Nearly every Saturday during our weekly wine tasting, customers will ask us to explain the proper technique for tasting wine. While wine tasting rating systems range from a simple - "I love it!" or "I hate it!" to more complicated 100 point scales, if your overall goals include getting acquainted with a variety of wine regions and the ability to select a bottle that you'll enjoy from a wine list, then my first suggestion is to take some notes the next time you go wine tasting. With glass in hand, here's a place to start:
Step 1: See
Look at a wine's appearance. This is a good starting point to differentiate it from others. Describe the color - straw, garnet, ruby, etc. The browning rim around a wine may indicate that it has been aged.
Wines that are not fined or filtered will not always appear crystal clear. Don't worry, this is not a flaw and may actually lend to the body, flavor and ageability of a wine.
Step 2: Smell
Swirl the glass to release the aromas. Describe the aromas i.e. fruity, spicy, earthy, herbal, toasty oak. Check out an aroma wheel for help with more descriptors. Start with a general category like fruity. Which kind? If it's berry, then what type? Strawberry.
Tasting sheets can be helpful, but they'll be in need of updating. Some notes were written at the time the wine was bottled or at a particular point in its development. Given that wine changes over time, the tasting notes may not describe what your perceive. If the wine has aged well, it may have developed more complex aromas and other nuances that weren't noted initially.
Wine Terms:
Aromas are what the grapes have contributed. Bouquet is what the winemaker has contributed i.e. by barrel aging it adds a vanilla, toasted oak character.
Step 3: Flavor
Taste the wine. Describe its flavor. Fruity? Floral? Vegetable? Nutty? Caramel? Finding the words to match the exact flavors is difficult and takes a fair amount of training. More on "developing your palate" below.
Does it achieve overall balance? A wine that is overly flat or acidic does not achieve balance.
After you've tasted the wine, you can ask What flavors linger? Is there a finish (after taste)? What you're looking for are the lingering flavors and subtle nuances that develop on the finish as the wine warms and spreads more completely across the palate.
Step 4: Body
Body of the wine is light, medium, or full-bodied. Watch the wine's "legs" as you swirl it in the glass. Do the "legs" run down the glass quickly? Does it match what is varietally correct? A Chardonnay that is thin does not represent the varietal.
Step 5: Summarize
In its final analysis, how would you rate the overall quality of the wine? Tally the components you've observed in your tasting sequence. Does it make the grade? It's a Thumbs up or Thumbs Down.
Developing your palate:
If you are just getting started, choose wines that are polarized comparisons. Side by side tastings done blindly work well. Select wines from various regions, varietals, and vintages. Complex aromas really stand out in older vintages. Take notes using the 5 step process.
Want to be an expert taster? Buy a flavor kit to add comparative analysis when tasting wines. Do blind tastings using the same varietals. Also, visit a vineyard and sample wine grapes straight from the vine during harvest season. Make a note of varietal characteristics and flavors. How well are those flavors expressed in the finished wine?
"House palate" refers to people who have developed a taste for a certain type of wine and may not find others pleasing.
If you are happy with what you drink, then drink what you like. If you would like to avoid house palate, then move out of your wine comfort zone using the 5 step process detailed above
Try Something New: Winemaking techniques and vineyard practices vary widely. If you think you don't like a particular varietal, give it a shot. Opportunities to taste wine has expanded exponentially over the years. Visit a local vineyard or find the local wine stores show interest in helping you develop your palate and wine tasting skills. You may find a delicious exception to add to your wine collection. Most of all, explore, discover and enjoy!
It's Back-to-School time so Start Wine-ing!
No comments:
Post a Comment