Wine tasting can be a fun and relaxing way to enjoy the finer things in life. From the appearance of the wine in the glass to the lingering aftertaste, there are so many factors that go into tasting wine. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to taste wine like an expert!
The Ideal Wine-Tasting Environment
Appreciating a glass of wine starts with the preparation of your tasting environment. Minimize smells that can take away from the true scents and flavors of the wine by limiting particularly pungent odors like perfumes, colognes, tobacco smoke, and strongly scented cleaning products.
Choose a setting with low noise levels - soft music is fine, but no televisions or raucous conversation should be present.
The lighting should also be subtle so your sense of sight is not affected as you assess the different characteristics of the wine.
Setting up an appropriate atmosphere with these considerations in mind provides an atmosphere that optimizes all five senses to experience, appreciate and taste each layer of flavor found in a glass.
Wine Glasses
Speaking of glasses, they can make a big difference in your wine-tasting experience. You want a glass with a stem, a large enough bowl to get lots of surface contact, and a tapered top. This shape will maximize the aroma of the wine you are tasting.
Click here to see a great glass for wine tasting.
1. Appearance: Looking at the Color, Clarity, and Legs of the Wine
The first step in wine tasting is looking at the appearance of your glass. This includes noticing the color and body of the wine as well as its clarity and sparkle. You can also determine its alcohol content by looking for “legs” or “tears” on the sides of your glass. Thicker streaks of liquid running down the side of the bowl mean a fuller-bodied (higher alcohol) or sweeter wine.
The color of the wine you are about to taste can give you some clues about the wine's age and intensity.
Red wines range in color from bright red with a slight purple tint to almost brown. A bright red wine means the wine is young, while an older red wine will be darker with more brown mixed with red.
White wines also range in color from light straw color to a yellowish-gold color. A light color indicates the wine is young and fresh, while a darker color means the wine has been aged longer, which can lead to more intense flavors. An orange-colored wine signals that grape skin was left in contact with a white grape.
If the color near the edge of your wine glass is very light it means that the wine is not very strong in terms of color, hence it may not be very full-bodied in terms of flavor and body.
2. Scent/Aroma: Swirling and Concentrating on the Aromas
Once you have taken note of its physical characteristics, it’s time to swirl and smell your wine.
In this phase of wine tasting, it is important that your wine is at the correct temperature. A cold wine releases fewer volatile chemicals that create the wine's aroma. If the wine is cold, hold the bowl of the wine glass in your hands until it begins to warm, and you can sense an increase in aromas.
White wines usually have fruity, floral, or grassy aromas, while red wines have more spice or nutty aromas under the initial red or black fruit. Other possible scents you may detect are earthiness, oakiness, and smokey notes. Take your time here – concentrate on each aroma before moving on to taste.
If you want to quickly achieve a high-level understanding of wine aromas, a tasting kit can help. Here is a link to one of the better wine-tasting kits available online.
3. Taste: Sweet, Sour, Bitter Components
Now comes one of the most important parts – taking a sip and swishing it around your mouth before swallowing it in order to identify sweet, sour, and bitter components.
Balance is key to a good wine; no single flavor should overpower any other flavors (i.e., no sharpness).
You also want to note the aftertaste. Identify lingering flavors and think about the balance in the wine once you swallow your sip. Let it linger in your mouth before swallowing again – this will help you identify aftertaste notes better than if swallowed quickly.
A well-balanced aftertaste is an important part of enjoying a good wine; what kind of flavors do you pick up? Is there sweetness? Any bitterness? Does your mouth feel like it's been dried out?
The Importance Of BLIC
Balance, length, intensity, and complexity are all important aspects of high-quality wine.
- Balance refers to the balance between different components in a wine – fruits, acids, tannins, and alcohol.
- Length refers to the time it takes for the wine's flavors to linger on the palate – a longer length indicates more body and complexity.
- Intensity is about flavor and aroma strength and is usually associated with quality; powerful wines exhibiting strong intensity can be quite enjoyable.
- Complexity is about a wine's range of aromas and flavor elements that add subtle nuances as you work through each sip.
Considering all these things will ensure you always buy or drink excellent quality wines with balance, length, intensity, and complexity.
Conclusion
With this guide in hand, you can become a better taster in no time! By exploring all four steps (appearance, smell/aroma, taste, aftertaste) with every sip, you will learn how to appreciate each unique vintage better – leading to more enjoyable tasting experiences! So next time you pour yourself a glass of red or white (or rosé!) make sure to follow these steps closely so that you can get the most out of every sip!
