Tasting Techniques

Wine tasting is different for every person as palates are never the same. What is wonderful to one person may not be to the next, so enjoy what tastes best to you. And learn what you want to know about wine, not what someone else thinks you should know.

There are a few basic facts that will help in choosing a wine at dinner or just for yourself at home.

The Types of Wines

First, focus on the three basic colors of wine – red, white and rose. There are sparkling wines and sweet, desert wines as well but overall, they do fit into these three categories. Second, focus on the types of wine, meaning whether they are dry, off dry or sweet.
 

Reds – They vary from deep purple in color all the way through red to mahogany or amber color. Reds actually deepen in color with age. They traditionally have a lot of darker fruit flavors.

Whites – They vary from being virtually colorless through yellow-green and on to gold or amber color. They traditionally have light or citrus fruits as well as flowers, herbs and minerals.

Rose – They vary from very light pink to almost orange and on to dark pink, almost red.

Dry – There are flavors of fruit and flowers but it does not taste of sugar or sweetness.

Off Dry – There are flavors of fruit and flowers and a hint of sugar, making it only slightly sweet.

Sweet – There are still flavors of fruit but the overwhelming taste is very sweet.

Colour and Clarity

When you are ready to taste, the first thing to look at is the color, clarity and hue. Tilt the glass over a white piece of paper to observe the true color of the wine. Often, this can give you an indication of the age of the wine. More important is whether the color appeals to you. One thing to note is that wine should not be cloudy but clear. Small amounts of sediment are ok in reds however.

Aroma, Nose and Bouquet

The next thing to do is swirl the wine in the glass. This introduces oxygen to the wine to release the aromas. Now smell the wine. You can smell it more than once to get to all possible flavors. The first impression of the wine is usually most telling in terms of how it smells. What does it remind you of? Does it smell of earth? Fruit? Flowers? Musty? Herbal? There are many different smells in wine and what you smell and identify with is what matters most.

Taste

Next take a sip of the wine. Swish it around in your mouth to get the full flavor, making sure to swish it across your whole tongue. Your tongue only has 4 areas of sensation – salt, sour, sweet, and bitter. So the more the wine touches all sections, the more you taste. Are the flavors fruitty, earthy, ripe? Are the textures smooth, harsh or acidic? Does it feel light or full in your mouth? Does it feel balanced across tastes? The other sensation to note is called a Tannin. Tannins are the harsh, dry mouth puckering feel that can be found in wines that have been aged in oak.

The Big Finish

This is the length of taste or the aftertaste left in your mouth after you have swallowed the wine. Does it linger in your mouth for a long time? A short time? Does it stay only your tongue and then flavors disappear?
 

Serving Wines

There really is no precise temperature for serving wines. It is only best to avoid extreme temperatures, be it hot or cold.

Rose should be served cold like champagne, where the glass can become slightly frosted after the wine is poured.

Red should be served between 60F and 70F degrees (slightly cooler than average room temperature) in order to taste all the flavors of the wine.

White should be served between 45F and 50F degrees (slightly warmer than average refrigerator temperature). However, the warmer the wine, the more flavors can be tasted so, this rule is not always correct.

A good rule of thumb is to take a room temperature red wine and chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. For a white wine, chill in the refrigerator, then take out about 15 minutes before serving.