Wine Tasting 101

The kids are in bed, your kitchen has recovered from its war zone qualities it experienced only minutes before, and the house is ahhhh quiet. There is no better way to unwind the stresses of the day than by sitting down with a glass of your favorite chardonnay or merlot. In fact, it may even be the thing you have been looking most forward to all day.

In the comfort of your own home, you can appreciate your wine whenever and however you please. We are now in a day and age however where business is being conducted more and more in social settings and there is a certain expectation of etiquette that comes with this privilege of mixing business with pleasure. If you have a few basics down on the art of appreciating wine, chances are you will be a few steps ahead of at least a few of your colleagues. Knowing how to appreciate a good wine is not only an excellent conversation piece, but it also may just close a deal or two for you if your client perceives you as educated and seasoned on finer cultural aspects.

Knowing how to taste a good wine is an art, and one that anyone can do with a little practice. Many people feel a little foolish trying the different methods, or even feel it's too downright pretentious to spend time with a wine before you actually enjoy it. The fact is, if you know how to detect a good wine from a bad wine, how you reach that level of understanding is irrelevant as that knowledge will already place you a step above the layperson who just uncorks and imbibes. And if you already enjoy wine anyway, learning the specifics to true appreciation will only enhance your experience that much more.

What ARE the basics of good wine appreciation?

Appearance

There is so much information about a wine just from what it looks like in the glass. Ideally, wine should be poured into a clear glass and held in front of a white background such as a tablecloth or even a piece of paper so you can see its true color. As far as colors are concerned, you are going to see variations in each type of wine. Whites range from green to yellow to brown in the glass, with more color generally indicating an older wine, and subsequently, greater flavor. Red wines themselves can range from pale red or even pinkish to a deep brown, and these generally become lighter with age.

Tilt your glass just a little and observe the edge of the wine. Purple hues will indicate youth, while orange and brown tones will indicate maturity. Now swirl your wine in its glass. You will probably have already seen someone on movies or television do this by holding the stem of your glass and swirling lightly, or keeping the glass flat on the counter or table and just swishing the stem in circles. You may have even heard someone say "good legs" when commenting on a wine, and this is what you are looking for. These are markings that occur down the sides of your glass from the wine, and they look almost like little streaks. Good legs may indicate a thicker body and higher alcohol content and or a sweetness level.

Smell

There are two ways of doing this, and it definitely takes some practice. But you will get the hang of it as you move along. The swirling that you have just done for the legs, is also a good technique for sniffing. It allows the wine to get a little oxygenated which affects not only the aroma, but soon the taste. One way of smelling is to take a quick whiff to get your first impression, and then a second deeper whiff. The alternative method is simply one deep whiff.

After you smell it, take a minute to consider its aroma. It may be difficult to put into words at first, but after some practice you will begin to notice similarities and differences and even be able to pick out specific fruits or other aromas.

Taste

Ah, finally the moment you have been waiting for. The taste! Here you are going to look for a balance between sweetness and acidity. There are three steps to this technique:

· First taste or impression: This is where the wine awakens your taste buds to respond to certain sensations.

· Taste: Slosh the wine around, or purse your lips and draw in some air without swallowing. This too will take some practice, and don't worry about looking silly. The true wine connoisseur knows this technique well, and you will appear quite the intellect. Practice this at home a bit first. Once you do you will definitely notice the difference in taste when pursing, or not. This process again oxygenates your flavour and here you want to know if the wine feels light or rich, smooth or harsh.

· Aftertaste: here you want to leave the wine with your last impression. How long does the taste last? Was it pleasant or not? Any last minute feelings you have here will definitely determine whether or not you try this wine again.

And there you have it! You have just passed your Wine Tasting 101 course, and are fully equipped to go out and show the world what a cultural coo you are! Enjoy!