The right steps for wine tasting
Look, smell, taste, and remember
1. Turbidity
If a wine is cloudy, it means that the wine may have gone bad. However, it is important to note that most of the solid precipitates that occasionally appear at the bottom of the bottle are tartaric acid, which is a normal phenomenon and not the same as when the whole wine is cloudy.
2.
Required concentration
The depth of color of the skirt is an important indicator of the grape variety. Burgundy’s Pinot Noir is known for its lightness, while Malbec in Cahors, France, has a long history of being said to be a “black wine”.
3.
Look at the color
The color of the wine, especially the color of the disque on the line between the wine and the glass (tilt the glass 45 degrees to see the top and bottom more clearly, that’s where the Van Gogh comes from), can tell you the age of the wine. The color of red wines fades over time: dark purple – ruby – red brick – reddish brown, while white wines thicken: almost transparent – light yellow-green – straw – golden yellow – amber – brown.
In addition, you can observe the hanging glass: viscous wine sticks to the walls of the glass and slowly falls down, like tears. The higher the alcohol or sugar content of the wine, the more viscous the wine will be and the slower it will fall (note that hanging glasses have nothing to do with the quality of the wine).
Smell the aroma of the first wine, when it is still, put your nose close to the glass and smell the still aroma.
Second formula
Shake the glass gently a few times to allow the wine to mix with the air in the glass and oxidize, releasing a stronger, clearer aroma.
There are also three things to keep in mind when smelling
1.
Aroma status
Is the aroma normal? Does it smell rotten? The turbidity that is reflected in front of you will allow you to determine if the wine is ready to drink.
2.
Aromatic concentration
Wine is not afraid of the alley, and good wine will also spill out. Therefore, the concentration of aromas is also an indicator.
3.
Smell the aroma
The “Smell Technique” is not a trick, but an internal skill – how many aromas can you recognize? Which grape varieties do they come from? Which production regions? What are the winemaking processes?
Taste
When you taste wine, you should take small sips, taste carefully, and then taste more, because sometimes first impressions are not accurate and wines change over time in the glass or bottle. There are three stages in the entry of a grape wine.
Once the first sip is in the mouth, the first impression is made. The first sip, once in the mouth, makes the first impression. The aromas are stronger when you take a deep breath and let the air in. After drinking or spitting out the wine, the aroma stays in the mouth, and the aroma of a good wine stays for a few seconds or longer.
There are three other aspects of wine tasting.
1.
Taste
Sweetness: Dry white and dry red wines are so low in sugar that I couldn’t taste them, but sweet wines are noticeably sweet.
Acidity: acidity will be influenced by the grape variety and the year of production. It is an important indicator of a blind product. For example, Italian Sangiovese is known for its acidity, while 2007 Bordeaux wines with more rain are usually more acidic than 2003 wines. Acidity is also an indicator of aging ability.
Alcohol level: It is also a clue to the vintage and grape variety. In a hot vintage like 2003 in France, alcohol levels are generally high. Merlot is a grape that is more likely to produce alcohol than Cabernet Sauvignon.
2.
Taste Structure
Body: Light or heavy, appropriate to the intensity of the dish. Master Parker was happy to drink a lot of wine, so he dug out a production area like Pope Newcastle and didn’t have much to say about the lighter Burgundy Pinot Noir.
Tannins: Astringent flavors in the mouth. Tannin is one of the two phenolic compounds contained in wine and is only found in red wines. It is the only residual substance in the skins of red grapes and helps to age the wine. Good wines have good tannins, young wines have tannins that are still astringent, and wines that are too old have no tannins and therefore no wine structure.
3.
Taste the aromas
Aromatic intensity: Like aromas, a good wine will smell good.
Aroma: Like the smell of a wine, there is a need to differentiate between the various aromas. Aromas also indicate a wine’s age and aging potential.
Take notes
After seeing, smelling and tasting a wine, you may have a basic judgment about it. Is it fit to drink? Or is it too early? How is the wine? What is the estimated price? All of these things need to be written down, along with notes from observation, smelling and tasting, for your tasting notebook. If you drink the same wine in the future, or if others drink the same wine, you can compare them. Tasting wine is an interesting part of the process, seeing how different times tasted, how different people tasted, and the differences.
Tasting wine and paying attention to temperature
The biggest effect of temperature is in the aroma and flavor
The greatest influence of temperature on wine is in the aroma and taste. Second, taste buds perceive wine differently at different temperatures.
When the temperature is higher (16°C to 18°C), the active flavors in the wine are more likely to be released. When tasting aromatic wines (such as complex wines or older wines), higher drinking temperatures can be used.
However, once the temperature rises above 20°C, the alcohol in the wine will evaporate strongly, showing a distinct alcoholic flavor in the aroma and affecting the balance of the wine in the mouth. Therefore, in the subtropical zone, most of the time, red wine needs a little ice.
When the temperature falls below 8°C, almost all the wine’s aromas go into a closed state. Often, wines are left in ice buckets while drinking, resulting in delicate white wines that are too cold. Although the flavor is crisper, the aromas are weaker and less noticeable. If the temperature drops further, the wine’s flavor will also suffer. An otherwise complex and full-flavored wine may become dull, like a glass of iced lemonade.
Guidelines
Red and pink wines are full-bodied, with tannins 15-18°C higher
Medium-bodied reds 12.5-15°C
Soft and light reds and pinks 10~12℃
White wine with dry wine layer 12~16℃
Sparkling wine 4.5~7℃
Tips Most of the time, red wines also need to be slightly chilled. Leaving white wine in an ice bucket for a long time may cause the wine to get too cold. Wine will gradually warm up in the glass as it is served. Serve temperature can be adjusted flexibly depending on how the wine behaves in the mouth. The right serving temperature will help the wine to express its best side.
