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Wine tasting 101:


What does it mean to "taste" wine?

Tasting wine goes far beyond the flavor a particular wine has. Making wine is a very labor-intensive process, and each factor of that process contributes something to the finished product, from the soil the grape vines grew in, to when the grapes were harvested and how they were handled during harvest, to the casks the young wine aged in.

When the wine is actually in the glass, there are several factors to consider before consuming if the wine is to be appreciated for all its attributes.

Look: Color and Viscosity

Hue: Wine differs in color depending on the varieties of grapes used and the age of the wine. Red wines get their color from the skins of the grapes; once pressed for juice wine makers will allow the darker grape skins to remain in contact with the fermenting juice instead of discarding them. White wines are normally made from grapes with greener pigmentation (though not always), and the skins are not included during fermentation. This process allows for the production of oddities like white Zinfandels and other white wines made from red grape varieties.

In the glass the wine shows its age by the saturation of its color. Younger red wines will have an inky, almost purple color, which lightens to a brick red as the wine matures. Conversely, white wines grow darker as they develop, attaining richer, more decadent colors.

At the table: For your purposes as a budding wine taster, first observe the color of the wine and its saturation. How much light shines through the wine? Is the wine clear or more opaque? Guide books suggest looking at the wine against a neutral color, such as a white wall or even a piece of paper.

Great Legs: I remembered hearing something vaguely about looking at how wine flows in the glass once it is poured when I first learned about tasting wine. Turns out my shoddy memory was right! The viscosity of wine tells the potential taster several things about the wine's quality. Once swirled in the glass, the liquid will seep down the sides in a pattern often referred to as "legs":. The important thing to remember is that this characteristic doesn't necessarily tell the taster anything about the quality of the wine, but namely how much sugar and/or alcohol is present.

All wine contains some amount of sugar. Wines considered to be "dry" have less sugar and higher alcohol, as more sugar has been converted into alcohol during fermentation, (fortified wines are different, having had more alcohol added during the blending stage). The viscosity of wine is influenced by how much sugar is present; the more sugar the more syrupy the liquid will be. The same is true for a wine of higher alcohol content.

At the table: Once the wine has been poured, give it a swirl and watch the liquid on the sides of the glass as it coalesces at the bottom. In wines with more sugar or alcohol, the "legs" will be more pronounced, and the droplets will run downward slower.

Smells like...

One of the most disappointing things I learned as a child is that our sense of taste comes more from the nose than the tongue. I always thought each organ had a strict delineation of function, and the aforementioned knowledge lessened the tongue's power in my mind. However, one must persevere, especially since there are so many wonderful things to taste!

Wine, like anything that has a scent, gives off tiny participles to the air that include molecules our noses can interpret. Swirling wine around in the glass allows more air to come in contact with the wine, releasing more particles and giving the smeller a greater bouquet to consider.

At the table: The important thing to remember is not to fill the wine glasses beyond half full! Too much vigorous swirling could result in spilled wine and unfortunate stains, (coincidentally, boiling water takes out wine stains pretty well when applied soon after spilling, try it!). Once sufficiently swirled, stick you nose right in the glass and inhale deeply. Sniffing won't do any good.

Young wines will have primary aromas, relating to the grape variety. Such smells are often fruit related, and hence wines are described as smelling of blackcurrants, raspberries, and so on, or maybe simply as "fruity".
As wines age more secondary aromas develop, which may be more earthy or animalistic. I believe that the bouquet of a wine is the most enjoyable part of the experience, sometimes more so than actually tasting it. The aromas generated by a glass of fine wine can be many, intertwined in a most intimate and complex manner. The aromas of a wine take on many different forms, and very rarely does a wine smell of grapes - but that is because the grapes most of us are familiar with are table or dessert grapes, which are quite unsuitable for making wine. Chris Kissack, www.winedoctor.com

Taste

Finally, the drinking! After all this time, is there anything left to discover about the wine in your glass? One of my favorite features; the mouth-feel. My partner in wine hates me using this term, but it is an important part of tasting nearly anything, especially wine, (and chocolate, but that's a different site).

At the table: Take small to medium size sip. If it feels comfortable, slurp the wine with a great intake of air, like slurping noodles with great gusto. Hold the wine on your tongue and let the flavors register. Swirl it around so it meets every part of your mouth. Depending on the situation, either spit out the wine in to an appropriate receptacle, or swallow to enjoy the flavor on the back of your tongue. But wait, there;s more. Now that your mouth is empty, take note of any lingering flavors or aromas that remain. This is referred to as "the finish", and completes the full tasting of the wine.

How to describe wine:


Vocabulary in wine tasting is important for remembering what was good or bad about a particular wine. Starting a wine diary is helpful in keeping track of which wines you have tried and liked, or wouldn't buy again.

Sweet vs. Dry: Dryness is a confusing term in wine; how can a liquid be "dry"? In this sense dryness is more about sensation on the tongue than moisture content. Dry wines have less sugar in them, which makes them less viscous and can create a parched feeling on the tongue. Some dryness also comes from Tannins in the wine.

Body and Mouth Feel: Body relates to that mouth-feel thing I mentioned earlier, which is the quality of weight and texture the wine has. On the tongue, how does the wine feel? Is it heavy and thick, or light and refreshing? This is one of those factors that you must experienced to fully understand, and will become an essential qualifier after tasting a variety of wines.

Acidity: All wines have some amount of acid, due to the fermentation process. This characteristic gives different wines their sharpness and distinction, or can make them unpleasant to drink. Some wines that are great with specific foods are unpalatable as sipping wines, and vise versa. In certain white wines for instance, Malic acid and Lactic acid create a buttery, creamy taste and sensation.

Balance: Wines should have many different flavor components that work in concert, contributing to a well-rounded whole.

Tannins: Tannins and polyphenols are wine terms that sound too scientific for the tasting room, but having a clear understanding of these components of wine separates the wine drinkers from the gulpers. Wines that leave a dry or astringent feeling on the tongue contain a higher concentration of tannins, which are polyphenol chemicals that occur naturally in the plant world, especially in certain types of woods, coffee, tea, and wine grapes. These compounds help with the ripening of certain fruits and in aging wine. Some of the buzz about wine tannins is due to recent discoveries that these compounds are powerful antioxidents, helping to protect cells from damage by free radicals.

Further Reading: Check out The Wine Tasting Guide for even more information about wine tasting terms.

The most important thing to remember about tasting wine is if you like it or not, and would want to drink it again. Everything else is just fluff. However, it is helpful to know how to describe that fluff.

Helpful terms for your wine journal: