Doctor Drink

Today’s post is from our good friends over at Drink Missouri! Thanks guys!

photo credit: nessguide

Looking, smelling and tasting are all important facets, to the art of wine taste. Learning how to correctly taste wines is an adventure that will broaden your palate and expand your appreciation for fine wines. Though human beings can smell thousands of unique bouquets, the perception of taste is limited to sour, sweet, salty and bitter. It is when smell and taste are combined that one may distinguish flavors.

The first step is actually “looking” at the wine prior to tasting. Check out the color and clarity of the wine and then pour it into a glass. Next, take a good look at the wine and then tilt the glass and look at the color from the edges of the rim to the middle of the glass. If the wine is red in color, notice if it is ruby, garnet, maroon, purple, brick or a brownish color. If it is a white wine in question, note if the color is clear and pale, yellow, amber, light green, gold or brown.

Now move on the opacity of the wine. Is the wine watery or dark, opaque or dull, cloudy, clear or brilliant? Do you see any sediment in the glass? Then tilt your glass again and take another look, are the sediment pieces of cork or other debris?

Your sense of smell is integral in knowing how to correctly taste wine. You get a better appreciation of a wines bouquet by gently swirling the glass; this allows some of the alcohol to evaporate and releases more natural scents. Still using your sense of smell, now stick your nose into the glass and take a deep whiff and inhale. The aroma of is a good indicator of the quality and characteristics of the wine you being served.

Now it is time to actually “taste” the wine. Starting with a small sip, allow the wine roll around on the back of your tongue. Here you will experience the three stages of taste: the Attack phase, the Evolution phase and the Finish.

The Attack Phase is the initial impression the wine makes on your palate. The Attack Phase is composed of four different things: alcohol content, tannin levels, acidity and residual sugar. The components should be well balanced, with one not overpowering the other.

The Evolution Phase refers to the actual taste of the wine on the mid-palate. In this phase a person can discern the flavor profile of a wine and experience the varying bouquet. In this phase you may notice hints of berries, citrus, vanilla, apple, pear, tropical notes, pepper, clove, cinnamon, honey, butter or herbs and several other combinations.

The Finish is the final phase of wine tasting and the finish is how long the impression of the wine lasts after it is swallowed. This phase is where the flavors of the wine culminate together and the aftertaste comes into effect.

Once you have taken the time to learn how to correctly taste wines, you may want to record some of your experiences. How was the taste of your wine? Was it sweet, sour, tart or bitter? Did it have a pleasing aftertaste? What foods did it pair well with? Was it something you would like to purchase? If so, take a moment to write the information down and keep the information for future reference.