Uncorked | Getting the Most Out of Your Wine-Tasting Experience
Your Home & Lifestyle Magazine
Festive holiday invites might have you wondering what you can contribute. If your hosts have everything under control, it’s usually safe to bring along a nice bottle of wine. Never been much of a connoisseur? Then consider making an afternoon of your research with a wine-tasting experience. Here are a few basics to help you navigate your trip to sip.
Tasting-Room Terms.
Like any industry, oenology (the study of wine and winemaking) has its own vernacular. A sommelier is the trained professional often pouring your wine. Need a recommendation? Curious about the science behind the wine you’re drinking? They’re the experts. A flight is a series of small pours. Sometimes accompanied by tasting notes or food pairings, these pours are grouped for a purpose and meant to be sipped in order. Sweet vs. dry—what’s the difference? This distinction refers to the wine’s makeup. If a wine has residual sugar after fermentation of less than 1 percent, it is considered dry.
Tannins are compounds found most frequently in red wines. They have a bitter quality and are more noticeable in younger wines. The level of acidity contributes to its tartness. ABV is simply the amount of alcohol by volume, which is often 11 to 13 percent. A wine’s body can be defined as the way it feels in your mouth after taking a sip and are generally categorized as light-bodied, medium-bodied, or full-bodied.
Sipping Like a Pro.
The “5 S’s” of wine tasting—see, swirl, sniff, sip, and savor—may look pretentious, but this five-step process is the gold standard for getting the most out of your wine.
See: The intensity of a wine’s color and opacity can tell you a great deal about its age and style. Here’s a hint: reds fade in color as they age while whites intensify.
Swirl: Hold your glass by the stem and move your wrist in a circular fashion. This aerates the wine, encouraging the appearance of fragrant compounds.
Sniff: Once you’ve swirled, place your nose above or into the glass to get a full smell of the aroma.
Sip: See if you can parse out primary characteristics (fruity or floral flavors) versus secondary characteristics (fermentation-related flavors like oak, clove, and vanilla).
Savor: Take a moment to enjoy how the wine finishes. How long does the taste linger? Is the aftertaste balanced? Or perhaps most importantly—would you like another sip?
Determining Your Palate.
If you’re new to wine, start with a sweeter white and work your way up to a drier red. Ask your sommelier for suggestions and be ready to describe the flavors you enjoy. Just remember: Everyone’s palate is different and there is no “right” or “wrong” wine to enjoy. That’s what makes every tasting experience an adventure.
stemware.
The four basic components of wine glasses are made to enhance the aroma and flavor.
Base. It offers balance and stability to the glass. Stemless wine glasses have a thicker layer of glass beneath the bowl, called a sham, to serve the same function.
Stem. Holding by the stem prevents your body heat from altering the temperature of wine, in addition to keeping scented lotions and perfumes farther away from your nose.
Bowl. The size and curvature of a bowl affects the oxidation of wine as you sip. Bold reds should be served in bigger bowls, crisp whites in more narrow glasses, and champagne in the slimmest flutes.
Rim. The shape and width dictates where wine will hit your tongue. A broader circumference is best for wines with less acidity, while narrow rims deposit flavors and smells more directly.
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YHL/ Written by Victoria Hittner
Photography by Roxiller/iStock/Getty Images Plus.