First published in February 2013, zest added in 2017…
Wine has been a popular drink for many years; some prefer it as their favourite alcoholic beverages over others. Many holidays can revolve around it, visiting vineyards and sampling the best wines they have on offer. It has been the stuff of legend; did you hear about that man who turned water into wine? Everyone will know that wine is made from grapes, but that might be as far as your knowledge goes.
Christmas approaches so what better time to give you an introduction to how wine should be tasted so you can impress your friends? You might even have a holiday planned and have considered visiting a winery but you’re not sure what to expect. Get a head start with our guide below.
Wine is made from a certain type of grape, vitis vinifera, and not the one you can pick up in bunches from your local supermarket. Wine grapes are smaller with a thicker skin and seeds. There are over 1300 different varieties of grape that can be used to make wine but just 150 of these make up much of wine made.
The taste of wine will vary between people- not all palates are the same so don’t be too disappointed if someone else can detect a taste that you can’t, or vice versa. You might conclude something very different about a wine compared to someone else. Grab a friend and compare your notes as you follow this process.
Photo by: jackfrog/Adobe Stock
Looking at the wine
How a wine looks can often hint towards certain elements of its creation and taste. You’ll want to hold it up to a neutral light to have a look. The more golden coloured a white wine is, the more it’s been aged. Darker red wines are generally older and deeper in taste. If the weight is about the same as water then the wine will be light and fresh, caused by high acidity. A heavier, more dense wine will be richer and probably high in alcohol content.
Swill the wine around the glass and check out the viscosity. See the wine legs or tears- streaks of wine that are left on the glass edge; an effect caused as the alcohol in the wine evaporates, leaving a water-wine mixture to run down the glass. Wines with a higher level of alcohol will leave more ‘legs’ on the side of a wine glass.
Photo by: goodluz/Adobe Stock
Smelling the wine
As 50% of what you taste actually comes from the smell, it’s important to invoke this sense before tasting anything. You’ll want to swirl the wine around in your glass to release the aroma before taking a sniff.
The smell of rotten egg or boiled cabbage can suggest that reduction has been used to make the wine. Alternatively, smells like toffee or honey can hint at the opposite technique of oxidation.
There are three categories that the smells can be broken into:
Primary: These are the fruity, herbal and floral aromas that you can detect from the wine. These help identify the type of grape that’s been used to make the wine.
Secondary: These are the background flavours that signal how the wine was produced. Smells such as yoghurt, bread, sour cream and cheese rind are examples.
Tertiary: These aromas have been created from the ageing process and can include cloves, vanilla, tobacco, leather and mushroom.
Photo by: karelnoppe/Adobe Stock
Tasting the wine
This is the most important bit! The taste buds on your tongue will detect whether the wine has bitter, salty, sweet or sour elements. Although usually influenced by the amount of sugar, the level of alcohol and fruity tones can increase the perception of sweetness.
How does the texture of the wine feel? There is a stronger texture if the alcohol content is higher or if the wine is riper. The presence of tannins also contribute to the texture. These are more apparent in red wine. The ‘body’ is how the wine generally feels to you. You’ll get a more intense flavour from wines that have a higher alcohol and tannin content. Does the wine feel heavy or light, sharp or creamy?
The acidity of the wine is where the freshness comes from. Sometimes, odourless acids can be added at the winery to create a sharpness to the wine. A good suggestion of how acidic the wine is, is how much your mouth waters. The more your mouth waters, the more acidic the wine is.
The ‘finish’ comes once you’ve either swallowed the wine or spat it out. Consider the length of the taste- for how long does the wine remain in your mouth? The longer the desirable qualities last, the higher the quality of the wine.
Photo by: jackfrog/Adobe Stock
Reaching your conclusion
Based on all the smells and tastes you’ve managed to draw from the wine, consider whether these were balanced or whether a particular element stuck out more than others. Does your evaluation match your friends? What did they pick up on that you didn’t, or vice versa?
What other tips would you add to our guide? What are your favourite wines that you’d recommend to other Zest travellers? Perhaps you’ve visited a great winery? Let us know in the comments below.
Written by Jessica Juby.
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