Tasting Wine
If there's one thing about wine that people are most mystified and
intimidated by, it's probably wine tasting. Sure, there's a lot of
high-sounding language thrown around, but when you get down to
it, it's about learning what it is you really like.
If there's one thing about wine that people are most mystified and
intimidated by, it's probably wine tasting. Sure, there's a lot of
high-sounding language thrown around, but when you get down to
it, it's about learning what it is you really like.
Order and Timing
In general, the best time to taste wines is before a meal. After a meal your
taste buds will be affected by what you have been eating and can impair your
judgment of the wine. Tasting order is important. Heavy or sweet wines can
overpower lighter ones and taint your assessment. It's best therefore to taste
in the following order
How can you tell beforehand which wines are heavier? Heavy are deeper, or
"inkier," in color and usually have a stronger aroma. Sweet or heavy wines tend
to leave streaks (called "legs") down the inside of the glass.
When you're ready to taste, pour only a small amount into the tasting glass at a
time. This will help you with the next steps.
The five basic steps go in the following order:
Art Imitates Life
This funny clip from the award-winning film, Sideways, actually shows a pretty
realistic, if a little over-the-top, wine-tasting scene. At your first wine tasting, do
what the character, Miles, does, but with more restraint. Watch, learn and
laugh.
Visual Characteristics
Holding the glass of wine up to the light or against a light background allows
you to check for:
Clarity: The wine should be "bright" and healthy looking and not cloudy.
Intensity: The depth or paleness of the wine. Different wines should have
different intensity, depending on the variety. A heavy wine like a Merlot should
have an intense color, while a lighter wine such as a Pinot Noir will likely have
a paler look.
Color: Look at "rim" of the wine -- where the liquid meets the air. This is most
easily done by holding the glass at an angle and looking at the wine nearest
the rim of the glass. Most red wines start off purple but change with age to red,
oxblood and brown.
Tactile Characteristics
Keeping the base of the glass flat, give the wine a little swirl, just a few times.
Watch as the wine washes up toward the rim of the glass and then sinks back
down. Note the streaks that coat the inside of the glass. Do they fall back down
quickly? Or do they stay there a while. "Streaky" wines are said to have "legs."
Heavier wines and sweet are expected to have good legs. The swirling also
releases aromas in the glass and sets you up for the next step.
Aromatic Characteristics
A wine's aroma or smell is often called its "nose." Put your nose right into the
rim of the glass and inhale gently and slowly, but deeply. Note the wine's
Condition: Check for any musty, earthy, or unpleasant aromas that might
indicate that the wine is "corked," or gone bad in the bottle
Intensity: The nose should be full and not weak, although, as with color, a
heavier wines will have a fuller nose than a lighter one.
Character: After some practice, you ought to be able recognize certain fruit and
floral characteristics -- flowers, cherries, berries, citrus and so forth.
Flavor Characteristics
A wine's taste is called its "palate." After you've poured the wine into the glass,
you'll want to wait a few minutes to let it "breathe;" that is, allow oxygen to act
on the wine, which has been shut up in it bottle for months or years. Take
small sip and let the wine roll around in your mouth. Different areas of your
tongue taste different flavors. Note the flavors the same way you noted the
aromas.
All wines have these basic flavors in differing intensities:
Sweetness
As the name implies.
Dryness
The opposite of "sweetness." A dry wine contains little or no residual sugar. Dry
wines work well in company with food.
Acidity
The tartness that the wine's natural acidity imparts and that gives the wine a
sense of body and structure. Required for proper balance; too much or too little
constitutes a flaw.
Tannin
The degree of tannic acid in the wine. A too-tannic wine can impart a rather
"raspy" feel in the mouth.
Weight or Body
The overall texture of wine in the mouth. It is most
influenced by alcohol, glycerin and, in the case of dessert wines, sugar. Wines
can be "light-bodied," "medium-bodied" or "full-bodied."
Fruit
The general fruitiness of the wine. Wines with lots of fruit are sometimes
called "fruit forward," but that's a pretty fruity term, if you ask me. Note that
fruitiness is not the same as sweetness.
Terroir
Experienced tasters can even assess the characteristic that region, climate,
soil, vintage, and handling techniques -- terroir -- that were present when the
wine was made. Terroir will affect all characteristics of the wine. (See also:
Regions.)
Temperature
Red wines should be served "wine cellar cool," between 16°C and 18°C (60
and 64°F). White wines should be served at average refrigerator temperature,
or a little higher. Sparkling wines should always be good and chilled.
Tips
One exercise that's good for the budding oenophile is to try the same varietal
from different places. A good example is Cabernet Sauvignon, which is grown
almost the world over. You'll find that a California Cab and a Cab from, say,
Argentina are very different. This is a good way to educated yourself on
different terroir.
For a complete list of tasting terms, see the Lexicon
In general, the best time to taste wines is before a meal. After a meal your
taste buds will be affected by what you have been eating and can impair your
judgment of the wine. Tasting order is important. Heavy or sweet wines can
overpower lighter ones and taint your assessment. It's best therefore to taste
in the following order
- Sparkling white wines
- Light white wines (such as Pinto Gris)
- Heavier white wines (such as Chardonnay or Riesling)
- Rosés
- Light reds (like Pinto Noir)
- Heavier reds (Merlot, Cabernet)
- Sweet, dessert and fortified wines
How can you tell beforehand which wines are heavier? Heavy are deeper, or
"inkier," in color and usually have a stronger aroma. Sweet or heavy wines tend
to leave streaks (called "legs") down the inside of the glass.
When you're ready to taste, pour only a small amount into the tasting glass at a
time. This will help you with the next steps.
The five basic steps go in the following order:
- Color -- Assesses the wine's visual characteristics
- Swirl -- Assesses its viscosity and tactile character, it's "legs," and
helps release the "nose" - Smell -- Assesses the visual character
- Taste -- Assesses flavor characteristics
- Savour -- Assesses the wines "finish" or aftertaste
Art Imitates Life
This funny clip from the award-winning film, Sideways, actually shows a pretty
realistic, if a little over-the-top, wine-tasting scene. At your first wine tasting, do
what the character, Miles, does, but with more restraint. Watch, learn and
laugh.
Visual Characteristics
Holding the glass of wine up to the light or against a light background allows
you to check for:
Clarity: The wine should be "bright" and healthy looking and not cloudy.
Intensity: The depth or paleness of the wine. Different wines should have
different intensity, depending on the variety. A heavy wine like a Merlot should
have an intense color, while a lighter wine such as a Pinot Noir will likely have
a paler look.
Color: Look at "rim" of the wine -- where the liquid meets the air. This is most
easily done by holding the glass at an angle and looking at the wine nearest
the rim of the glass. Most red wines start off purple but change with age to red,
oxblood and brown.
Tactile Characteristics
Keeping the base of the glass flat, give the wine a little swirl, just a few times.
Watch as the wine washes up toward the rim of the glass and then sinks back
down. Note the streaks that coat the inside of the glass. Do they fall back down
quickly? Or do they stay there a while. "Streaky" wines are said to have "legs."
Heavier wines and sweet are expected to have good legs. The swirling also
releases aromas in the glass and sets you up for the next step.
- Snob Tip: It's considered tacky in the wine world to swirl your glass
while the base is resting on the table. I have no idea why. Just do
yourself a favor and swirl off-table.
Aromatic Characteristics
A wine's aroma or smell is often called its "nose." Put your nose right into the
rim of the glass and inhale gently and slowly, but deeply. Note the wine's
Condition: Check for any musty, earthy, or unpleasant aromas that might
indicate that the wine is "corked," or gone bad in the bottle
Intensity: The nose should be full and not weak, although, as with color, a
heavier wines will have a fuller nose than a lighter one.
Character: After some practice, you ought to be able recognize certain fruit and
floral characteristics -- flowers, cherries, berries, citrus and so forth.
Flavor Characteristics
A wine's taste is called its "palate." After you've poured the wine into the glass,
you'll want to wait a few minutes to let it "breathe;" that is, allow oxygen to act
on the wine, which has been shut up in it bottle for months or years. Take
small sip and let the wine roll around in your mouth. Different areas of your
tongue taste different flavors. Note the flavors the same way you noted the
aromas.
All wines have these basic flavors in differing intensities:
Sweetness
As the name implies.
Dryness
The opposite of "sweetness." A dry wine contains little or no residual sugar. Dry
wines work well in company with food.
Acidity
The tartness that the wine's natural acidity imparts and that gives the wine a
sense of body and structure. Required for proper balance; too much or too little
constitutes a flaw.
Tannin
The degree of tannic acid in the wine. A too-tannic wine can impart a rather
"raspy" feel in the mouth.
Weight or Body
The overall texture of wine in the mouth. It is most
influenced by alcohol, glycerin and, in the case of dessert wines, sugar. Wines
can be "light-bodied," "medium-bodied" or "full-bodied."
Fruit
The general fruitiness of the wine. Wines with lots of fruit are sometimes
called "fruit forward," but that's a pretty fruity term, if you ask me. Note that
fruitiness is not the same as sweetness.
Terroir
Experienced tasters can even assess the characteristic that region, climate,
soil, vintage, and handling techniques -- terroir -- that were present when the
wine was made. Terroir will affect all characteristics of the wine. (See also:
Regions.)
Temperature
Red wines should be served "wine cellar cool," between 16°C and 18°C (60
and 64°F). White wines should be served at average refrigerator temperature,
or a little higher. Sparkling wines should always be good and chilled.
Tips
One exercise that's good for the budding oenophile is to try the same varietal
from different places. A good example is Cabernet Sauvignon, which is grown
almost the world over. You'll find that a California Cab and a Cab from, say,
Argentina are very different. This is a good way to educated yourself on
different terroir.
For a complete list of tasting terms, see the Lexicon
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Tasting Terms
For a complete list
of tasting and other
terms, see the
Lexicon »
For a complete list
of tasting and other
terms, see the
Lexicon »
Stuff You'll Need
Like every activity, wine tasting requires its own set of tools. Luckily most of
these are common household items. You will want stemware glasses, food
(such cheese & crackers, etc.), writing materials (if you want to take notes),
water to drink between wines, something to spit in and dump unused wine in,
and a white table cloth. For more detail, see Essential Gear.
Like every activity, wine tasting requires its own set of tools. Luckily most of
these are common household items. You will want stemware glasses, food
(such cheese & crackers, etc.), writing materials (if you want to take notes),
water to drink between wines, something to spit in and dump unused wine in,
and a white table cloth. For more detail, see Essential Gear.
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