One of the fastest ways to develop a knowledge base of the wines you love is to taste them. This can be a lot of fun. Go to your local wine and liquor store; Gather up a bunch of bottles and head home for a night of tasting adventures. You may have more success asking the wine clerk for suggestions or checking the ratings posted on the containers in the store. Check out wine reviews online (Wine Library TV is a good place to start) or check out what the experts are saying in wine publications like Wine Spectator. Depending on your preferred learning method, you may find it useful to do a vertical tasting, which means trying wines of the same variety but different vintages.
There’s no shame in doing a solo taste test at home (just make sure you spit out the wine or you won’t be able to remember what you liked and what you didn’t!). It’s also a great way to spend the night with a friend or partner. Well, now you have your bottles of wine. Before you start tasting, take a moment to familiarize yourself with the proper way to taste wine. These techniques really help you appreciate wine, they’re not just to make you look smart (although they certainly do).
Tasting Basics
“For the home taster, conducting a blind tasting is a great way to sharpen your tasting skills, but it’s not essential if your goal is simply to learn about wine,” says Peter Meltzer, Wine Spectator’s wine critic, in his Prime Time: Bookseller, author of Keys to the Cellar. “It’s best to first grasp the salient characteristics of different varietals and vintages by tasting a series of related bottles in a non-pressure environment to develop personal preferences.”
Jim Kennedy, president of BaggedWine.com, argues the advantages of doing a blind tasting. He says that blind tastings are the best wine to taste the wine rather than the marketing effort behind the wine. “When blind tasting, you should only try one variety at a time to make sure the process isn’t too complex for those in the tasting,” he says. “This is meant to be fun rather than feel like a sommelier’s test.”
The wine is evaluated by its color, aroma, palate and aftertaste. To fully appreciate a wine’s characteristics, Meltzer recommends tasting white wines at cellar temperature (about 55 degrees) and reds at about 65-70 degrees so as not to compromise the aromas and flavors of the wine. And, if he’s really serious, he’ll skip the cologne and perfume, as they interfere with the aroma of the wine’s bouquet.
let your nose do the talking
Meltzer says to hold the wine glass by the stem (holding it by the bowl leaves stains, darkens the color, and warms the wine). Hold it against a white background to examine the color. Not sure what you’re looking for? Look at his tonality. Is it shiny or flat? Clear or cloudy? “As red wine ages, it changes from bright red or purple to brick or mahogany, browning around the edges,” says Meltzer. “White wine will gradually turn golden as it matures. Wines that are the product of a less than perfect harvest will be less intense than those picked under ideal conditions.”
Next, put the glass on the table and shake it. When the wine settles, you should see a clear film on the side of the glass, called the legs. You may have seen a wine snob or also make a big show about the “legs” of a wine, but it’s really just a measure of the alcohol content of the wine – the more you see, the higher the alcohol content.
“Swirl the glass vigorously and inhale deeply,” advises Meltzer. “Try to detect any ‘unpleasant’ odors.” If you smell a strong cork smell, the wine may be bad. Any musty or musty odor is a warning sign. An oxidized wine, that is, one that has been exposed to the air for too long in the winemaking process or because the cork has dried out, will give off an odor similar to Sherry or Madeira. A barn like could mean the wine is spoiled by yeast, and a smell of nail polish remover could mean the wine has volatile acidity.
On the plus side, you’re more likely to find a pleasant scent, and there are hundreds of them, including the complex fruit scents of blackberries, black currants, and cassis.
“Your nose will actually tell you more about a wine than your mouth, because our sense of taste is actually restricted to four categories: sweet, sour, salty, and bitter,” Meltzer says. “To minimize the impact of a wine on the palate, sweep it through your mouth, aerating it while taking a deep breath. Ideally, keep the wine in your mouth for at least 10 seconds before ejecting it into a spittoon or settling bowl.” .
Young, old or new, choosing the right wine for you
Don’t worry; We weren’t going to leave you to your fate. If you want to try wines from areas other than the most popular regions, here are some tips. David Muse, a wine writer and sommelier, likes to sample wines from what he calls “exciting regions.” “For me, right now, Austria is producing wines that are of unparalleled quality and unlike anything you’ve ever tasted before,” says Muse. “Gruner Veltliner is this delicious white wine that’s smoother than almost anything. It goes with all the typical wine killers: shrimp, artichokes, tomatoes.”
Looking to impress your friends? According to Muse, some good wines coming of age include the famous 1997 California Cabs. “The fruit is warm and its nuances are coming through. I recently had a Caymus Special Select that was overwhelmingly good, and I don’t normally like domestic wines. Also the Grand Cru Champagne from the late 80s is good. I had a Krug ‘Le Mesnil’ at lunch in 86 which was lively but fun.”
If you want a wine that’s ready to serve young, Muse suggests Beaujolais. “Everyone now knows that Beaujolais is drinkable,” she says. The wine is bottled and consumed a few months after the grapes are harvested. In addition, there is a wine from Austria called Jungfernwein, or virgin wine. It is a wine made from first-year vines, recently planted. It lacks complexity, but also a lot of Sunday afternoons by the pool.”
For the adventurous types, there are a few new varieties hitting the market. “Portugal is bottling non-fortified versions of the grapes traditionally used to make Port,” says Muse. “They’re wonderful, but they often come at a high price. One single variety from Portugal to look for is Periquita. Also, get Blaufrankisch, made from an Austrian red grape that produces wines similar to Cabernet, though not as potent as American versions”.
Developing a true appreciation of flavors, the winemaking process, and the intricacies of wine takes time. Developing a list of wines that you like can take more time. Building a respectable home collection could take years. Buying wine is not like buying clothes: what you see is not necessarily what you get.
Wine Tasting Fundamentals
Having a tasting? Here’s a quick list of supplies:
- Wine glasses (make sure you have plenty! Wine charms are a good idea if you have multiple guests, so no one confuses their glass with someone else’s.)
- White tablecloth (so guests can examine the color, density, and legs of the wine)
- Spittoons (to spit out the wine).
- Bowls with unsalted crackers or baguette to cleanse the palate.
- Tasting sheet for notes.
And of course, don’t forget the wine!