Look – check the colour and the clarity. Tilt the wine glass away from you and check the colour of the wine from the rim edge to the middle of the glass. The colours will range according to the strength and flavour. If it’s a red wine the colours may vary from maroon or ruby to red or even brownish. If it’s a white wine then it may range from a pale straw-like colour to a warm amber tone. Check the wine’s opacity. Is the wine watery or dark, translucent or opaque? An older red wine will be more translucent than younger red wines.
Smell – a wine’s aroma is an indicator of its quality and individual characteristics. In order to experience the full aroma, gently swirl your wine the glass (this helps release some of its natural aromas) and take a quick sniff for your first impression. Now inhale much deeper and you will be able to gain a second impression and be able to distinguish an oak aroma from a vanilla aroma.
Taste – there are three phases to tasting a wine: the Attack phase, the Evolution phase and the Finish. Start with a small sip, letting the wine roll around your tongue. In the attack phase, check to see that alcohol content, tannin levels, acidity and residual sugar balance each other and one is not overpowering the other components. The evolution phase is also called the middle range phase and is the wine’s actual taste on the palate – in this phase you are concentrating on discerning the flavours. Perhaps you detect some spicy or fruity tones. The final phase is the finish, where you can measure how long the lasting impression of the wine lasted after it is swallowed – the after taste – whether it persists or is short-lived. The finish is also about your final flavour impression.
If you think you have found the perfect wine then write down the wine’s name, producer and vintage year for future reference.
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