Wine tasting is an activity which should involve most of your senses. To fully experience a wine, you must involve the sight, smell, and taste of the drink. The more wines that you taste, the better acquainted you will become with what to look for in a good wine. Utilize these three senses, and you will have an incredible tasting adventure.
The first sense is naturally the first one that you would use. This is sight. It's important to look at your wine. Pour the wine into a nice and clear wine glass. Examine the color. Look past the basic red, white, or blush color. If it is red, is it purplish, brick red, or even brownish? If it is white, is it clear, amber, or golden in shade? Once you establish the color of the wine, look at its clarity. Is it opaque, clear, or cloudy? Older wines will tend to be clearer than younger wines.
Now that you have examined the wine with your eyes, examine it with your nose. Swirl the wine in the glass to help release the natural aromas. After swirling take a quick smell. What is your first impression of the smell? Once your initial reaction has taken place, place your nose deeper into the glass and inhale slowly. Use your second impression for a more thorough study of the aromas as they mingle. Swirl the wine again and repeat the process if desired.
The final phase is more complex than the previous two because it involves tasting the wine. The initial reaction in your mouth will notice the alcohol, tannin levels, acidity, and sugar. These components must balance each other well for a good first impression. They create a sense of intensity, firmness, lightness, and crispness of the wine rather than a specific flavor. The second part of the tasting discerns the flavor of the wine. A red wine may taste fruity or woody, while white wines will use more citrus and herb flavors. The final part of the tasting experience is the finish. After you swallow, think what the last flavor you tasted was. How is the aftertaste of the wine? Reflect upon the overall balance of the wine. And finally, did you enjoy it and will you buy the wine again?
Wine tasting is not a gift, but rather a honed skill that takes time and practice to improve. There is no shame in just starting out. There is room for every experience level in wine tasting. That's the beauty of it. Everyone knows how to drink; all you need to do is practice refining the manner in which you drink wine. With these basic tips, anyone can launch out into the world of wine tasting without feeling too confused. Just remember to keep an open mind and a curious palate as you begin the art of learning how to really taste and enjoy wines.