September a transitional time of year— we begin to leave behind the sweltering heat of summer and eagerly greet fall, its cool breezes and the shifting colors of nature. Since several area wine tastings resume, fine-tuning our wine tasting skills seems a timely activity.
Tasting wine isn’t that complex. It’s about your eyes, your nose, your mouth, a glass of wine and hopefully, someone to share the wine and your impressions with.
Begin by pouring a small amount into a clear wine glass. Look at the color of the wine, its clarity. Swirl it in the glass. Notice the legs or vertical streams of liquid that form on the side. The more prominent they are and the longer they last, the higher the alcohol content, the fuller the wine’s body.
Now, vigorously swirl the wine to open-up the aromas. Get your face right down in that glass and smell the wine. Just what is it that you smell? If fruit, is it berries (what kind?), cherries, apples, melons or tropical fruit? Are there hints of spice, herbs or earthy aromas? OK, it is time to take a sip and taste it. Let it rest on your tongue for a moment and gently roll it around your mouth. Pursing your lips and drawing a little air through the wine can intensify the flavors. What flavors can you detect? Come on, you’ve tasted a lot of things in your life. What the heck do the flavors, and smells, remind you of? After you’ve swallowed, how long is the finish (aftertaste) and does it echo the same flavors, or something different? Hey, that’s largely what wine tasting is all about. Your impressions based upon remembered flavors. That’s why it’s helpful to taste as many different wines and foods as you can; it broadens your basis for comparison.
Attending a local wine tasting is an opportunity to experience other wines and allows the person serving you to learn your tastes. It’s important to find a wine seller who knows the wine they sell and makes an effort to learn what style of wines you like. It makes it much easier to find a wine that you will truly enjoy
Before you go, remember that gum, mints or toothpaste can really mess up your taste buds. . . for hours. More than a hint of perfume or cologne seriously interferes with tasting too and can kill your smeller and those of the other tasters. Imagine passing an Irish lass singing a soft, lilting ballad, then going into a Godsmack concert with the amps at full volume. When you come out you can barely hear yourself. That’s strong perfume’s effect on olfactory nerves.
I recommend that you do at least a little collecting of wines you like. It’s nice to have a few bottles on hand when unexpected needs arise, and buying more than one bottle of a favorite allows you to learn how wine develops as it matures.
So let’s raise a glass to tasting and savoring good wine. With the wide range of styles and grape varieties available, there’s something out there for pretty much everyone.
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Credit sciences.adelaide.edu
