How to taste a wine

How many times has it happened to you that a waiter in a restaurant brings you wine and waits for you to taste it? The feeling of general awareness at that moment certainly causes you discomfort because you are not sure that you know what you are doing.

What is the secret to tasting the wine from such a small sip?

Tasting is an extension of smell. So, most of the flavors you get when you taste your sip of wine come through your nose as it’s connected to the back of your mouth.

As an addition, you are getting your five tastes awakened.

What you should do is take a small sip, not a big gulp, and hold it in your mouth, swirl it around and breathe in a little. This oxygenates the wine and opens it up.

What can the taste tell you?

Tannins come from grape skins, seeds, and stalks, and can tell you a lot.

The sweetness might be a sign the wine is made from late harvest, grapes affected by noble rot

Acidity can be a marker of grape variety like the Riesling. The cooler climate wines tend to be higher in acidity.

Warmth at the end is connected with the high alcohol percentage.

That’s about it! It might all seem a little too complicated but if you are into wines, keep practicing and keep in mind that it’s meant to be fun.

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