A Beginner's Guide to Wine Tasting and Flavors
Wine tasting is an intricate process involving the senses of smell, taste, and sight. To a beginner, the process of wine tasting might seem overwhelming and difficult to understand, but with practice, anyone can become a pro. In this article, we're going to introduce you to the basics of wine tasting and flavors.
Wine Tasting Basics
The first step in wine tasting is to examine the wine's appearance. Pour a small amount of wine into a clear wine glass and hold it up to the light. Look for the color of the wine, its clarity and viscosity. Wines can be described as pale or deep in their colors, and their viscosity can range from low to high.
Next, swirl the wine around the glass. Swirling the wine helps release its aroma. Take a sniff of the wine to get a sense of its smell. Allow yourself to smell the wine's bouquet by inhaling deeply with your nose over the edge of the glass.
Now comes the time to taste the wine. Take a small sip and hold it in your mouth while allowing it to coat your tongue. Swish the wine around your mouth carefully to improve the aroma and flavor. Try to ignore the initial taste, as the taste buds at the front of your palate can detect only sweet, sour, salt, and bitter flavors. It's the taste buds at the back of your mouth that can identify more complex flavors.
Finally, swallow the wine and allow it to lingering on your palate. This is where you will experience the wine's finish, which is the sensation of flavors, aromas, and alcohol on your tongue and in your mouth after you swallow.
Understanding Wine Flavors
Wine flavors can be described as fruity, floral, herbal, and spicy. The flavors can also vary from dry to sweet. Some wines have complex flavors, while others may be more straightforward.
- Fruity: Wines with fruity flavors are the most common. These flavors range from citrus to berry and can even have flavors of cherry, apple, or tropical fruits.
- Floral: Wines with floral flavors are aromatic and fragrant. These wines smell and taste like flowers, with flavors like rose or violet.
- Herbal: Wines with herbal flavors are earthy and grassy. These flavors come through as herbaceous or green, with flavors of mint, eucalyptus, or sage.
- Spicy: Wines with spicy flavors have a little heat on the nose and palate. These wines tend to taste like cinnamon, black pepper or ginger.
Conclusion
Wine tasting may seem daunting to beginners, but it's all about practice, observation, and sensory perception. Taking the time to examine the wine's color, aroma, and flavor can make all the difference in understanding wine. Understanding wine flavors takes time, but with practice, anyone can hone in on the taste and aromas of wine.