Before the Sip
Aside from a simple “Do I like this?” (though that is an important part of wine tasting as well) the savvy wine taster is looking for a variety of different pleasing aspects in each wine sample. While overall taste is the most important consideration in selecting a bottle of wine, knowing the various facets of wine tasting can help any aspiring wine connoisseur to figure out exactly what they like about individual bottles and make informed purchase decisions in the future, based on easily discernable characteristics.From the second a glass is poured in front of you, you can immediately begin to fashion an informed opinion by making simple observations about the wine’s appearance. When gauging a wine’s appearance, consider its clarity, intensity and color. Ideally, a wine will give off a clean look, in no way murky or watered down to the eye. Intensity refers to the shade of the color, whether it looks pale and weak or strong and full. When poured, the proper bottle should jump out against the transparent glass. The coloration will obviously depend on whether the wine in question is a red or white. White wines begin life at their lightest then gradually gain a more defined color as the age. Red, on the other hand, start out more purple in hue and mature to ruby red to even brownish finish. The color should correspond within reason to the appropriate age, though different bottles may naturally defer, as there is no perfectly standardized color for any wine type.Before taking a sip of the freshly poured bottle, it is also important to allow the sense of smell to weigh in, particularly since an adverse smell can adversely affect the closely linked sense of taste. A wine’s smell can also greatly enhance the sense of taste when it produces an attractive aroma. When smelling a wine be on guard for anything that smells off, particularly any indication of mold or strange odor as it could be an indication of a cork malfunction or improper storage. Like color, the intensity of smell can also be judged on a light to strong basis. A lack of smell or extremely distinct smell does not necessarily signify a good or bad bottle as long as the scent is pleasant. A learned practice derived from smelling wine is the ability to discern the flavors present into bottle. For example, an adept wine smeller may be able to pick up on hints of plums, raspberries, apples or oak within a bottle, and if he or she knows that those flavors are agreeable with that person’s palette, instant insights into taste can be expected before the wine even hits the taste buds. This can also be an impressive skill when out to a dinner with someone and choosing a wine to his or her liking.
