Introduction

«"The Art of Wine Tasting" is a term widely used when talking of wine. It is thought to be chic and well-raised ranking alongside other artistic pursuits like painting, sculpture ... This creates a complex that could put off a beginner or even a winelover! ... But me, Roxane, I do not agree!

 

Taste is subjective and everyone has an eye, a nose and palate. So to enjoy a wine, just launch yourself in. Forget the complicated words. Stick to simple words and your emotions. Then, if you like winetasting, interest in the subject will allow you to progress in acquiring more complex vocabulary and references. To begin, know how to say "I like this wine" or "I do not like" and then try to explain why. Go back to the notion of pleasure "I enjoyed this wine / or not". So "yes, I buy / no, I do not buy."

Oh, I almost forgot: wine tasting is not intended to predict what the wine is, its name and its vintage...  Just stick the words that describe your reaction and feelings to the wine. This is already good enough!

 

Ready to go? So it begins!

 

Good tasting conditions: 

the right glass, adequate lighting and a neutral white tablecloth.

The steps of wine tasting

«Let's start by examining this wine ... visually describe what it looks like (clarity, colour intensity, viscosity ...) by tilting the glass a bit so that the wine can be seen on the white surface. The colour can tell us something about the age of a wine. For example, in the case of a red wine, if the colour is purple, it is a young wine. Conversely, a colour is brick (orange hints), this denotes an older wine.

 

 

The nose is next. Take a sniff without swirling the glass. The first aromas are generally indicators of the grape type or variety. They are generally fruity and are the more volatile aromas. Then swirl the glass gently to release the secondary aromas, these come from fermentation. After a great airation, consider the tertiary aromas: the aromas of aging. These are often plum, prune, forest floor, mushrooms, leather.

 

 

 

 

 

 

With your taste buds now: take a small quantity of wine into your mouth and keep it there. Draw a little  air through the wine in your mouth. Pay attention to taste (acidity, bitterness, sweet, salty), the balance of wine and the length of finish (the final taste that lingers on the mouth after swallowing or spitting).

 

You want to progress a bit more?

Use words like "structured, robust, balanced, full-bodied, elegant, fine, rich ..." to describe what you sense. The mouth is sensitive to the temperature of the wine, its viscosity, presence-or absence-of carbon dioxide and astringency: consider all these elements.

 

 

 

Did you know that spitting is also part of winetasting?

Many people believe that swallowing the wine helps to taste it better. This is not true since your taste buds are on your tongue and not in your stomach! In order to taste and compare several wines without risk of getting drunk or taking too much alcohol, spitting in a spittoon (a vase for example) is a good idea and will not make you a rude person but rather a connoisseur! 

 

So dare to try it, it's for a good cause!