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Today's Muscat Grape Article

Tasting Wine The Next Time You Go Out


Tasting techniques and the relationship between smell and taste.

Why swish? While it was originally thought that certain regions on the tongue detected specific flavors, we now know this is not true.

The front and back of the tongue contain the taste buds and rather than specializing in a particular taste sensation, all taste buds are capable of detecting sweet, sour, bitter and salty flavors, although there may be some slight differences in sensitivity. So that you get the most out of your taste buds, when wine tasting, swish the wine around your mouth, which will allow all of your taste buds (and your sense of smell) to participate in the detection of the finer flavors of the wine.

Smell and Taste

Have you ever tried desperately to detect flavor from a food or beverage when you had a terrible cold? You probably tasted very little, if anything at all. Research indicates that 70 to 75% of what we taste is actually due to our sense of smell. Specialized "aroma" nerves in the nose are necessary to identify tastes more subtle than sweet, sour, bitter and salty. Smell and taste go hand-in-hand when wine tasting . . . without your sense of smell you would be unable to detect the delicate flavors of chocolate, herbs or smoke in your wine.

Wine Tasting Techniques

Wine tasting is not just like art, it is an art. While wine tasting can be subjective in nature, wine connoisseurs follow some general "guidelines" when judging a wine. It's very easy to learn the techniques of wine tasting, and if you already enjoy wine, learning the nuances will simultaneously increase the pleasure you derive from tasting.

The three steps in wine tasting are: Look, Smell, and Taste.

Look

You can tell much about a wine simply by studying its appearance. The wine should be poured into a clear glass and held in front of a white background (a tablecloth or piece of paper will serve nicely) so that you can examine the color.

The color of wine varies tremendously, even within the same type of wine. For example, white wines are not actually white; they range from green to yellow to brown. More color in a white wine usually indicates more flavor and age, although a brown wine may have gone bad. Where as time improves many red wines, it ruins most white wines. Red wines are not just red; they range from a pale red to a deep brown red, usually becoming lighter in color as they age.

Rim color

You can guess the age of a red wine by observing its "rim." Tilt the glass slightly and look at the edge of the wine. A purple tint may indicate youth while orange to brown indicates maturity.

Swirling

Swirling the wine serves many purposes, but visually it allows you to observe the body of the wine. "Good legs" may indicate a thicker body and a higher alcohol content and/or sweetness level.

Smell

Swirl your wine. This releases molecules in the wine allowing you to smell the aroma, also called the bouquet or nose. The two main techniques that wine tasters use are:

1.) Take a quick whiff and formulate an initial impression, then take a second deeper whiff or

2.) Take only one deep whiff.

Either way, after you smell the wine, sit back and contemplate the aroma. Don't try to "taste" the wine yet, concentrate only on what you smell.

It may be difficult to describe in words when you're a novice, but after trying many wines you ill notice similarities and differences. Sometimes a certain smell will be very strong with underlying hints of other smells. Take your time. By labeling an aroma you will probably remember it better. You may even want to keep a notebook of your impressions of wines, and save the labels; next time you see the wine you won't have to purchase it to know if you like it . . . or you don't!

Taste

The most important quality of a wine is its balance between sweetness and acidity. To get the full taste of a wine follow the following three steps:

1. Initial taste (or first impression): This is where the wine awakens your senses (your taste buds respond to sensations).

2. Taste: Slosh the wine around and draw in some air (even if you do look funny in front of your dinner guests). Examine the body and texture of the wine. Is it light or rich? Smooth or harsh?

3. Aftertaste: The taste that remains in your mouth after you have swallowed the wine. How long did the taste last? Was it pleasant?

After tasting the wine, take a moment to value its overall flavor and balance. Is the taste appropriate for that type of wine? If the wine is very dry, is it supposed to be?

Some serious wine connoisseurs assign a point score to a wine to determine its quality. While this method can be useful, it is in no way necessary to determine a quality wine. The more different wines you try, and the more attention you pay to each wine, the better you will become at ascertaining and describing each wine's characteristics.


About the Author:

Gerald Crawford: born in South Africa, studied electronics, telecommunication, eco-travel and african travel concepts. He taught responsible tourism in South Africa and the United Kingdom. If you have any questions or comments please e-mail me on. E-mail Address: gerald@12234455.co.za Website Address: http://www.12234455.co.za





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4:35 PM

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Chianti in Tuscany; so much more than the wine.



When we think of Chianti, wine immediately springs to mind and why shouldn't it? However, there's far more to do in Chianti than just sample some of the best wines Italy has to offer. Chianti with its beautiful rolling hills, thermal spa's, medieval towns, olive groves and vineyards is a fun packed adventure and a delight for all the family.


Lying between the provinces of Florence and Siena, Chianti is home to some of Tuscany's loveliest countryside. Siena and Florence are the capitals of Chianti, in two areas known as Chianti Fiorentino and Chianti Sienese. The main communes of Chianti are Castellina in Chianti, Gaiole in Chianti, Greve in Chianti and Radda in Chianti, which make up roughly 70,000 hectares.


It was first civilized by the Etruscans around 8th, who left many traces of their activity in the wine sector, and then by the Romans. By the Middle Ages, the cities of Florence and Siena were battling for control over the area and this was when villages, monasteries, castles and fortresses first started to appear. Many of these properties have now been transformed into villas and country residences to cater for the huge number of tourists that visit Tuscany each year.


So what is there to do in one of the most beautiful areas in Italy? Spending even a week in Chianti can be exhausting as well as a lot of fun...


Eating is a national past time in Italy and where better to dine than in one of the many Michelin star restaurants in the local area. It's not cheap but well worth the experience. There's a fantastic 1 Michelin star restaurant called La Bottega in a small village called Villa a Sesta near Castelnuovo di Berardenga which is only 30 minutes drive from Siena. The food is without any doubt excellent and the chef Sonia Zacchei will choose for you starters and first courses. La Bottega offers you an amazing experience! If this exceeds your budget, no problem as there are many local trattorias specializing in the best Tuscan from pastas, carne (meat) and pesce (fish).


A day at the Spa will keep you warm when the weather gets chilly. Relax in one of the many hot thermal pools, take a mud bath and then get an invigorating massage to finish off. The Antica Querciolaia in Rapolano is the nearest to Chianti and is located on the main road out of Chianti towards Cortona on the SS73. Built around natural springs you can wallow in hot swimming pools all day for less than 15 Euros.


A visit to the beautiful medieval town of Siena to take a cappuccino on Piazza del Campo (where the famous Palio takes place) is a real treat. If you're lucky enough to be in Chianti during Il Palio, every July 2nd and August 16th you can stumble across one of the many street parties held by each of the 17 Contrades throughout Siena. Be accepted as one of the local natives and dance throughout the night. If this isn't your cup of tea you'll find numerous things to see and do including visiting the fantastic Gothic Palazzo Pubblico with it's graceful bell tower dating back to the 13th Century. Standing at the lowest point of the Piazza del Campo, it's one of the highlights of Siena.


Finally back to il vino; you can't come to Chianti without visiting some of many wineries in the area. The Chianti Classico region is the most famous which is sold under the Gallo Nero (Black Cockerel) symbol. Just take the car up some of the many wine roads and stop wherever takes your fancy. If wine isn't your tipple, then many also sell fantastic extra virgin oil and honey. Of the most prestigious in Chianti, you can visit Vignamaggio, tour some of the most beautiful gardens in Tuscany and look around the beautiful renaissance villa that was once the residence of La Gioconda - the Mona Lisa. You need to book for a reservation but it's well worth the effort (Vignamaggio +39 055 854 661).


You can get around by bus in Chianti, but your own transport makes exploration a whole lot easier. Whatever wheels you take, a vacation in Chianti comes highly recommended!

About the Author


James Burrows is a writer for Hotel Enthusiast, an online and opinionated accommodation guide to Italy and other European destinations. Anywhere you are, you can read our reviews and book our Florence hotel accommodation online at Hotel Enthusiast.

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