Wine Tasting Tips
Smelling wine will vastly improve your enjoyment and knowledge of wine tasting. First, gently sniff the wine.
Make a note of any first impressions, as they are often the most revealing. Holding the glass by its stem, swirl the
wine in order to help release its aromas. Then take another sniff. Note the fruit aromas you detect now. Are they
intense or relatively subdued? Is there a range of suggested "flavors" in the wine? If so, this might indicate
complexity, a sign of quality wine. Does it smell of the fruity flavors often found in a young wine, or does it
boast more mature, developed aromas such as mushrooms, leather, and diesel? Is any one smell dominant, and to you like it?
Tasting wine often confirms the impression received on the nose. Take a small sip and allow the wine to linger on your ongue and mouth. You can enhance the flavors by pursing your lips and sucking a small amount of air into your mouth. This takes practice, but is is something professional tasters encourage as the presence of oxygen amplifies the flavors experienced. If you are tasting a lot of wines in one session, it is normally sensible to spit out each wine after noting the flavors and neutralize the palate by eating a cracker of taking a sip of water. Here are some further guidelines:
*Note the sweetness of the wine, detected on the tips of the tongue. Is it dry, medium, or sweet?
*Consider the acidity, the element of a wine that keeps it fresh, detected on the sides of the tongue. Is it in balance with the rest of the flavors in the wine?
*How heavy does the wine feel in your mouth? Do you think it is light, medium, or full-bodied?
*Assess the wine's fruit qualities. Are they pure and fruity (as in a young wine), or mature and complex (as in an older one)?
*Can you recognize any individual flavors in the wine?
*With red wines, think about tannins, the drying, mouth-puckering elements picked up by your gums. Are they harsh and bitter, or in balance with the wine?
Finishing. Consider how long the flavors last in your mouth after you spit or swallow the wine. This is know as the "finish" and, in general, the longer it lasts, the better the wine.