2009 - Wine Serving
Understanding the Basics of Wine Tasting
The wine taster's ritual of peering into a glass, swirling it around and sniffing suspiciously at it, before taking a mouthful only to spit it out again looks highly mysterious and technical. However, as you try more and more wines, your awareness of flavors and your personal preferences will develop. It is however a sequence of events that can enhance the enjoyment of good wine. Once learned, they become almost second nature to even the novice taster.
The wine taster's ritual of peering into a glass, swirling it around and sniffing suspiciously at it, before taking a mouthful only to spit it out again looks highly mysterious and technical. However, as you try more and more wines, your awareness of flavors and your personal preferences will develop. It is however a sequence of events that can enhance the enjoyment of good wine. Once learned, they become almost second nature to even the novice taster.
Wines Appearance
Pour your wine into a wine glass so that it is about 40% full, you will need room for swirling. Have a good look at the wine. Is it clear, opaque, or cloudy? Does it contain sediments or other solid matter? Tilt the glass away from you at a 45-degree angle against a white background so you can enjoy the range of colors in the wine from the center to the rim.
Wine changes color with age. Whites are at its palest state during their youth, gradually adding stronger color. Red wine, on the other hand, has more vivid color in its youth, slowly fading to brick red.
Smell the Wine
Give your glass a vigorous swirl to help release the aromas. Swirling takes a bit of practice. This technique can be learned by leaving the wine glass on the table, holding it by the stem, and rotating it in small circles. The object is to get the wine to move up to around 70% of sides of the glass.
Stick your nose right into the glass and inhale steadily and gently, as if you were smelling a flower. These vital seconds of inhalation will reveal all kinds of familiar and unfamiliar smells. Try to detect the smell of fruity or floral notes. Decide what they remind you of if possible. Note the presence of spices, such as pepper, cinnamon, vanilla, tea or possibly nuts. Finally, note the presence of other aromas, such as cedar, oak, moist earth, herbs, chocolate, tobacco, toast, or smoke. Always interpret them in terms that mean something to you.
Remember, it's your nose that counts here. It does not matter if someone else interprets the smell differently, that is part of the pleasure of wine.
Taste
At last, it is time to drink the wine. The following components that make up the flavor of the wine can be detected by rolling wine around in your mouth and concentrating on what comes to mind as you taste.
Sweetness
This the fruit flavor tasted at the front of the tongue. This comes from the wine's fruit flavors as well as any fermented grape sugars left in the wine. If there is no perceived sweetness, a wine is dry.
Acidity
This gives wine freshness and zest. When balanced, it makes for a fresh, crisp, enjoyable wine. On the other end of the spectrum, acidity can lend a negative, vinegary taste to the wine.
Tannin
Comes from the stems and skins of the grape. It has a woody taste, similar to flavor released when biting a grape seed. Tannin can be mouth puckering, but it normally mellows with age.
Alcohol
In low concentrations, alcohol portrays itself as somewhat sweet, and in high concentrations, it shows as a warm, pervasive sensation at the back of the mouth.
Fruitiness
The intensity and flavor depends on the grape variety, growing conditions, and wine making techniques.
Balance
For a good wine, there should be a balance of the above flavor components. If any one of the components is overpowering, the experience of drinking the wine can be tainted. This can sometimes mean that the wine is young and will become more balanced with age.
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A Short Wine Serving Summary
Understanding the Basics of Wine Tasting
The wine taster's ritual of peering into a glass, swirling it around and sniffing suspiciously at it, before taking a mouthful only to spit it out aga...
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Wine Serving in the news
Wine Guy: Experiment with the other white pinot - blanc (Rancho Santa Fe Record)
Thu, 22 Jan 2009 10:43:12 -0800
The January 2009 edition of Food & Wine Magazine named pinot blanc as one of the "50 Trends to Try" in the New Year. Being included on the list may be a statement about today's economy, as pinot blanc is often referred to as a poor man's chardonnay. However, this wine guy prefers to think of the varietal as more of a yet-to-be fully appreciated underdog. Pinot blanc is a mutation ...
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Thu, 22 Jan 2009 08:28:18 -0800
In an age where it seems that just about everybody is feeling the sting of the economic bitch slap, Ubisoft stands at the top of the mountain, sipping a glass of Marcassin Pinot Noir Blue Slide and smoking a cigar as they eye which golden throne to sit on. They celebrate in this manner because their holiday revenue numbers are in, and the French publisher saw a 13% increase in revenue from the same time last year. That number could have been higher, but Ubisoft says that the “slower take-of
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Thu, 22 Jan 2009 07:22:07 -0800
What is genomics? How will it affect our lives? In this intriguing primer on the genomics revolution presented at Taste3 2008, entrepreneur Barry Schuler says we can at least expect healthier, tastier food. He suggests we start with the pinot noir grape, to build better wines. (Recorded June 2008 in Napa, California. Duration: 21:26.) Watch Barry Schuler's talk from Taste3 2008 on TED.com, where you can download this TEDTalk, rate it, comment on it and find other talks and performances fro
Give the Calories to the Kids
Thu, 22 Jan 2009 06:25:38 -0800
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And now, for the less-familiar white wines (The Standard-Times)
Wed, 21 Jan 2009 22:02:45 -0800
The last two articles have been a basic buying guide for red wines other than Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz/Syrah and Pinot Noir. This week the focus is white wine.
N.V. Chartogne-Taillet Champagne Brut
Wed, 21 Jan 2009 17:38:00 -0800
Type: White - SparklingProducer: Chartogne-TailletVariety: Champagne Blend (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay)Designation: BrutCountry: France SubRegion: Champagne Appellation: Champagne Disgorgement: 4/20/08The Wooden Guys are amazed at all the apples in this wine.Night OneThe color is pale straw, with a very slightly copper-colored tint.The nose is apples. No, make that APPLES!! Not fresh tart green apples, but more like one of those half-baked without any sugar or spices. Once it cooks, add just a te
Oh, Canada! Oh, kanagan! - Episode #611
Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:59:38 -0800
Gary Vaynerchuk tastes 4 wines from Okanagan with a visitor who graciously brought these wines to the thunder show! Having trouble viewing this video? Try the Quicktime version. Comments on this episode(33) Leave a comment › “QOTD: live in BC already (Vancouver). Wife grew up in the Okanagan. …” by DrEdwardo “Great show and guest. Bring on the Canadian wines. Do some shows fro…” by pete C View all 33 › Wines tasted in this episode: 2007 Tantalus Riesling 2007 Road 13 Chardonnay
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Pinot Grigio | Pinot Noir
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