Wine Tasting

It is a general misconception that wine tasting is essentially just sipping, swishing and swallowing. As a mater of fact, there is definitely an artistic skill of wine tasting that will take years of studied practice to master. The artistry of wine tasting is employed to differentiate fine wines and relied on trained artistic judgment, often acquired over many years. Nevertheless, you can start your wine tasting career just right now as if the wine is stored properly and aged correctly, wine tasting can be a beautiful experience for amateurs as well.

Learning basics of wine tasting is a straightforward adventure that will deepen your appreciation for both wines and winemakers. The fundamental goal of wine tasting is to discover which types of wines you absolutely enjoy as well as the ones that don't exactly suit you as there really is no right or wrong when it comes to wine. Basics of wine tasting are not very difficult to remember and include three basic principles of the art of a wine judging - observing, smelling, and finally tasting. Expanding from our wine tasting tips you will learn how to taste wines like the pros in no time!

First before tasting a wine, make sure that it is a true wine glass and not a champagne glass or any other type. You can easily distinguish a wine glass from others by noticing that it bends inwards. This is to prevent you from spilling when you swirl the wine and to concentrate the delightful aromas straight to the nose. You should always start with a clean and crystal clear wine glass whether it comes to tasting or drinking wine.

Now remember have you ever been in a restaurant and noticed someone holding up a glass of wine to stare at it? Believe it or not, this is an important step because it gives you some insight on the age of the wine. Then take a good look at the wine. Tilt the glass away from you and check out the color of the wine from the rim edges to the middle of the glass. Hold the glass up into the light or against a white background. Generally, white wines that are young in age will range from a pale yellow to more of rich amber, whereas red wines gradually lose their color and become more pale as they age. Then tilt your glass a bit, give it a little swirl to see the wine’s opacity, whether it has sediment or bits of cork.

The quality of wine can be also judged by its smell and it is a significant part of wine tasting process. Our sense of taste is very closely linked to our sense of smell. So after you've swirled the wine a few times, place your nose right over the rim of the glass and take a nice deep breathe. You may be able to distinguish the various fruits such as berries, apples, citrus, to hints of herbs and spices. This initial aroma may also be followed up with a more smoky, toasty scent which is due to the way wine gets fermented and aged in oak barrels.

Finally, you can take a taste. Start with a small sip and let it roll around your tongue. Keep in mind that we are tasting so no big gulps! Before you swallow, let the wine slide across your tongue a few times, try and take in all the different flavors that are present. There are some basic elements you'll notice right away with any wine: whether it is tart or sweet; whether the alcohol hits you right away; whether it is nice and smooth or packs a punch. A well balanced wine will be somewhere in the middle for these types of characteristics. You can swallow the wine at this point and take note of any lingering tastes. If you are vineyards, you will notice that there are containers to spit out the wine after it is tasted so don't be shy if you have no wish to swallow the wine.

After you have taken the time to taste your wine, you might record some of your impressions. Did you like the wine overall? Was it sweet, sour or bitter? How was the wine's acidity? Was it well balanced? Does it taste better with cheese, bread or a heavy meal? Will you buy it again? It is important to choose the wine that you truly enjoy rather than be influenced by others. After all, no one will know what you like better than yourself. With the help of our wine tasting tips you can try as many varieties of wine as you can.

As you become more experienced, your mouth and tongue will lead you to the perfect bottle that suits you. Moreover, with the help of wine tasting parties you can find out your friends wine preference and choose the right bottle of wine as a gift. And at Metal Imagination you will find the wide selection of unique metal wine bottle holders to make your gift really unique. Happy wine tasting!