Skill in the art of wine tasting doesn’t require a degree in oenology (the science of winemaking). If you listen to professional winetasters, it’s easy to get that impression. Bouquet, clarity, earthy, crisp, open, nostalgic—
take a deep breath, get comfortable, and be prepared to learn some odd new definitions for familiar words and to hone your senses.
One of the best ways to expand your wine tasting experience is to join a wine club, that will send you different wines on a regular basis. Each new delivery, you can practice youer new wine tasting skills to evaluate and choose yur favorite wines.
Serving the Wine
Starting out, if you can, let someone knowledgeable decide how to serve. To do even that skillfully requires a little education and experience. Some need to be served room temperature (reds usually), some chilled (whites in general). By room temperature, we mean a slightly cooler room—60°F is good for reds—and by ‘chilled’ we don’t mean frozen; start at 50°F and adjust to taste.
Some should be served right away (whites with many exceptions), and some (reds again with exceptions) allowed to breathe—sit in an uncorked bottle, exposed to air—for up to fifteen minutes or more. Some even need decanting (filtering out sediment) before being served (ports and wines that have aged considerably).
Pour into an ordinary wine glass, no more than half full, and swirl a bit to generate some additional ‘winey’ vapor. Avoid heavy cut glasses so you can see well. Then examine the color. Is it clear? Hazy? Opaque?
Tapping into the Senses
Take a short sniff; some waft the vapors into the nose rather than hold it directly over the opening. Experiment—focus your attention by closing your eyes. This helps one to focus on the other two senses of taste and smell.
Try to identify the odor. Is it fruity like grapes or apples or oranges? Chardonnay sometimes reminds one of apples or figs (especially when aged in oak). Others, like Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlots evoke the woody smells of cedar or pine needles. Syrah puts some in mind of ground black pepper or floral scents.
It’s not entirely subjective—there’s often wide agreement among experts and amateurs alike, but impressions differ on degree.
Time to Taste
Now take a sip and run it around the tongue to get many different kinds of taste buds involved. Does the Zinfandel remind you of berries? Or, maybe you’re trying a Pinot Noir from Burgundy, with a suggestion of violets. A Gewürztraminer evokes peaches to some, a Chenin Blanc orange blossoms to others.
Set aside or finish the wine and come back another day. Don’t try too much or too many at one time. One per day is preferred but a slow way to learn; certainly no more than three, otherwise your ability to discern differences will be too diminished.
The next day, try some reds and concentrate on sensing that oak storage cask. Some California reds have hints of chocolate or coffee. A fine Merlot may carry a ‘tarry’ quality preferred by those that favor strong scents.
In every case, subtlety is the watchword of the day. Good wines don’t hit the nose over the head—so to speak. Before long, you’ll find yourself with pinky raised tossing around ‘zesty’, ‘shy’—and ‘brave’ like an expert.
Wine Tasting Technique
Provide these tasting techniques for your wine tasting party guests:
1~ Notice the color of the wine as you tilt your glass to see the wine from its very thinnest and lightest to its deepest color.
2~ Gently swirl the wine inside the bowl of the glass to coat the sides. Notice how quickly or slowly the wine filters down after you stop swirling. (These rivulets are called “legs.”) Then lift the glass to your nose to inhale the aroma and take note of what scent first makes itself known to you.
3~ Take a drink and slosh the wine throughout your mouth. This method helps to bring the wine to all parts of the mouth and tongue, allowing each taste sensation to be detected. You may have seen tasters take air in through the mouth; this further intensifies the flavors and enhances the interpretation.
4~ Take note of how long the flavor of the wine stays in your mouth. This is referred to as the “finish,” and will leave the last impression of the wine with you.
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