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Wine TipsQuick jump: Wine Tasting | Serving Wine | Wine Definitions: Basic
Wine TastingThe three steps in wine tasting are: Look, Smell, and Taste.Look You can tell much about a wine simply by studying its appearance. The wine should be poured into a clear glass and held in front of a white background (a tablecloth or piece of paper will serve nicely) so that you can examine the colour.  The colour of wine varies tremendously, even within the same type of wine. For example, white wines are not actually white; they range from green to yellow to brown. More colour in a white wine usually indicates more flavour and age, although a brown wine may have gone bad. Where as time improves many red wines, it ruins most white wines. Red wines are not just red; they range from a pale red to a deep brown red, usually becoming lighter in colour as they age.
Rim colour: You can guess the age of a red wine by observing its "rim." Tilt the glass slightly and look at the edge of the wine. A purple tint may indicate youth while orange to brown indicates maturity. Swirling: Swirling the wine serves many purposes, but visually it allows you to observe the body of the wine. "Good legs" may indicate a thicker body and a higher alcohol content and/or sweetness level. Smell 
Swirl your wine. This releases molecules in the wine allowing you to smell the aroma, also called the bouquet or nose. The two main techniques that wine tasters use are:
1. Take a quick whiff and formulate an initial impression, then take a second deeper whiff or 2. Take only one deep whiff. Either way, after you smell the wine, sit back and contemplate the aroma. Don't try to "taste" the wine yet, concentrate only on what you smell. It may be difficult to describe in words when you're a novice, but after trying many wines you will notice similarities and differences. Sometimes a certain smell will be very strong with underlying hints of other smells. Take your time. By labelling an aroma you will probably remember it better. You may even want to keep a notebook of your impressions of wines, and save the labels; next time you see the wine you won't have to purchase it to know if you like it . . . or you don't! Taste The most important quality of a wine is its balance between sweetness and acidity. To get the full taste of a wine follow the following three steps:
Some serious wine connoisseurs assign a point score to a wine to determine its quality. While this method can be useful, it is in no way necessary to determine a quality wine. The more different wines you try, and the more attention you pay to each wine, the better you will become at ascertaining and describing each wine's characteristics. [ Back to the top of the page ] Serving WineWhile it may seem a trivial thing, serving wine correctly can add class to any occasion from a casual get-together with friends to a more formal wine and dinner party. Here are some things you should know about preparing, serving and pouring wine, and types of wine glasses suitable for the wines served
Wine Serving Temperatures The temperature at which a wine is served has an immense impact on its taste. Serving wine cool will mask some imperfections-good for young or cheap wine-while a warmer wine temperature allows expression of the wine's characteristics-best with an older or more expensive wine. A bottle of wine will cool 2 °C (4 °F) for every ten minutes in the refrigerator, and will warm at about this same rate when removed from the refrigerator and left at room temperature-the temperature of the room will affect the speed with which the wine warms up. If you need to chill a bottle of wine in a hurry, 35 minutes in the freezer will do the trick. Decanting Wine Decanting is pouring wine into a decorative container before serving. Decanting is typically only necessary for older wines or Ports, which contain sediment that can add bitterness to the wine. Wine decanters allow the wine to breathe and may improve the flavour of older red wines. Younger wines also benefit from the aeration and rest that decanting provides. But a wine decanter can also be used simply for aesthetic reasons. Before decanting a wine that contains sediment let the bottle rest upright allowing any sediment to sink to the bottom. Then slowing pour the wine into the decanter keeping the bottle angled to prevent any sediment from making its way into the wine decanter. The wine can be poured through cheesecloth to help filter out any wayward particles. Decanting wine should be done out of the guests' sight. Wine Glasses As important as wine serving temperatures is the type of wine glasses in which wines are served. The shape of a wine glass can impact the taste of the wine, and for this reason different types of wine are served in different glasses. 
The three main types of wine glasses are:
[ Back to the top of the page ] Wine Definitions: BasicAcidity: Describes a tart or sour taste in the mouth when total acidity of the wine is high. "Tart" and "twangy" are two descriptors for acidity.Aftertaste: The taste or flavours that linger in the mouth after the wine is tasted, spit or swallowed. May be "harsh," "hot," "soft," "lingering," "short," "smooth," or nonexistent. See also 'Finish.' Aroma: Usually refers to the particular smell of the grape variety, i.e., "appley," "raisiny," "fresh" or "tired." Body: The weight of wine in your mouth; commonly expressed as full-bodied, medium-bodied or medium-weight, or light-bodied. Bouquet: A tasting term used to describe the smell of the wine as it matures in the bottle. Finish: The taste that remains in the mouth after swallowing. A long finish indicates a wine of good quality. Legs: The viscous droplets that form and ease down the sides of the glass when the wine is swirled. Length: The amount of time the sensations of taste and aroma persist after swallowing. Mouthfeel: How a wine feels in the mouth and against the tongue. Nose: See 'Aroma' Palate: The feel and taste of wine in the mouth. Quaffer: A wine to drink (not sip). [ Back to the top of the page ] |
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