Wine Tasting: The Basics in Wine Tasting
Wine has been a part of human culture for many, many years. It was drunk by famous people, such as Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, and it was even drunk by Jesus and his disciples. Indeed, wine has come a long way and today, it is still one of the most popular beverages in the world.
Today, many people hosts wine tasting parties to celebrate the wonderful beverage that is wine. Parties like this are quite enjoyable as you will be able to taste different kinds of wine and also experience new flavors. However, what if you dont know how to taste wine? Surely you wouldnt want to be the laughing stock at the party just because you dont know how to taste wine properly. So, here are some basics on how to taste wine.
The first step in tasting wine is by looking at the wine. Never ever fill the glass with wine. The reason for this is that when it is time for you to rim test the wine, you will need to tilt the glass to take a look at its color. Now, you can’t tilt a wine glass if it is full of wine, can you?
You need to hold the wine glass by the stem and never by the bowl. Although this may feel awkward at first, you need to remember that the purpose for this is to avoid altering the wine temperature with the warmth of your hands. Another reason is to avoid blurring the color of the wine with your fingerprints.
After observing the wine’s color, the next step is swirling the wine. The purpose for this is to release the aroma as well as the flavor. Swirling the wine will also expose the tears or the legs of the wine. The more tears or legs in the wine, the higher the amount of alcohol there is in the wine.
The next step is to smell the wine. When you swirled the wine around, you also exposed the scent of the wine. Now, stick your nose right in to the bowl of the wine and inhale deeply. About two inhalations will do. The smell of the wine will also indicate its age or its origin. The quality of the wine may also be determined by the smell alone.
After that, you are now ready for tasting the wine. Tasting the wine doesnt involve gulping everything inside the wine glass at once. It involves doing small sips on the wine and most important of all, you need to be able to taste it.
After having wine inside your mouth, you need to roll the wine around your tongue. There are three things that you need to remember when you taste the wine. The first is the first impression or what the wine tastes like when it enters your mouth, the second is the taste or the flavor of the wine when you are actually swirling the wine around your mouth and the third is the aftertaste, which is the lingering flavor after swallowing the wine.
These are the things that you need to remember when you taste wine. Remember these tips and you can be sure that you will be able to know what to do when you attend a wine tasting party.