It was a magical evening. The meal was so perfect and delicious. You tried the wine suggested by the waiter and it was wonderful. After that perfect meal, it was an evening of wine, fun, and conversation. It was an evening that you will not forget! It was an experience with the right combination of great wine and great food that you want to happen over and over again. So how do you create that same experience? How do you create a fabulous meal? How do you know what wine you are going to like? It’s all about tasting and enjoying the wine.
Wine Tasting 101 – The Basics of Discovering The Wines You Enjoy
If you found this page then you are on a journey to discover how to taste wine and what a wonderful journey that can be. You have questions and hopefully this page will answer some of your questions.
You can experience wines from Napa and Sonoma valleys in your very own home. The BEST Wine of the Month club will deliver fine boutique wines right to your door every month. You will have the opportunity to taste amazing wines found by the club’s very own Sommeliers to find the best to be delivered to you. Go here to learn more and become a customer today!
Drinking wine is easy
But do you really know how to experience it? Finding wines you enjoy is a journey and not just grabbing a bottle from the local store and drinking it. To experience wine and what it has to offer you need to slow down. Pay attention to all of your senses. Wine is enjoyed on multiple levels that include sight, smell, the touch of the glass, how it feels in your mouth, as well as how it tastes.
There are no right or wrong ways to describe how it tastes or smells – everyone senses something different. That is what is so amazing about wine. And do not rush the tasting experience. Spend time with the wine to enjoy and experience it. Allow your senses to become fully involved in the experience. Have some fun with it and enjoy fine wines from Napa and Sonoma valleys.
The Basics
Start with a clean, clear wine glass. The rim of the glass should slope inwards to allow or funnel aromas to the nose. And allow you to swirl without spilling and making a mess.
Holding a Wine Glass
Believe it or not, there is a right way and a wrong way to hold a wine glass. And it totally does make a difference. Never hold the glass by its bowl, only by its stem. The warmth of your hand will quickly warm the Fine wine you are tasting.
When tasting several wines, beginning with the lightest white wine first. And progress to the heaviest red wines. This will allow your taste buds to become more sensitive so you can better experience each wine in the series. A sip of water between wines will clean and preserve your palate for the next wine experience.
Now pour a small amount of wine into your glass – an inch or less is best and follow the instructions below.
Sight/Color
Stare into the wine – in daylight if at all possible. The most effective way is to slightly tip the wine in the glass and hold it to the light or look at it against a white or pale background. While firmly holding the stem of the wine glass, gently swirl the glass in tiny circles on a flat surface for 10 to 20 seconds. This allows oxygen to penetrate the wine and activate the aromas in the wine and allow you to receive the fullness of them. As the wine coats the sides of the glass, it releases a gamete of aromas for you to experience. Observe the streaks of wine (legs) as they roll down the side of the glass. The legs can help you determine the body of the wine, see its clarity. What is it that you see? Is the wine clear or cloudy?
A young red wine is typically a bright-raspberry color. You will see slight tints of reddish-brown around the edges. The more a red wine ages, the more it may take on a mahogany to brick-like color. Some dessert wines and especially those that have been in oak barrels, tend to be a more golden red color.
White wines range from a light green to yellow to deep golden brown. The more a white wine ages the more it becomes more golden in color.
Smell or Sniff
Tilt the glass to you and stick your nose just above the rim of the glass and inhale. Some tasters claim that you can get more aroma by holding your nose an inch or so above the glass after swirling. They think you catch more than you would if you put your nose all the way into the glass. Try both ways to see what works for you. Also, your nose will tire very quickly. Even “off-smells” may not register after a number of sniffs so take your time and pay attention to what you smell.
Did you know that 80% of our sense of taste is actually found in our nose? The aromas can be quite different depending on how far into the glass your nose goes. What is it that you smell? There is no proper sniffing technique. Some wine connoisseurs prefer to sniff by quickly inhaling two or three times. Others prefer one deep sniff or smelling with one nostril at a time. It is all about what is best for you and your experience. Enjoy the aromas.
At the top of the glass, the smells can be more floral and fruity. Deeper in the glass, they are richer. Detect the full range of scents from berry to floral to spicy to woody and consider the intensity of the aromas. Does it appeal to you? Wine tasting is all about you and your experience and not what others are experiencing.
Sip and Taste: How to Taste Wine for the Best Experience!
The final step and probably the most enjoyable is tasting the wine! Remember to only taste the wine after using the other senses to get the most out of the wine. Sip the wine and let the wine spread across the tongue from front to back and side to side. Swirl the wine in your mouth before swallowing in order to get the full experience. Slowly allow it to seep into your taste buds.
Carefully slurp some air through puckered lips or “chew”. This slurping of air (aerating) will help to release the flavor and aromas found in the wine. Assessing the wine by taste should confirm the conclusions drawn from the appearance and smell assessments.
The very tip of the tongue detects sweetness.
The inner sides of the tongue detect sourness and/or acidity. That is why when you eat something that is acidic the sides of you tongue react.
The outer sides of the tongue detect saltiness
At this point, you can either spit out the wine (especially if you are tasting several wines) or simply swallow it. Either way be sure you take the time to experience the aftertaste – the grand finale. Professional wine tasters will not swallow the wine, but immediately spit it out.
What Different Wine Tasting Terms Mean
Sweetness
The first thing you will probably notice is the sweetness of the wine or how dry the wine is. This is determined by the amount of all natural sugar in the wine. Higher sugars in the grapes have the potential to produce higher alcohol content creating the dry flavor.
Acidity
The next sensation you will notice almost immediately is the tartness or acidity of the wine. Just think of the difference between grapefruit juice and water. The acidity may sound harsh but it is so very important in making the wine taste crisp and refreshing. If there is too much acid, the wine will taste bitter and overly sharp. If there is not enough acid, the wine will taste dull and flat.
Tannin
If you are drinking red wine, you might also notice the tannins in the wine. Tannin is a chemical that comes from the stalks, pips, and skins of red grapes. It tastes astringent and “mouth-drying”, and makes your mouth “pucker”. There are many kinds of tannin. Some tannins taste bitter. Tannins are most noticeable in young red wines. Over time, as wine ages, the tannins will “soften” and give the wine a certain full-bodied heaviness that is very enjoyable.
Alcohol Content
Alcohol is found in all wine. A moderate amount of alcohol in wine adds “sweetness” to the taste. If it’s is too high and out of balance with the tannin and fruit, then the wine will feel hot in your mouth. This makes it difficult to drink.
Aftertaste
This is the sensation that lingers in your mouth just after swallowing a sip of wine. Aftertaste is important in wine tasting because it can reveal an extra wonderful attribute or a negative fault. Sometimes certain flavors become noticeable in the aftertaste, such as chocolate. A fine wine will have a long, pleasant aftertaste. This signifies all the components of the wine are in balance.
Overall Assessment
When the aftertaste has faded, ask yourself what your overall impression of the wine is. Do you like the taste of it? Are all the attributes in balance? Ask yourself – will it improve and mellow or “open up” with age? Or is the wine ready to drink now? What kinds of food might go nicely with this wine?
Each wine experience is as unique as the person tasting it. Enjoy! Take time to find the wines that speak to you.
Fine Wines are just a few clicks away!
Now you don’t even need to leave your home. They come right to your door. And you get the benefit of amazing experiences in each and every glass! As you build up your personal wine cellar – keep in mind that each month you will have the choice of what you experience now, and what you save for tomorrow. Maybe an upcoming announcement, promotion or new achievement. Life should be full of memories and locking those in with the enhancement of fine wine is, well… magical. Enhance the party, gathering, or romantic party of two with “Direct to your Door Fine Wines” with your membership.
Go here and click on the image of the 4 women enjoying glasses of wine to learn how you can be part of this amazing opportunity and enjoy fine boutique wines now! After reviewing the video just click on the link below it to get started having fines wines delivered directly to you.
So the next time you want to create a magical event, remember to pick the wine that was just delivered to your door and create your meal. Invite good friends and sit back to enjoy! You can find some recipes here. Come back as I will be adding more!
Planning a romantic evening for that special someone? Go here to find some unique ideas.
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