As a wine lover, I never really considered wine tasting to be something I'd enjoy, surprisingly. I'm all for sticking to what I know rather than deviating and trying something new. The only way I thought I'd be able to appreciate a good wine and take myself well out of my comfort zone is to do a spot of wine tasting.
It's more of an art in the industry, with people doing it for a living (sounds good to me, haha). The only thing is, I think professional wine tasters don't actually consume the wine, they give it a taste and then spit it back out! In my guide, it involves drinking the wine, not spitting it out, haha!
Anyway, with that in mind, I hope you enjoy the experience. I like to do this if I try a new wine, just to try and get a feel for it and decide whether I like it or not. Hopefully, you'll be able to appreciate the wine you have with some of these basic tips :)
Take a look at the colour
The appearance of wine says a lot about the wine you're trying. You should look at it and think about its: colour, opacity and viscosity. If you're trying a white wine and it's golden in colour, then it means it's slightly older and more complex. The same goes for red wine when it's deep in colour - it means its aged and slightly heavier.
You should also look at the resistance of it around the wine glass. Pick up the glass an gently swirl it around. See how it clings to the edges or doesn't. Does it leave a slight hue of colour or does it slide smoothly back and forth?
How heavy does the wine feel in the glass? Is it like the weight of water? If yes, then it indicates it's light and fresh. If, however, it's a bit more dense, almost like syrup, then it's full-bodied, rich in taste and, probably, high in alcohol content when compared to physically lighter wines.
You don't really need to spend long on this step. A good few seconds will usually do the trick. It just helps you to determine what the wine will taste like and how heavy it is before it hits your lips. Usually, you can tell whether or not you're going to like it going by this step alone.
Give it a smell
Your nose will tell you a lot about the wine you're about to drink. You might even be able to tell whether you're going to like or not based purely on look and smell, but don't let that put you off giving it a try. If you give the glass a bit of a swirl before you try it, then you might be able to pick out one or more of the following aromas:
- Primary aromas - fruity, floral, herbal notes
- Secondary aromas - smells produced as a result of the wine-making process, so you could get wafts of: freshly baked bread, sour cream or even yoghurt
- Tertiary aromas - cloves, vanilla, spices, tobacco, roasted nuts, leather, caramel, chocolate notes
Have a taste
Now for the best bit - tasting! There are some things you should keep in mind when trying your wine in order to get the most out of the experience. The most important aspects of wine tasting include:
- Body - how does the wine feel in your mouth? Does it feel creamy or sharp?
- Tannicity - this focuses more on the texture of the wine. Does it stick to your teeth or slide right off? Tannins are young, red berries that can either be harsh and sour or fine and velvety
- Acidity - this focuses on how tart or puckering the wine might be. If it's been made with citrus fruit, then it will be more acidic than a wine that has been made with berries. The acidity is what determines how fresh and light the wine is
What do you think?
Once you've followed all of these steps, you'll be able to decide whether or not you like the wine. This is usually when, in a restaurant, you decide whether or not to get a bottle of the stuff, opt for a glass or maybe choose something else that suits your palette better. So there you have it! A quick and simple guide to wine tasting for beginners :)
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I hope you enjoyed this blog post? Let me know in the comments whether or not you've given this a try and now look at wine in a different light! I'll see you again soon with a brand new blog post :)
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