The Five Steps To Wine Tasting
Look
The first step in wine tasting is to hold a glass of wine by the stem, against a white background and observe the true color of the wine. First, notice whether or not the wine is bright and clear or cloudy. The better the wine the clearer it will be. Then notice the color of the wine, a white wine will range from nearly clear to a golden yellow. The older the wine is the darker the color it will have. Red wine is the opposite; a light color red usually indicates that it is an older wine.
Swirl
To enjoy the full aroma of the wine, swirl the glass around, this releases the aroma and puts oxygen into the wine developing the wine.
Smell
Take a deep breath in through your nose. Notice what scents you can pick out. How many different scents do you smell? Common scents are citrus, wood, fruit, spices, flowers.
Taste
Take a small sip of the wine; roll it around in your mouth so that it hits all of your taste buds. Then breathe air in through your mouth, this releases more flavor by putting more oxygen into the wine. Notice how the wine feels in your mouth, this is the texture of the wine.
Swallow
Swallow the wine and pay attention to the aftertaste of the wine. A wine that lingers on your pallet after you have swallowed it means it has good length and body.
The Wine Calendar
Planting………….. January- March
Fermenting…………. August- January
Growing ………..March-September
Pruning ………….June-September
Harvesting………….. August- November
Celebrating ………. All year long