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What’s the easiest way to identify your preferences in wine? Trial and error! Sure, you can learn the basics about wine from reading books, visiting websites (which is a great place to buy wine online once you’ve made a decision) or based on recommendations from friends. But nothing will increase your knowledge and spark your love for wine like good old-fashioned wine tasting, regardless of where you choose to do it. Even if you are a novice, wine-tasting is a great way to jumpstart your voyage and deepen your appreciation for ‘the grape”.
The basics of wine tasting are really very simple and draw on three of our basic senses: sight, smell and taste. Did you realize that you can smell thousands of scents – each unique to each other – but your taste perception is limited to salty, sweet, sour and bitter? It’s a combination of the two that produce what we refer to as “flavor”.
Jot it down! First and very important…always take a pen/paper or PDA with you to record notes detailing what you do and don’t like. This will prove to be very helpful when attending future tastings.
You’ve got the look! Much like the qualities found in the many facets of a brilliant diamond, wine tasting focuses on “color and clarity”. When the server hands you your glass, really examine it while tilting the glass away from you. Feel the color of the wine…observe its opacity - is it translucent or opaque…dull or brilliant…watery or dark…cloudy or clear? Tilt it again and give it a swirl…do you notice any sediment?
Take time to stop and smell the wine! This is a critical step in wine analysis. Once again, swirl your glass to release the wine’s natural aroma and take a quick whiff….what’s your first impression? Now really zoom into the glass and inhale deeply…second impression? Try to identify scents of berry, oak, flowers or citrus. Swirl it one last time to mix and mingle the natural aromas and sniff again.
Let’s talk taste! Finally…the moment you’ve been waiting for…it’s time to taste the wine. It’s always best to start with a small sip…let it dance on your tongue…while you consider the three phases of tasting. “The Attack Phase”…what’s the initial sensation on your palate? “The Evolution Phase”…what are you actually tasting…pear, cinnamon, woody oak, earthiness or spice? “The Finish”…how long does the flavor remain after you’ve swallowed the wine?
Keep in mind that perception is everything in wine tasting and there is no right or wrong answer. There is no “perfect” wine or “bad” wine…it’s all based on your perception…your likes and dislikes. If you fully engage your senses in the experience, you can’t go wrong.
Congratulations…you’re on your way to becoming an oenophile! (No, that’s not a bad thing!)
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