 Ok, now I know that the last thing you want to hear is how romantic wine is. That’s just what you would expect from a wine chick. But follow me on this one, guys. Anyone who’s had a one-night-stand knows there’s a big difference between a one-nighter and real realtionship. And with wine, you want a real relationship. A romantic one.
Wine has observable nuance and subtlety. You can ignore it and just drink it down or you can savor it - at least the first sip - and enjoy it that much more. Wine tasting is a sensual thing in that you use all five senses to appreciate it. Let’s go through the steps so that you can swill with the best of them next time you stop into one of those quaint wineries on a road trip or are at dinner with your girl at a stylish restaurant. SeeWhat are we looking for in the wine? How wine looks can give you hints as to its age and, to the more sophisticated drinker, even the growing region.
- Check out the intensity of the color. Many red wines start life a deep purple (that where those rockers from the ‘70s go their name?), sometimes almost opaque. With time, the wines take on a paler, tawny, brick hue. Tilt the glass and look at the wine from the rim through to the depth of the bowl. This color change initially appears at the rim of the wine. As the years go by, the whole wine will take on this color, fading ultimately to leathery brown.
- You can get similar information from checking out a white wine. Most whites starts off with a lemon-gold, or almost light-greenish color, and as it ages the wine deepens in tone, turning a rich, golden amber. Just remember, this color change is gradual; we’re talking decades here.
- The trick in knowing the wine’s origin is simply this: cool climate wines tend to be less richly colored. So, a French Chardonnay will be paler than an Australian Chardonnay, because France is cooler, Australia warmer.
- Want to impress your date? Learn the characteristic hue, such as the green tinge of Riesling or the blue hue of Cabernet Sauvignon, then when you get a bottle at a restaurant, you can explain color to her. Women dig a guy who knows a little about wine.
SmellThis is the part that makes wine people look like snobs. But there is a method and a means to the madness. Most of what you “taste” in wine (and all food and drink) actually comes from your sense of smell. So let’s do it:
- Swirl the glass to throw the wine up onto the sides. So you don’t splatter that hot new Roberto Cavalli shirt, place the base of the glass on the table, place your hand firmly around the base and lower stem, and move it in a circular motion to get the aromas going. What you are doing is increasing the surface area of the wine to increase its contact with the air. Why? It’s the interplay between wine and air that releases the aroma. Increasing the surface area helps to make the aromas more apparent. The agitation of the wine, of course, also helps.
- To get a good sniff, the key is to open up your sinus passages all the way. Think of arching your neck in the shape of that S-hook that holds your bike in the garage. The bigger the arch, the better you can smell. Now, take a deep breath in and think about which aromas are coming up from the glass, such as pepper, leather, grass, chocolate, apples, wet dog. Seriously, if it smells like wet dog (or wet paper), the wine’s probably corked and should be returned to the waiter or your wine shop for a replacement bottle.
- Young wines and those from outside of Europe will have primary aromas, relating to the grape variety. Smells are often fruit related, so wines are described with words like blackcurrant, raspberry, or maybe simply "fruity."
- As wines age more secondary aromas develop, which may be more earthy or animalistic. The aromas generated by a glass of fine wine can be many, intertwined in a most intimate and complex manner. Just like any good date.
TouchHere’s where you get physically in touch with the wine, but not by reaching the glass and fingering a handful of the stuff. You’re touching on the 'palate,' or sensing how the wine feels in the mouth. Really focusing on the absolute presence of the wine can tell you about quality and how well the wine will drink with food. So think how the wine feels. Is it as heavy as cream or as light as water? That is the “body” of wine. And everyone I know likes a good body.
TasteSo this is when everybody else thinks the real wine tasting starts. Just remember that little of the flavor can be sensed on the tongue. It’s still your nose and those aromas that bring the wine to you. So breathe in and out through the nose as you taste, and if you feel like it, slurp some air in through the mouth over the wine. It will help to release the aromas, and probably raise a few laughs – especially if you dribble!
- Pay attention to the way the wine changes as you hold it in the mouth. The wine term for the first impression of the wine in your mouth is “forepalate,” followed by the” mid” and “endpalate,” leading up to the finish. Lots of words to describe a taste, right? You will mostly just remember the finish, which describes the sensations derived from swallowing the wine. You may be surprised at how differently the wine tastes going down from when it first came across on the palate, so focus.
- If the flavors linger for a while after you’ve swallowed, this is referred to as the length. The more length a wine has, the more time you have to enjoy it, and it's probably true to say that such wines are generally of better quality.
HearSo here is where I have to stretch it a bit. But it is true. We are all affected by the opinions of those around us. After tasting, discuss what you found. Listen to others’ opinions. You never know what you might learn about the wine or them! By chatting it up you will get more confident on your views and gain greater power to select good wines, toss bad ones, and understand what it is you don't like about them.
Finally, chill out. Some guys get very uptight about the “stuffiness” of wine and wine culture. Look, it’s just wine, but it is really great to start experiencing all it has to offer. Let the romance begin! I just couldn’t resist.
The Sexy Sommelier, Lisa Kennelly is a certified sommelier, tested by the Court of Master Sommelier. She's taught wine appreciation at universities and wine tastings around the country, and has owned wine bars, fine wine shops, and catering companies, and contributed to cookbooks.
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