sv Bella Rose

 

Rob’s Wine Tasting 101

 

The Basics

 

 

 

 

RULE #1: There are no rules! Wine tasting is all about finding wines that you will enjoy. However, there are a few “guidelines” that will help you evaluate new wines.

 

Rob’s Rule Guideline: Start with a clean clear wine glass. Ideally the rim of the glass should bend inward. Always hold the glass by the stem.

 

Tasting can be broken down into a few very basic steps.

 

1)      Color – Hold the glass of wine at an angle. Using a light or white background will help. White wines tend to gain color as they age. Red wines will lose color.

 

Rob’s Rule Guideline: There is no right or wrong color. Mostly, it is simply something fun to see and do.

 

2)      Swirl – Why swirl the wine? To mix oxygen with the wine. Swirling aerates the wine helping to release vapors that combine with oxygen to produce the wines bouquet.

 

Rob’s Rule Guideline: Aroma is the smell of the grapes and is in the wine from the beginning. Bouquet is the smell the wine gains as it develops in the bottle over the months and years. Nose is the word used to describe the combined aroma and bouquet of the wine.

 

3)      Smell – This is the most important step. Let me repeat myself. Smelling the wine is the most important step. Take your time. Place your nose well into the glass and breathe in. Smell the wine two or three times. What does the wine smell like? Hmmmmmm, difficult isn’t it. Why?

 

Rob’s Rule Guideline: Keep it simple. Don’t obsess with trying to find “words” that describe the aroma and bouquet of a wine. Do not try to categorize the smells. What does a turkey sandwich smell like? Instead, let the smells relax you and transport you to distant memories.

 

 

  

4)      Taste – Finally! The step we have been waiting for. Not so fast. Remember, tasting is something you do with your taste buds. Taste buds are in your mouth not in your throat or stomach. Therefore, leave the wine in your mouth for about 5 seconds before swallowing.

 

a.       Sweetness. The first thing you will notice is any sweetness. This occurs in wines that have residual sugars left over after fermentation. Is it pleasant or overbearing?

b.      Acidity. Next you will notice the wines acidity. Think of tartness or sourness like in grapefruit juice. If there is too little acid the wine will taste flat. If there is too much acid the wine will taste sharp, maybe bitter.

c.       Tannin. Tannin is a chemical that comes from the stalks, pips and skins of red grapes. It also comes from wood. Tannin tastes astringent and makes your mouth pucker. It isn’t really a taste, it is more of a tactical sensation. However, some tannins can taste bitter.

d.      Alcohol. The correct amount of alcohol in wine adds "sweetness" to the taste. When the alcohol content is too high the wine will feel hot in your mouth making it difficult to drink.

e.       Fruit and varietal characteristics. Repeat of Step 4 Smell.

f.        Body. Body is a tasting term referring to thickness or texture. A good way to comprehend the feeling of "body" of a wine is to think of milk. Recall the difference between skim milk, whole milk, and heavy cream.

g.       Aftertaste. The taste that lingers in your mouth. How long does it last? Is it balanced, pleasant? Does one component overpower the wine?

h.       Overall assessment, savor. Once the aftertaste is gone, sit back and savor the wine. What is you general impression of the wine? Are all of the components balanced?

 

Rob’s Rule Guideline: Do you like the wine? This is the most important point. A “good” wine is one you enjoy. Trust your own palate. Don’t let so called “experts” dictate taste for you.

 

 

Rob’s Wine Tasting 201

 

More Detail

 

 

Color - Note that different grapes have different colors. The color of wine comes from the grape skins. Wines aged in wood barrels also have more color. Here are the colors of wines from youngest to oldest.

 

1)      White wine color range: pale yellow-green, straw yellow, yellow gold, gold, yellow brown, brown.

2)      Red wine color range: purple, ruby, red, brick red, red-brown, brown.

 

Swirl – This releases chemicals, like esters and aldehydes, which combine with oxygen to create the wines bouquet.  Some experts like to cover the glass with their hand while swirling to contain the aroma and bouquet. Nice legs? Watch the sides of the glass as the swirl settles. Does the wine stick to the glass? Light-bodied wines do not stick to the glass, full-bodied wine leave obvious streams that fall slowly back into the glass. These are known as “legs.”

 

Smell - Science now knows the human nose can detect over 10,000 different smells. Most people can identify over 2,000 different smells. Wines have hundreds of their own smells. To simplify smelling wines I will break it into 3 different smelling styles used by the experts.

 

1)     Rob’s Rule Guideline: Keep it simple. Don’t try to find words and/or categorize the aroma and bouquet of a wine. Let your brain associate the smells with your fondest memories and emotions.

2)     Focus on the major grape varieties.

a.       For white wines; Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Riesling.

b.      For red wines; Pinot Noir, Merlot, Zinfandel, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

3)     Categorize the smells (if you must).

a.       Fruity – citrus (grapefruit, lemon), berry (blackberry, strawberry), tropical fruit (pineapple, melon), tree fruit (apple, pear, cherry), dried fruit (raisin, prune).

b.      Spicy – licorice, peppery, cloves.

c.       Floral – rose, geranium, orange blossom.

d.      Biological – yeast, yogurt, sweaty.

e.       Chemical – sulfur dioxide, burnt match, diesel.

f.        Earthy – moldy, dusty, mushrooms.

g.       Woody – burnt (toast, coffee), resinous (oak, vanilla).

h.       Caramel – honey, chocolate, molasses.

i.         Nutty – walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds.

j.        Vegetative – fresh (cut grass, mint), cooked (green beans, asparagus), dried (hay, tea, tobacco).

 

 

 

Taste - As stated above, people can detect over 10,000 smells. Humans perceive only 4 tastes. 10,000 verses 4, that’s why smell is so important. The 4 tastes are sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. There is no salt in wine; therefore, we are down to 3 tastes. Pay attention to where tastes occur on your tongue.

 

Rob’s Rule Guideline: Roll the wine over the tongue. This spreads it over all of the taste buds. Let it linger in the mouth to give your taste buds time to analyze the wine. Below, 1, 2, and 3 are tastes.

 

Rob’s Rule Guideline: Mouth feel is an important part of tasting wine. Body, weight, and texture all contribute to the overall taste of the wine. Below, 4, 5, 6, and 7 are mouthfeels.

 

1)      Sweetness. The highest concentration of “sweet” taste buds is located on the tip of the tongue. This is why you notice sweetness first.

2)      Acidity. The highest concentration of “sour” taste buds is located on the sides of the tongue.

3)      Bitterness. Bitterness is located on the back of the tongue.

4)      Tannin. Remember, tannin isn’t a taste, it is a tactical sensation. Contributes to the texture of the wine.

5)      Alcohol. Contributes to the body of the wine.

6)      Fruit and varietal characteristics. Contributes to the weight of the wine.

7)      Body. Another method of defining body is alcohol content.

a.       7.5-10.5 tends to be light bodied.

b.      10.5-12.5% tends to be medium bodied.

c.       12.5 and up tend to be full bodied.

8)      Aftertaste. Usually, a high quality will have a long and pleasing aftertaste.

9)      Overall assessment, savor. Remember, this is highly personal. The definition of a good wine is one you enjoy. If you wish to learn the true taste of a wine you should wait at least a full minute to think about all of the above components.