|
Don't think tasting is for a few
privileged palates. Everyone who enjoys a glass of wine can taste wine
'properly'. All it takes is a little extra concentration and a few pointers on
what to look for. Here are simple guidelines on how to gain maximum pleasure
from every mouthful!
APPEARANCE
Hold your glass, just a third full, at an angle of about 45° against a
white surface and look at the colour at the rim and at the centre.
A young red will have a pinkish-purple rim, an old wine a tawny-brown edge. A
light-bodied red will be less deep in colour than a fuller-bodied one.
Crisp, light whites will be pale straw in hue, older, richer or sweeter whites
are more golden. Generally, white wines gain colour with age, while red wines
lose it.
AROMA
The bouquet of a wine is even more important than its taste - as more
than half of its flavour is contained in its volatile aromas. Draw a couple of
imaginary circles with your glass on a flat surface to swirl the wine around.
Then sniff. Your first impression will always be the strongest; after that your
nose will gradually tire.
TASTE
Then take a good sip - taking in enough wine to bathe the whole of
your mouth. Notice its initial taste (its attack), what flavours develop next
(its middle palate) and its finish.
How long do the flavours last? Is it a young tannic wine with enough fruit to
age or a smooth, fruity red for drinking now? Are the rich flavours of a white
wine balanced by enough acidity, or is the acidity of a fresh white balanced by
sufficient fruit?
HINTS
Most of your tasting will occur as part of your drinking; you will
hopefully just notice more of the flavours in your glass. However, for a more
formal tasting:
-
Use a room with plenty of daylight, so you get a true picture of a wine's
colour.
-
Don't try to smell and taste wine in an atmosphere heavy in smoke or scent.
-
You don't need to spit out your precious samples, but your head won't be clear
for long!
-
Dispense with all food except dry water biscuits.
-
Your wines should follow a simple order: whites before reds, dry before sweet,
light before heavy, young before old and cheapest first. Enjoy it!
|