By Herb Pilles
A wine tasting is a fun way to learn more
about the subtle qualities of wine and move from “just drinking” to a greater
awareness and enjoyment of the unique characteristics of different wine
varieties and origins.
At your next dinner party, instead of
buying the same bottles on the two-for-one offer, carefully select two
different wines of the same grape variety, perhaps an Australian shiraz and a
French Syrah. Serve them both at the
same time - just before your main course, two glasses side by side, and let
your guests taste and compare. Or you
could choose two entirely different wines and let your guests decide which wine
to drink with their meal, and compare notes.
For a blind tasting, blindfold the
bottles, not your guests! Take two bottles of the same grape, for example, a red Burgundy and a New Zealand pinot noir, wrap each in a white napkin, and challenge
your guests to compare. You might like to identify which is the “old world” and which the “new world”. Or which is the more expensive one – not
always obvious!
These are some important things to pay
attention to in a wine tasting.
1. The
Appearance
Hold the glass up to the light, examine the colour, the clarity - cloudy, brilliant, clear, sparkly, dull? The viscosity - swirl it slightly. Does it have shapely legs (the way the wine runs down the inside of the glass)? Is it watery, oily, heavy, sparkly?
Hold the glass up to the light, examine the colour, the clarity - cloudy, brilliant, clear, sparkly, dull? The viscosity - swirl it slightly. Does it have shapely legs (the way the wine runs down the inside of the glass)? Is it watery, oily, heavy, sparkly?
2. The “Nose”
Swirl again and yes, stick your nose in the glass and breathe in deeply! Is there a distinctive, identifiable aroma? Have some fun with words: “I detect a faint hint of barnyard”, perhaps, or, blackberry, fresh bread, peaches, English leather, gasoline?
Swirl again and yes, stick your nose in the glass and breathe in deeply! Is there a distinctive, identifiable aroma? Have some fun with words: “I detect a faint hint of barnyard”, perhaps, or, blackberry, fresh bread, peaches, English leather, gasoline?
3. The Taste
For most people, this is what really matters! For white wines, is it sweet, or dry, or bone dry? Is there a balance between acidity and sweetness? For reds, is it astringent, hard, dry, soft? How is the acidity- tart, flat, refreshing? Is it full-bodied or flat and thin? When you hold the wine, do the flavours fill your mouth? After you swallow, do the flavours linger or disappear? Does the wine have a satisfying complexity, or is it simple and disappointing?
For most people, this is what really matters! For white wines, is it sweet, or dry, or bone dry? Is there a balance between acidity and sweetness? For reds, is it astringent, hard, dry, soft? How is the acidity- tart, flat, refreshing? Is it full-bodied or flat and thin? When you hold the wine, do the flavours fill your mouth? After you swallow, do the flavours linger or disappear? Does the wine have a satisfying complexity, or is it simple and disappointing?
4. Overall
Impression
After all the analyzing, it is important to bring everything together for a full picture, an overall impression of the wine. This is where you finally ask the question, “How much did you like it?”
After all the analyzing, it is important to bring everything together for a full picture, an overall impression of the wine. This is where you finally ask the question, “How much did you like it?”
All this dialogue is just fine verbally. You can get more serious and academic about
it, but really, it’s all about learning
more and enjoying more, so design a wine tasting that works for you!
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