Let's just start off by saying that there really is no real wrong way in tasting wine, as for majority of people it, boils down to what's in your glass & whether you like it or not. As simple as that.
However, that being said. There is a more 'formal' way to taste wine, & I'm going to break it down for you.
It's as simple as:
- Look
- Swirl
- Smell
- Sip
The 1st happens before you even taste the wine. You just look at it. This may seem slightly absurd, as how would just looking at wine help you in tasting it right? Well, the colour of wine will be able to tell you a lot about the wine you're about to taste.
(Quick fact - Did you know that the colour of wine comes from contact with the grape skins after being juiced, ie. the longer the 'juice' is in contact with the skin, the more the skin will impart it's colour on the wine. So, if all wine never came into contact with the skins, wine would have no colour.)
So with a white wine, you're going to look at the shade of yellow.
Is it a very light & bright, almost clear or more of a deeper yellow like straw?
- the light & bright means, there was very little skin contact ensuring really crisp & refreshing wines, which typically have note been aged in wood.
- the darker & deeper yellow is an indication that white wine is aged in a wooden barrel, giving it a smoother, richer & fuller, almost creamy taste.
When it comes to red wine, you follow sort of the same principle, by looking at the shade of red.
Is there a light red, almost pink hue, or is it darker in a sense of approaching maroon or purple?
- the lighter reds should taste light & bright, maybe even slightly fresh as they have probably not been aged in barrels.
- the darker the hue, the richer & bolder the wine generally. You'd probably immediately think about having this wine with a steak. Also, the deeper the colour, the longer these wines have spent in contact with wood.
Happy 'looking'.
#WineRoutingWithLloyd
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