed. But the last word will be spoken by your palate. There is only one person to please it: You! The best part of attending to the festivals is, you can taste as much as wine can be tasted in such a short time. As a result you can list the wines that you like and dislike and shorten the time for choosing a wine for a special day. 