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GUIDE TO TASTING WINE

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1. Look (Colour and Clarity :) Pour a good glug of wine into a suitable glass, and then have a look at the wine. Tilt the glass away from you and study the colour of the wine from the edges of the glass to the  middle.
   
   What colour is it? If it's a red wine is the colour maroon, purple, ruby, red, brick or even brownish? If it's a white wine is it clear, pale yellow, light green, golden, amber or brown in appearance?
   
   Still Looking at the wine, move on to the wine's opacity. Is the wine watery or dark, translucent or opaque, dull or brilliant, cloudy or clear?  Can you see sediment,  tilt your glass a bit, give it a little swirl - look again, is there sediment, bits of cork or any other floaters? An older red wine will be more translucent than younger red wines.
2. Smell: Our sense of smell is critical in understanding wine. To get a good impression of your wine's aroma, gently swirl your glass (this helps relase some of the wine's alcohol and more of its natural aromas) and then take a quick whiff to gain a first impression.
   
   Still Smelling, stick your nose down into the glass and take a deep inhale through your nose. What are your second impressions? Do you smell oak, berry, flowers, vanilla or citrus? A wine's aroma is an excellent indicator of its quality and unique characteristics. Gently swirl the wine and let the aromas mix and mingle, and sniff again.
3. Taste: Start with a small sip and let it roll around your tongue. There are three stages of taste: the Initial impression, Balance and the Finish.

• Initial impression: what is the Initial impression that the wine makes on your palate:
• Can you taste the sweetness?
  Sweetness is tasted at the tip of the tongue. It tastes sugary. It comes from the sugar in ripe grapes that is left after fermentation has finished. Is the wine dry, medium or sweet?
• Can you taste the acidity?
  Acidity is tasted on the sides of the tongue and tastes like lemons. It occurs naturally in grapes and is important to balance sweetness. White wines have more acidity than red wines. Does the wine have low, medium or high levels of acidity?
• Can you taste the tannin?
  Tannin is tasted at the back of the tongue and tastes bitter like a strong cup of tea that makes your mouth fur up. It also has the sensation of an underripe or green banana. Tannin comes from the skins of the grapes and from oak ageing. It is mainly found in red wines.
  
• Can you feel the alcohol?
  Alcohol is sensed at the back of the throat and gives a warming sensation. The higher the level of sugar in the grapes before fermentation, the higher potential alcohol the wine will have, i.e. hotter countries tend to produce wines higher in alcohol.
  Are there low, medium or high levels of alcohol? You can also see this from the 'legs' left on the sides of the glass. This is also an indication of sweetness.
• Balance is next phase; this is the wine’s actual taste on the palate. In this phase you are looking to discern the flavor profile of the wine. If it’s a red wine you may start noting fruit berry, plum, prune or fig; perhaps some spice – pepper, clove, cinnamon, or maybe a woody flavor like oak, cedar, or a detectable smokiness. For white wine you may taste apple, pear, tropical or citrus fruits, or the taste may be more floral in nature or consist of honey, butter, herbs or a bit of earthiness.
• Length or Finish: The wine's finish is how long the flavor impression lasts after it is swallowed. This is where the wine culminates, where the aftertaste comes into play. Did it last several seconds? Was it light-bodied (like water) or full-bodied (like the consistency of milk)? Can you taste the remnant of the wine on the back of your mouth and throat? Do you want another sip or was the wine too bitter at the end? What was your last flavor impression – fruit, butter, oak? Does the taste persist or is it short-lived?
• After you have taken the time to taste your wine, you might record some of your impressions. Did you like the wine overall? Was it sweet, sour or bitter? How was the wine's acidity? Was it well balanced? Does it taste better with cheese, bread or a heavy meal? Will you buy it again? If so, jot the wine's name, producer and vintage year down for future reference.

KEY TASTING TERMS

Sweetness: Tasted at the tip of the tongue and tastes sugary. The taste comes from the sugar in ripe grapes that is left after fermentation has finished. You can sometimes spot residual sugar from the 'legs' left on the sides of the glass. This is also an indication of alcohol or the level of fruit extract.

Acidity: Sensed on the sides of the tongue - can taste almost citric. It occurs naturally in grapes and is important to balance sweetness. White wines have more acidity than red wines.

Tannin: Tasted at the back of the tongue and tastes bitter like a strong cup of tea. Also has a drying effect on the gums. It comes from the pips and skins of the grapes and from oak ageing. It is mainly found in red wines.

Alcohol: Felt at the back of the throat, giving a warming sensation. The higher the level of sugar in the grapes before fermentation, the higher potential alcohol the wine will have, i.e. hotter countries tend to produce wines higher in alcohol. You can also see this from the 'legs' left on the sides of the glass.

Length: 'Length' is how long you can taste the wine once you have swallowed (or spat it out). It gives an indication of quality. The longer the length, the higher the quality.

Body: Weight and fullness of wine on the palate.

Balance: When all of the wine's component parts (e.g. sweetness, acidity, tannins) blend together. This is a sign of quality. This can take time. A wine is mature when it has achieved optimal balance.

 

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