Does your wine tasting room look like this ?
We all love a glass of wine. But have you ever stopped to think why you like a certain style of wine or why you like one grape variety over another ? Well, in this multi-part series of “How to Taste Wine” we will give you something to think about the next time you pick up that glass.
Hold on. This does not need to be heavy going. It should be fun, like all good stuff to do with wine. So if you want to skip all this and head straight into the tasting, go for it. However I have found that consciously thinking about what’s in the glass has increased my enjoyment of wine to a massive degree.
They say there is no substitute for experience in relation to wine tasting (a fine excuse for tasting lots of different wines) but this process can be helped by a systematic approach. I’m not suggesting you do this with every single wine as this may result in your family and/or friends throwing things at you. You can do a quick mental evaluation in company and save the more formal tasting for another more appropriate time.
We are using four of our senses when tasting wine (we will be covering each of these in later posts)
- Sight – we look at the appearance of the wine
- Smell – the aromas and bouquet of the wine
- Touch – how it feels in the mouth. Dry tannin, viscosity, bubbles, texture etc
- Taste – sweet, acidic, bitter, savoury
In an ideal scenario, we try to limit outside influences as much as possible. Its important to avoid areas competing with outside smells (try tasting something near a recently painted room – you will get definite notes of magnolia and thinners).
Natural light is always best but if thats not possible, just make sure you have sufficient light to clearly see the colour of the wine. A sheet of white paper or something plain white (gentlemen used the cuffs of their starched dress shirts in bygone days) is always good to put behind the wine as it gives a clear contrast for the wine colour.
Avoid eating and drinking strong flavoured stuff right before you start. Strong coffee, garlic, chewing gum or cigars are best avoided ! Its handy to have something neutral like crackers, water biscuits or plain bread to cleanse the palate between tastings. It gives each wine a fair chance.
ISO Tasting Glass
Smell your empty glass before you start ! This may seem strange but residue aromas of dishwasher tablets or washing up liquid can greatly change the aroma and taste of the wine. Check to make sure the glass is clear as this will also affect its appearance. A quick wipe of a clean cloth will usually do the trick. If you are feeling really flush, pour a little wine into the glass, swirl it around and then throw it out.
What glass should you use ? Its best to use a glass that will allow you to swirl the wine around a good bit and one that narrows towards the top. This shaped glass will allow the aromas to move to the top of the glass and will allow you to sniff away to your hearts content. More on sniffing in a later post. We use the ISO Tasting Glasses (see picture)
If you want to take the tasting very seriously, have a seperate glass for each wine but if not, just have some water available (skip the lemon !) to swish out the glass.
I like to keep a pen and paper nearby (actually my girls bought me a lovely leather cover notebook) and I write in my notes. These are great as when you go back to read them, it can often bring a smile to your face of happy remembrance. Did that make me sound like a nerd ? Probably.
Now for the biggie. Temperature people. Its vital ! The wines must be tasted at the correct temperature. Red wines should be at room temperature but make sure the room is not like a furnace. White wines should be tasted cool but not too cold (actually we like to taste our white wines at room temperature too as it will show up any faults that chilling may mask). If red wines are too hot, they can be jammy. If too cold, they may appear thin and lack fruit and aroma. If a wine needs to breath to show its best, make sure you open the wine in advance and decant it if necessary. Your local wine seller can help you with this advice.
What about order ? We taste white wines before reds, dry wines before sweet wines. Age is a different story. Some prefer to taste older wines before younger wines or vice versa. Its really down to whatever works for you. Some say that tasting a young powerful wine first may zap the taste buds and mask the subtlety (if its there) of an older wine. The short answer is . . . . it depends on what you are tasting.
Spit or drink ? If you are not going to drink the wine, have a little spitoon handy. A sink, a container, ice bucket – anything will do. Do not spit on the carpet. You will get in trouble for that.
Phew. All that and we haven’t even started tasting yet. Stay tuned for the next part of “How To Taste Wine”. We are going to really spoil you and allow you LOOK at the wine 
Muscat – Not just another Dessert wine!
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