While many people have drunk wine before, not everyone is familiar with the basic wine tasting etiquettes. Are you too one of them who love wine but never had the nerves to go for wine tasting? Then, you’ve landed in the right place. You must’ve seen someone sipping, sniffing and swirling a glass of wine and you must be intimidated by this, but that is not what wine tasting is all about. It is not as complex as people make it out. You just need to understand the basic principles, and we’ve got them right here for you to get you through your first wine tasting.  

Inspect the Color

When you receive the sample, don’t drink it right away. The very first step is to inspect the wine’s color, clearness and density. Tilt the glass slightly and hold it up to a neutral light or against a white background to have a look at the color variations of the wine.

If you check a white wine, the more golden colored it is, the more it’s been aged. A young white wine might be straw colored and have a green-tinged edge, while older red wine has a brownish tinge at the edge. If the wine weighs the same as water, then it’ll be fresh and light. However, a heavier and denser wine will be probably high in alcohol content. Gently swirl the wine in the glass to check its viscosity. If you notice “tears” or “legs” running down the side of your glass, this indicates that the wine has high alcohol content.

Smell the Wine

After you’ve checked the color and intensity, sniff the wine. You need to stick your nose into the glass and get a good whiff. How does it smell? Does it fresh, fruity, floral? It’s good if you feel any of these, but if it smells sweaty and stale, it’s not right. Alert the cellar door manager if you detect any hints of vinegar.

Next, swirl the wine glass to run some oxygen through the wine. You’ll notice the aromas that weren’t so apparent the first time.

There are three categories of smell:

Primary: You’ll detect fruity, herbal and floral aromas from the wine. These are the primary smell and help to identify the type of grape that has been used to make the wine.

Secondary: This smells like yoghurt, sour cream, cheese rind and bread and signal how the wine was produced. These are background flavors.  

Tertiary: This kind of smell has been created from the ageing process and includes vanilla, tobacco, cloves, mushroom and leather.

Taste It

Now you can taste the wine you’ve come this far for. Avoid a tiny sip and take a decent mouthful instead. Try to draw in oxygen with the first sip as this will bring out the full flavor of the wine. Swish the wine around your teeth and tongue to note the taste of the wine. Hold the wine for some time and if you wish to drink it, do so, or you can also spit it out into spittoons given to you. This is a good way to ensure you don’t become too intoxicated and is really important if you want to try many wines.

Compare what you taste to what you smelled earlier. Notice the flavors that stand out to you. Is it sweet, acid or both? Does it feel thin or light in the mouth or full and weighty? Also, how the texture of the wine feels like. The texture will be strong if the alcohol content is higher. Tannins also contribute to the texture and are more evident in red wine.

The freshness of the wine comes from the acidity of the wine. Occasionally, odorless acids are added to the wine to create sharpness to it. A good idea can be taken from how much your mouth waters after the sip. The more your mouth waters, more is the level of acidity of the wine.

In the end, take some time to relish the aftertaste. You can find lingering taste in good quality wines. Moreover, consider the length of time wine remains in your mouth. Longer the desirable qualities last, the higher the quality of that wine. If it has a lingering flavor, the wine has a long finish, which is considered a good thing.      

Before you reach for next glass, think about the previous one. How it felt and tasted? Do you want more of it or not? You can also give a score to the wine you tasted. The score is generally on a scale of 100, and if it is 85+, it is considered quite well. Plan your next wine tour with TastingEscapes and cherish every moment of your next wine tasting trip.   

If this is your first time, Florence wine tours are also a good option.

On ending note, wine tasting is all about enjoying yourself. So, make the most of this wonderful experience. If you are planning for a wine tasting tour, you can try wineries in Tuscany and Oregon wineries. 

Published: 2018-08-01 22:24:11