What to look for in a Wine When Tasting?

When you have a good quality wine at your disposal it isn’t enough just to pour it in a glass and casually drink it. You have to understand the wine and what it has to offer to fully appreciate the taste and aromas developed during the fermentation and aging processes.

The first thing you need to know is how to hold the glass. Wine glasses should always be held by the stem. Holding the glass this way enables the wine to stay for longer at its optimal serving temperature, contrary when holding the glass by the bowl will rapidly warm up the wine and won’t let you experience the full profile of the wine.A wine tasting session is usually comprised of three sensory evaluations: visual, smell, and taste.

When doing a visual evaluation, you should tilt the glass in a way that you should see the colour of the core and the rim of the wine. This should be done against a white background for optimal inspection. You should look for clarity in the body of the wine. If a wine is hazy or cloudy it indicates an irregular fermentation and therefore a faulty wine. The colour of young red wines should be purple or ruby, and for white, it should have hints of green in its rim. If a dry wine is brown in colour be careful when tasting, it may be very old or oxidized and in that case, should be returned if served in a restaurant. Can you see legs or tears running down the side of the glass?

Despite common beliefs, legs are not an indicator of quality. It is a phenomenon caused by the alcohol evaporating at a faster rate and having a lower surface tension than water. The legs get pushed up the glass by the increased surface tension before being pulled down by gravity.To get the full blast of the aroma you should swirl the glass in a circular motion and always in one direction (the one that you are most comfortable with). This increases the interaction between the wine and the oxygen and thus developing the aroma. When taking a quick sniff don’t be embarrassed to put your nose inside the glass, this is the proper way. If the wine smells fresh and fruity that is a sign of a good wine. Are there notes of paper cartons which could indicate a corked i.e. bad wine? Is there any sign of a sherry aroma which could indicate an oxidized i.e. bad wine? Common aroma categories are fruit, floral, herbal, vegetal, and oak.

When determining the taste of the wine take a generous sip and swirl it around the mouth and tongue. It is important to swirl as our sensors for bitterness, sourness, saltiness, and sweetness are located at different areas of our tongue. Only via swirling the wine in our mouth can we fully pick up its different flavour profile. Do not swallow immediately or do not swallow at all, instead spit the wine in a designated container. This is done if you have a lot of wines to taste and if you swallow each sample the alcohol will dull your senses. You should look for the body of the wine, which means What is the weight of the wine on your palate? Is it light bodied medium of full? You should look for sweetness and here comes the word "dry" which means that the wine is less sweet not bitter as commonly misused. Red wines are usually dry. Alcohol content is manifested as a heat in the mouth. The greater this sensation the higher the alcohol content. Good acidity gives wine a good backbone as well as feelings of crispiness and freshness.

When determining the flavour you should describe if the wine is simple flavoured or does it have layers of flavour. ow long does the wine linger in your mouth after you swallowed (or spit) it? Count in seconds. Australian good wine will last 10 seconds; A great wine can last 30+ seconds!