Do You Even Wine Taste?

As a Winemaker, connoisseur and aficionado, I will have to declare that so many of life’s great memories are created while sharing a bottle of wine with good friends and family. Why not safeguard those occasions and document your wine tasting experiences?

Maybe you’re new to wine, or you’ve been drinking for years. Either way, how many of you truly understand the art of tasting? Now that you had time to think about your tasting skills, let’s talk about becoming a better taster and adding new lengths to your wine drinking life.

See It

Once you have wine in your glass, the first thing to do is observe. What is the color? First order is if your wine is cloudy, there may be something wrong with it. You also want to look out for any sediment or pieces of cork floating in the glass. Your ideal wine should be bright and clear.

If your white wine has more color, it typically means more flavor and age. My favorite parts of the red wine are the legs. It’s the tears that stream down the side of the glass after you swirl it. If your wine legs are thicker and slower when streaming down, it can indicate a higher alcohol level. If not, it is likely to be lighter-bodied.

The Nose

Sniffing wine before you drink it helps you experience the wine flavors better. This should be the only time you should be nosy. Don’t be afraid to really stick your nose in your glass and determine if the wine is in good condition. It should smell like wine, fruity, sweet, bitter with tannin, vanilla, caramel, earth, etc. If you ever smell a questionable aroma, don’t be afraid to ask or even return a glass or bottle.

The Art of Tasting

When you’re ready, take a nice taste in your mouth, aerate the wine in your mouth and slightly chew on it. Think about your first impression, how does it taste on your palette? You can analyze by exhaling slowly through your mouth and nose. Finally, the aftertaste; I would say this is a vital feature in observing a wine’s quality. Great wines have rich, long, and complex aftertastes.

It continues to fascinate me that we all have different palettes. It all comes down to what you really enjoy, however, now you can unite the 3 main tasting skills to your wine drinking adventures. Remember to always learn something about the wine you taste.

Now go out there, buy a wine journal, document your experiences and discover the beauty of tasting.

Cheers!

Ana A.
Arabyan Nights Wines