When one thinks of wine tasting, their mind may go to an image of a sommelier, a professional swirling, smelling, and sipping a glass of delectable wine. They’re able to pull off notes of blackberry or even cured leather, and you think to yourself, “I could never do that.” Well, as impressive as the sommelier is, you would be wrong. While you may not tell the vintage from one sip, you can tell whether a wine is too acidic or has enough tannins. All you have to do is follow these four steps listed below:

Look

When you look at your wine, you’ll want to check for color, opacity, and viscosity. While you can find most answers to the clues on the bottle, like the vintage and grape variety, there are still things you can tell from how your wine looks. Lighter white wines will be pale, while full-bodied whites will be richer and more golden in tone. On the other hand, reds that are lighter in hue that you can see through are typically more light-bodied, while deeper, dark red wines have a fuller body.

Smell

Some people don’t realize that your nose is the key to your palate. To get the perfect whiff of your wine, try swirling it. The act of swirling aerates the wine by adding oxygen to it. You may also have heard this referred to as “letting it breathe.”

Once you let it breathe, remember that when smelling a wine, think big to small. Are there fruits? In whites, think about the citrus, orchard, or tropical fruits. In reds, think about red fruits, blue fruits, or black fruits. The aromas you smell from your wine can be broken down into categories.

• Primary Aromas-these aromas are grape-derived and include fruits, herbs, and floral notes.
• Secondary Aromas-these are considered background aromas. They come from the winemaking process, like fermenting techniques. You should expect aromas like cheese rind, nutty characteristics, or a yeast-like aroma.
• Tertiary Aromas-these aromas come from the aging process, either in the bottle or in an oak barrel. These aromas are usually savory, like baking spices, old tobacco, and cedar. A few indicators that the wine is off include the smell of must, rancid butter, or mothballs. The flaws in the wine could be the result of a problem during the winemaking process or caused by improper handling and storage.

To get past the “wine” smell, we recommend you alternate between small, short sniffs and long slow sniffs. This will keep you from overwhelming your senses. If you ever do become overwhelmed with aromas, neutralize your nose by sniffing your forearm.

Taste

Professionals will roll the wine around their mouth while sucking in the air to let the wine hit all the areas of their tongue. However, you may also take one large sip to coat your tongue in wine and then take several smaller sips, directing the wine to different spots on your tongue. When tasting wine, there are five characteristics you should keep in mind:

1. Sweetness- is the wine sweet? Is it because of residual sugar left over from the fermentation process, or is the sweetness because of fruit flavors?
2. Acidity-does your wine taste acidic? Does it make your mouth water, a characteristic that gives the wine a refreshing and zesty quality?
3. Bitterness-does your wine dry your mouth? If so, this is a result of tannins within the wine. Tannins are derived from grape skins, seeds, and stems from extended oak aging. Tannins can provide structure and shelf life.
4. Body-the body of wine refers to the general feel of the wine in your mouth. The body fills your mouth with weight and viscosity. Usually, the higher the alcohol and tannin content, the “richer” the wine is. Thus, it has a fuller body.
5. Length-Ask yourself how long the flavors or textures of the wine last on your palate. Does it linger, or does it disappear immediately after you swallow?

Think/Conclude

Now is the time to ask yourself the final round of questions. Does the wine seem balanced? Or does something seem out of place? However, the most critical question you should ask yourself is if the wine was enjoyable. Did you like it? As long as you like it, that’s all that matters.

Chaumette Vineyards & Winery

Put your wine tasting skills to that test at Chaumette Vineyards & Winery. Come for a long weekend and stay for the delectable wines and local cuisine. Chaumette has so much to offer. From beautiful villas to venues of all kinds for any celebration you can think of. Visit our website today to learn more about us and to schedule a visit!