3 Steps You Need To Know To Do Right In Wine Tasting

How do professional wine tasters determine the quality of wine

? The image is usually of a lab coated individual who pours wine from a bottle into a beaker, sips it, swirls it around in his mouth and then spits it out into another glass.

That process might prove a bit awkward if you are having dinner at a fine restaurant and are asked to approve the wine. There is a better way for the majority of us who are not professional wine tasters, but wish to do it right.

Art Versus Science

Wine tasting is actually a combination of art and science and leans more toward being an art. That is why it is so subjective and needs some element of science or method to balance the process for most people.

As human beings we have the ability to distinguish between sweet and sour tastes and points in between. We also can distinguish aromas. These senses, working in conjunction with each other, comprise our gustatory system. They are the basis of our ability to taste effectively.

Even though this is more of an art form, professional wine tasters do follow some specific protocols we can borrow to help us move to a higher level. Here are three steps to follow to do it like a professional wine taster:

Step One - Observe

Yogi Berra (former catcher for the New York Yankees and famous for his malapropisms) once said, "You can see a lot just by observing." That defines the first step in wine tasting: Observation. Begin by pouring the wine into a clear glass. Hold it up to the light and swirl it around.

Step Two - Focus

Focus on the "legs" and the color. The "legs" are those vertical strands that cling to the sides of the glass and flow downward as the wine settles. They should do this evenly leaving a faint transparent film. If they leave odd colored striations clinging to the sides of the glass, the wine is not quality. This is especially true of red wines.

When observing the color note whether it has a uniform consistency and that there are no congealed floaters or sediment. This has a lot to do with the quality of the grapes used, when they were picked, how they were stored, how they were processed and how the wine was aged.

Step Three - Savor the Aroma

Finally, up close with nose almost in the glass, determine its bouquet, which is the aroma. Breathe it in with a long deep inhalation as though smelling a rose. Then, sip a small amount, swirl and swallow it. By going through this exercise you will experience the flavor, quality and lingering taste that is the whole joy of wine tasting. The ability to distinguish aroma is the most important sense.

By continuing to follow this three step protocol, you eventually will be able to judge your wine almost like a professional. In the process you will certainly enjoy one of life's simple pleasures.

by: Ryan Round

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