How to Taste Wine
Appearance
Clarity - Is the wine bright or is it hazy and cloudy?
Apart from a home-made version, your wine should be clean and bright - any haziness or cloudiness could indicate bacterial infection but this is very uncommon today. The occurence of tartrate crystals are more common. These are small crystals which look like bits of broken glass and occur when a wine drops below a certain temperature and causes any unstable tartaric acid to crystalise. Any wine that contains these crystals may be returned to the supplier although they are quite harmless.
Intensity - Is the colour deep or pale?
Colour - What is the colour?
Look at the rim and the core (the body).
-
White wines range from pale straw, straw/yellow, yellow/gold etc.
-
Red wines range from pinky red to deep purple. The rim will range from pink or peach to brown.
Colour may indicate:
-
Age
White wines: become darker with age.
Red wines: after about 4 years, they start to display browning at the rim becoming more pronounced with time. -
Sweetness
Dessert wines tend to be darker in colour - usually golden. -
Origin
Wines from the warmer climate tend to be deeper in colour.
Nose
Freshness - Does the wine smell clean and fresh?
Two common faults may be revealed at this stage:
-
When wine comes into contact with oxygen it starts to oxidise. The first sign is a loss of fruit, aroma and flavour. This is followed by Sherry-like characteristics.
-
Fruit - What does the wine smell like?
Look for characteristics such as apples, gooseberries, lychees, pineapple, grapefruit, banana, peaches, honey, spices, nuts, butter, cream, petrol, flowers, blackcurrants, strawberries, raspberries, vanilla. These characteristics will indicate the grape variety and the production methods used.
Intensity of aroma - The greater the intensity (broadly speaking) the better the quality.
Palate
Take a mouthful of wine and swirl it around so that it contacts every part of the mouth, tongue, gums and soft palate.
Sweetness/Dryness - Is the wine dry, medium-dry, medium-sweet or sweet?
Sweetness is particularly noticeable at the tip of the tongue.
Acidity - What level is the acidity: high, medium or low?
Acidity is detected on the sides of the tongue. It gives the wine balance. High acidity is 'mouth puckering' and too tart whereas low acidity makes the wine flabby and flat. High acidity indicates that the wine is from grapes grown in a cool climate and lower acidity from a warmer climate.
Alcohol - Is the wine light, medium or full-bodied?
High alcohol makes the wine 'feel' heavy and low alcohol makes the wine 'feel' light. Full-bodied wines are more likely to come from warmer wine producing regions whereas light style wines are produced in cooler regions.
Fruit character - What are the dominant flavours?
Look for the same characteristics as on the 'nose'. These should confirm the grape variety.
For example:
-
Gooseberries = Sauvignon Blanc
-
Buttery = Chardonnay
-
Floral and petrol = Riesling
-
Spicy = Gewurztraminer
-
Blackcurrants = Cabernet Sauvignon
-
Pepper & spice = Shiraz
-
Raspberry = Pinot Noir.
Oak - Does the wine have a vanilla aroma?
Vanilla indicates that the wine was matured in new oak barrel. American oak (as used in Rioja) has a stronger vanilla aroma than French oak. Other flavours associated with oak ageing include: toasty, nutty, buttery and caramelly.
Length - How long does the flavour linger?
Usually the longer the flavours lasts the better the quality of the wine.
Tannin (RED wine only) - Does the wine have high, medium or low tannins?
Tannin is detected on the gums. High levels are very mouth drying and make the upper lip stick to the gums. Tannin is the preservative found naturally on the grape skins. Some varieties have more than others: Cabernet Sauvignon and
Wines made from high tannin varieties often need to be laid down for several years before they may be enjoyed, as they will soften with age.
