The Wine Tasting Page

This quick introduction is just that, a quick how-to on wine tasting. It is offered first to get you started right away.
As you enjoy a glass of your favorite wine continue on to the Wine Tasting section for information on tasting, serving temperatures, food & wine paring and more.
Sight
You can tell much about a wine simply by studying its appearance. The wine should be poured into a clear glass and held in front of a white background (a tablecloth or piece of paper will serve nicely) so that you can examine the color. The color of wine varies tremendously, even within the same type of wine. For example, white wines are not actually white; they range from green to yellow to brown. More color in a white wine usually indicates more flavor and age, although a brown wine may have gone bad. Where as time improves many red wines, it ruins most white wines. Red wines are not just red; they range from a pale red to a deep brown red, usually becoming lighter in color as they age.

Rim color
You can guess the age of a red wine by observing its "rim." Tilt the glass slightly and look at the edge of the wine. A purple tint may indicate youth while orange to brown indicates maturity.

Swirling
Swirling the wine serves many purposes, but visually it allows you to observe the body of the wine. "Good legs" may indicate a thicker body and a higher alcohol content and/or sweetness level.

Smell
Swirl your wine. This releases molecules in the wine allowing you to smell the aroma, also called the bouquet or nose. The two main techniques that wine tasters use are:

Either way, after you smell the wine, sit back and contemplate the aroma. Don't try to "taste" the wine yet, concentrate only on what you smell.
It may be difficult to describe in words when you're a novice, but after trying many wines you will notice similarities and differences. Sometimes a certain smell will be very strong with underlying hints of other smells. Take your time. By labeling an aroma you will probably remember it better. You may even want to keep a notebook of your impressions of wines, and save the labels; next time you see the wine you won't have to purchase it to know if you like it . . . or you don't!

Taste
The most important quality of a wine is its balance between sweetness and acidity. To get the full taste of a wine follow the following three steps:

1. Initial taste (or first impression): This is where the wine awakens your senses (your taste buds respond to sensations).

2. Taste: Slosh the wine around and draw in some air (even if you do look funny in front of your dinner guests). Swishing the wine around your mouth will allow all of your taste buds (and your sense of smell) to participate in the detection of the finer flavors of the wine. Examine the body and texture of the wine. Is it light or rich? Smooth or harsh?

3. Aftertaste: The taste that remains in your mouth after you have swallowed the wine. How long did the taste last? Was it pleasant?

After tasting the wine, take a moment to value its overall flavor and balance. Is the taste appropriate for that type of wine?
If the wine is very dry, is it supposed to be?

*Toast the health & happiness of friends...*
France	A votre sante (ah vote sahn-TAY )
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Spain	Salud ( sah-LUDE )

Tasting is a term used to indicate the trying of foods and drinks in the aim of recognizing their organoleptic characteristics. Organoleptic: being, affecting, or relating to qualities (as taste, color, odor, and feel) of a substance (as a food or drug) that stimulate the sense organs. In practice, it means being able to describe the sensations that these substances produce once they have been examined by our senses. Tasting is important for judging the quality of products and is still the main test today: in fact it can't be replaced by laboratory analysis. One can deduce from this that it is necessary to establish rules so that tasting is done properly. It's essential for a common language to be adopted, so that one can describe the sensations experienced in an understandable manner; for the tasting situations to be homogeneous and for the same parameters to be used so as to give as objective an analysis as possible. Wine tasting is performed to judge the quality of a wine through an organoleptic test, which is effected by our senses. The most interesting are: sight, smell and taste. Wine tasting doesn't mean drinking: once this essential concept is clear then it's easier to see why wine can't be tasted at the table while eating or at the restaurant with friends. There are various essential factors for tasting wine properly.

The place A room that is well-illuminated, possibly by incandescent lamps or candles, without recognizable odors and with a room temperature between 64°F and 68°F This means that the person tasting will not feel hot or cold, which might affect his judgment, or be conditioned by external elements.

The condition of the person He/she should have an empty stomach. So the best moment of the day is the late morning; a slight sense of hunger stimulates the senses further. No smoking or coffee before tasting, so as not to question the judgment of the bouquet of the wine. Don't put on perfume or after-shave. And, given that to fully judge a wine you need to swallow some, don't taste too many at once!

As in any other trade the wine taster has his tools of the trade. Not many, but all of them essential.

The Glass Made of glass or crystal, the essential thing is that it is smooth—without any flaws or uneven surfaces—transparent, light and with a stem, so as to be easily held.
Fluted glass for Champagne and sparkling wines,
Large bowl glass for red wines,
Smaller bowl glass for white wines.

The Wine Spittoon The name certainly isn't inviting and for those who aren't in the trade may assume an unpleasant meaning. In practice, it is a container to spit the wine that has been tasted into and which is not to be drunk so as not to take in an excessive quantity of alcohol and compromise one's judgment of the wines still to be tasted!

Bread After a series of wine samples a little bread should be eaten to rest the senses after having amply stimulated them. The ideal type of bread is Tuscan, without any salt. In its place however grissini or crackers without salt may be eaten.

The Corkscrew Provided with a spiral it can be of the most disparate shape and size. A collector's object it has also been something which has occupied important designers who have given free rein to their imagination in the attempt to create unique pieces, beautiful but often not very practical. The most suitable is the lever type, light and efficient. The only time you don't need one is to taste sparkling wines, which can easily be uncorked by hand or in extreme situations with special pliers.

Just like the wine taster, also the wine needs to be in the right condition to be tasted. The serving temperature is of fundamental importance: a wine served too warm or too cold can’t be properly judged. Usually a wine thermometer, which is inserted into the neck of the opened bottle, is used. The right temperature is essential for the organoleptic characteristics of the wine to be recognized at their best. It has been proven that a higher temperature increases the sense of sweetness while a lower temperature enhances an astringent sensation and bitter taste.

46°-48° F Light, dry white wines and spumante wines
50° F White dessert wines
52°-55° F Vintage dry white wines
53° F Rosé wines and new wines
55°-57° F Young red wines
59°-61° F Full bodied and well structured red wines
61°-65° F Vintage wines

If you need to cool a wine that is too warm the best thing to do is to put it in a bucket of ice, not in direct contact. If you have time, you can put the bottle in the fridge in a wine cooler for an hour, the use of the freezer is to be avoided since it reduces the temperature too quickly and risks ruining the contents. If the wine should be too cold, the first rule is not to expose it to sources of direct heat: it’s better to pour it into a carafe, or in extreme cases, try to warm it with warm water. Whatever you do, you should alter the temperature of the wine very gradually.

Storing Opened Wine
Once opened, wine begins to lose its taste.
If you don't finish off the bottle at once,
you can save it for a few days in the
refrigerator. This is true for red & white wines.
Let stored red wine warm for a few minutes before drinking.

The clarity: This consists of assessing the capacity of the wine to reflect light. A wine that is not limpid is a sign of errors in its production or poor conservation of the bottle.

The color: The vivacity, intensity and tonality are all judged by the color. The first regards the brightness of the color, the second the depth of color and in the last the names of the various facets of color present are given.

White wines are paper-white, light green, straw yellow-deeper or less deep golden, amber.

Rosé wines: Are classified as light pink, pale pink, creosol (colorless to yellow).

The Reds: are on a scale starting from purple, creosol and ruby to finish with garnet or orangey.

The consistency: Also called fluidity, expresses the soul of the wine. In fact by observing how the wine moves around in the glass we can give a good estimate of the alcohol content and the residual sugar present. In practice the denser the wine appears the greater the presence of alcohol and sugars.

Effervescence: In the effervescence the quality of the perlage (the bubbles!) present must be established. To do this you must see how long the bubbles last, the number of bubbles and their shape. In practice, the smaller and the longer lasting the bubbles, the better the quality.

The quality of the bouquet: Assessing the quality of the bouquet is probably the most difficult analysis for newcomers. Quality signifies the presence of clean, flawless aromas, fine and elegant, sufficiently complex to form a vast range of odorous sensations.
To define the quality of a wine the terms: excellent, very fine, fine, quite fine, ordinary, unpleasant are used.

Intensity: This refers to the potency with which the aromas present in the wine present themselves to the nose. It depends on the combination of substances contained and on the temperature at which the wine is served.
To assess the contents the terms: very intense, intense, quite intense, not very intense, tenuous are used.

Persistence: This regards the capacity of the aroma to last over time, in the nose, after swallowing.
To define it, the terms: very persistent, persistent, quite persistent, not very persistent, fleeting are used.

Recognizing the aromas perceived: The description of the aromas is the most important part of the olfactory assessment. It's a question of recognizing the nature of the perfume present, trying to compare it to an element that is known and which makes it easier to identify it. There are many terms that can be used: it is impossible to list them but it is possible to sub-divide the perfumes smelt into homogeneous groups.
The sensations might therefore be:

Fruity (reminiscent of fruit);
Floral (reminiscent of flowers);
Aromatic (reminiscent of the main smell of the vine species);
Fragrant (sensations of strongly scented flowers or crusts of bread);
Winey (linked to the smell of the must in fermentation);
Ether (produced by the combination of alcohol present in the wine);
Vegetable (reminiscent of aromatic herbs);
Spicy (can be linked to spices);
Toasted (can be traced back to wood or leather);
Animal (can be linked to the smell of fur);
Menthol-balsamic (linked to resins)

Savor The Aroma
Fill wine glasses no more than two-thirds full
The space at the top of the glass gives room for the wine's full aroma

The general structure of the wine:
This is the combination of the sensations that go to make up the body. This is formed of the alcohol and the extracts.
To describe it in terms such as thin, light, full bodied, full and robust are used.

The harmony of the various elements present:
Having finished tasting you can judge the degree of evolution of the wine.
On the basis of the various sensations analyzed you can call it young, ready, mature, aged.

The various tastes you might experience are:
Sweet, bitter, acid, and salty. Added to this are tactile sensations, which might influence the taster in a decisive manner like astringency or warmth.

The alcohol
This provides warmth and softness.
To describe the sensation of warmth terms like alcoholic, very warm, warm, light, weak are used. In a wider and more generalized description you can use terms like generous, vigorous, strong.

The sugars
Produce a sweet sensation when there is a considerable sugar residue. Otherwise they contribute to the sensation of softness, which might also become pastiness or greasy when in the right combination with the alcohol present.
To describe the sweet sensation terms like dry, slightly sweet, amiable, sweet, very sweet, sickly are used.
To describe the sensation of softness the terms: greasy, velvety, rounded, soft, hardish, deficient are used.

The acids
These produce the acid sensation.
To define it the terms: acidulous, very fresh, fresh, tasty, flat are used

The tannins
Present in red wines, they cause the sensation of astringency, which tends to be felt on the gums more or less clearly.
To define it the terms on edge, tannic, not very tannic, deficient are used.

The components of the wine should therefore be judged according to how they are balanced.

The better balanced they are, the better the final result. The balance is determined by the relationship between "hard" sensations like acidity and tannic flavors with "soft" sensations like softness and alcohol.
The final result will be expressed in terms like: harmonious, very well balanced, balanced, quite well balanced, and discordant.

The type and quality of the sensations of the aftertaste (the sensations which remain after swallowing):
After swallowing it's possible to perceive the sensation described as retro olfactory, perceived at the back of the nose.
This is used to confirm the sensations of smell present and is described in the same terms as for the quality of the aroma.

The duration (or persistence) of the final sensations:
The persistence of taste is provided by the length of time that the taste experienced remains unaltered in the mouth. For great wines the duration of the intense aromatic persistence may last as long as ten seconds or more.
To define this the terms: very persistent, persistent, quite persistent, not very persistent, short are used

The evolution of the wine:
When the tasting is over an assessment of the evolutionary stage of the wine may be given. On the basis of all the sensations analyzed, it may be judged as young, ready, mature, aged.

Traditional: The foods that link a regional dish to the wine produced in the same area.

To contrast the tastes: When the sensation of the wine contrasts precise flavors of the food. Practical examples are those contrasting the acidity of the wine with the fatty flavor, the oily taste of the food with the tannic taste of the wine or the sweetness of a dish with the effervescence of a sparkling wine.

To bring out the flavors: When the accompaniment tends to highlight the similar characteristics of the wine and food. This is the case of spicy dishes with wines with a strong bouquet, and sweet wines with puddings.

By similarity: Elaborate dishes will be served with strong, full-bodied wines, while simpler wines will accompany lighter dishes.

Hors d'oeuvres: Dry, white wines, with a low alcohol content served chilled; for vinegar-based hors d'oeuvres you must serve naturally fermented, sparkling, light red or white wines.

Soups, pasta, rice: For vegetable soups or broth, dry white wines, slightly alcoholic and light wines are suitable. For pasta or rice with a meat or tomato sauce, light red and rosé wines are perfect, served at room temperature between 59°-61° F; for plain pasta and rice, white wines are better.

Fish: Light, white wines are suitable for poached fish; for fried fish, dry white wines, full bodied and quite alcoholic, 2-3 years old served chilled. For fish soups, like cacciucco, or fish cooked in a spicy sauce, light red or rosé wines, which are not too alcoholic, are preferable. Roast fish requires strong white wines, served very cold.

Meat: White meat goes better with young, light red wines or even sparkling red wines. For stewed meats full-bodied reds, with roast meats and game red wines are perfect, more or less aged, dry and full-bodied, served at room temperature.

Eggs: White wines not too chilled are suitable for light crepes; full bodied reds with omelet’s or eggs cooked with spicy ingredients.

There are however some foods which don't go with any wine. There aren't many and the tendency at the moment is to try and find a valid accompaniment even in these particular circumstances. The most common foods of this type are:

Wine at Home

The order of wines at the table: The main rule is to serve the whites before the reds. Other rules, not always respected, suggest that younger wines should precede older ones and lighter wines be served before more alcoholic ones. At home it won't be easy to provide a wide choice of wines but for most occasions two types does more than enough, a wine for the sweet course follow a white and a red. For the aperitif, as well as the classic sparkling wine you can also offer a light white wine or if it's a long drawn out affair with savory tidbits you could even offer drinks like sherry or dry Vin Santo.

How to arrange the glasses: The glasses should be arranged to look harmonious and attractive. For your everyday table you only need two glasses, one for water and one for wine. To arrange them properly the water glass should be placed in the direction that the knife is pointing and slightly to the right, at the same height, the wine glass.

For a specially elegant table where more wines will therefore be served, the water and wine glasses should be positioned as for everyday, and between them, slightly nearer the centre of the table the glass for the second wine and still between the first two glasses but a little back the fluted glass for champagne or cup for a sweet wine. The group of four glasses will therefore look like the petals of a flower; I like the idea of them being a four-leafed clover.