Order of Tasting
Tasting should begin with white wines, and
then move on to the red wines. Wines should be tasted in order
of body-style, starting with light, then medium, and then full-bodied.
(Light-bodied wines have the lowest alcoholic content, while
full-bodied wines have the highest alcoholic content.) For whites,
the order should be Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and then Chardonnay.
For reds, the tasting order would be Pinot Noir, Merlot, and
then Cabernet Sauvignon. Other orders of importance are from
dry to sweet, from young to old, from high acidity to low acidity,
from light oak to strong oak, and from low tannins to high tannins.
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Appearance
Lighter-bodied wines will be lighter in color
(e.g., a Sauvignon Blanc is lighter than a Chardonnay, and a
Pinot Noir is lighter than a Cabernet Sauvignon). Raise the
glass in front of a white background (such as a dinner napkin),
and tilt the wine away from you, noticing the color near the
rim. Check for both color and clarity. A wine that has a brownish
tinge is probably oxidized, and should be avoided.
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Before You Sip
Swirl the wine in the glass to release the
aromas. This practice is known as aerating, and helps mix the
wine with air. Notice the droplets of moisture falling back
into the glass. Strong and sweet wines stick to the glass, forming “legs” as
they flow back into the wine. This is due to the higher alcohol
level in certain wines, which adheres to the glass. Raise the
glass to your nose and smell the aromas or bouquet of the wine.
This is an important part of enjoying a glass of wine, as taste
begins with smell.
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Aroma and Flavor
For a young wine the aromas are actually the
smell of the grapes, intensified by the fermentation process.
Older wines develop more complexities (and therefore aromas
and tastes) than do young wines. Smelling the aromas of wine
will enhance the flavors soon to come with the first sip. Once
in the mouth, the tastebuds can detect a variety of flavors
and textures, such as fruitiness, acidity, bitterness and tannins.
Wine should be held in the mouth for a few seconds, and even
swirled about, to release its flavors. After swallowing the
wine, take note of the remaining flavor, which is often referred
to as the “finish.” Good wines will have a lingering,
pleasant finish, whereas lesser wines may have none at all or
even leave an objectionable flavor in one’s mouth.
The different aromas and flavors emitted by wine run the gamut
from fruit to vegetables to tobacco and leather. Elements that
create the various flavors and aromas of wine include: the varietal
of the grape(s) used, the region and vineyard in which the grapes
were grown, the fermentation process including type of barrel
used, the aging process, and the various additives and methods
used in the creation of the wine.
Fruitiness is an important characteristic when tasting wine.
Some of the more typical fruit flavors found in white wines
include apples, pears, citrus, peaches, melons, pineapples and
mangos. Red wines feature fruit flavors such as red currants,
red cherries, black cherries, black currants, blueberries, blackberries,
plums, figs, raisins and prunes.
Cool region wines generally have more acidity than wines grown
in warmer regions. Heat produces a higher sugar level, decreasing
the acidity level. Higher acidity wines taste crisper, and often
work very well accompanying many dishes. White grapes generally
have a higher acidity than do red. A good example of a varietal
high in acidity in Sauvignon Blanc.
Many wines, especially Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, are
made through the process of barrel fermentation and/or barrel
aging. The time that the wine is exposed to the oak barrels
determines the degree of oak flavor in the final product. Oak
barrels may be made of American oak, or French oak, each of
which imparts a particular flavor in the wine. Also of importance
is the size of the barrel, with the smaller barrels resulting
in a greater amount of oak flavoring of the wine. During the
production of oak barrels, the wood is heated by fire and the
interior becomes toasted. The more charring of the wood, the
stronger the presence of oak flavor will be in the finished
wine. Wines aged in oak for a good length of time will darken
a wine, produce a stronger aroma, result in a richer taste of
vanilla, and cause a fuller body texture.
Most wines can generally be classified as “dry,” meaning
without sweetness (or low residual sugar). Those wines that
are sweet include dessert wines such as Sauternes and Port,
and wines labeled as “late harvest.”
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Tannin
Tannin is a naturally occurring component of
the skins, seeds and stems of wine grapes. It is present most
often in red wines, where the juice soaks in the skins to obtain
the red color. During the aging process, the tannins bond with
the color pigment in the wine and then settle as a deposit in
the bottom of the bottle. Tannins result in an astringent, dry
texture while drinking the wine. Generally, the deeper the red
color of wine, the higher level of tannins present. As Cabernet
Sauvignon grapes have the thickest skins, the wine is most tannic.
In the making of White Zinfandel, the wine is made with very
limited contact with the skins, resulting in a light blush wine
with little tannins. Wines with heavy tannins, such as Cabernet
Sauvignon, and Red Bordeaux, often improve and soften with age,
allowing time for the tannins to integrate with the wine. Such
wines often produce sediment, which settles to the bottom of
the bottle. These wines should be decanted to leave behind the
sediment when pouring into the glass. Wines with a lower tannin
level will feel smooth, soft and silky, while those with a higher
level will seem firm and more structured.
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