First of all, there are 3 basic conditions that must be met when we’re tasting wine:
- an odor free place;
- well lit areas, preferably, with no fluorescent light;
- a good, transparent, clear and odor free wine glass.
Provided these conditions, it’s time to serve the wine. The ideal is to serve up to 1/3 of the glass, even if you’re in a tavern! Why? Easy: there’s more space to open wine smells and flavors, while swirling the glass, and – how can we say? – it’s more civilized.
Now, follow our suggested steps:
- First, focus on wine clarity. Is it bright and clear or, in contrast, cloudy? Second choice points to a sediment wine, as a result of material deposit along time which, in turn, it’s typical in wines without filtering or stabilization treatments. In this case it may be a full-bodied wine with a good mouth volume.
- Related to wine color: if it’s a red one: is it reddish? Brownish? If it’s a white wine: Has a strong color or is it light-colored? Ripper the grapes, stronger white wine. If it’s a rosé, observe its color range: is it reddish-orange? Light red?
- Now, focus on your sense of smell. Carefully swirl your glass in circular movements to set free most secrets wine aromas. Probably you will notice that there’s a “tear” forming on the glass walls. This respects to higher alcohol and sugar content. Get closer and smell the wine. Can you feel natural flavors like stone fruits, red fruits, flowers, wood or spices? If it’s an evolved wine (with more years in the bottle), you will feel its typical smells, like honey, meat and leather). Encourage yourself finding it out!
- Finally, taste it. Spread it all over your mouth, feeling all the flavors. Smell it again and enjoy the moment!
Cheers!
