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How to Taste Wine

Wine, especially that for which you have paid a premium, is worth more than a quick swallow. So perhaps this section should be entitled 'Wine Appreciation', because there is a lot more to judging the quality of a wine than just tasting it. Predominantly it involves smell, using that organ which protrudes from the front of the face just above the mouth. Despite this simple fact, however, many regard those that know enough to swirl and sniff their wine as pretentious wine 'snobs'. But this is not the case. This is how to get the best out of a bottle, and I do it with every wine I drink, be it a cheap glugger or a Bordeaux first growth. My guide to how to taste wine explains how it's done.

How to Taste Wine: Inspecting the Wine

It is worth taking a good look at the wine, as it's appearance can yield a lot of information. It's best to view the wine against a white background, in order to avoid mistaking the colour. This doesn't have to be anything technical - a white plate or tablecloth will do. Another good point to make is that the receptacles should be made of plain, clear glass - trying to gauge the intensity of a red wine through blue glass is notoriously difficult!

Colour: The colour of a red wine will give a clue as to the age of the wine. Many red wines start life as a deep purple colour, sometimes almost opaque. With time, however, the wines lose this youthful intensity, and begin to take on a paler, tawny, brick red hue.

Initially this appears at the rim of the wine, but as the years go by the whole wine will take on this colour, fading to a brick red or brown. The colour of a red wine may give a clue not only to the age of the wine, however, but also to the grapes which have been used. This is because different grapes produce wines of differing intensities of colour. Pinot Noir tends to be pale, for instance, whereas many other red grapes, particularly in their youth, would be expected to be an inky purple-black.

Similar information may be gathered from inspecting a white wine, although the pattern of colour change as a white wine ages is different. A good example is Sauternes, the famous dessert wine of Bordeaux. This wine starts off a lemon gold colour, but unlike a red wine, which becomes paler as it ages, this wine deepens, turning a rich, golden amber. This colour change is gradual, occurring over many decades. As with red wines, the colour of a white wine will also give some clue as to the grapes used, and also from where the wine originates. Cool climate wines tend to be less richly coloured, hence Burgundian Chardonnay will be paler than an Australian example. Certain grapes have an almost characteristic hue, such as the green tinge of Riesling.

Cabernet Sauvignon
A youthful, deeply coloured
Cabernet.

A much paler, fading
Pinot Noir.

A pale, cool climate
Chardonnay.

A richer, warm climate
Chardonnay.

Legs: This little used tasting term refers to the oily droplets of wine that run down the inside of the glass after the wine has been swirled. It was used more frequently in times past as many believed that slowly forming, oily legs, reflecting either high alcohol content or the presence of sugars, were an indication of quality. Less exciting, weak wines would quickly form more watery legs. This is true to some extent, but today many tend to assess these qualities on the palate rather than with the eye.

Bead: With reference to sparkling wines, the bead describes the size of the bubbles generated by the wine. Champagne is said to generate a finer bead (smaller bubbles) than other sparkling wines, and I tend to go along with this. It can be useful when trying to identify wines blind. Some say that the quality of the bead can even be determined by holding the glass close to the ear, and listening to the fizz. This one I find hard to believe!

How to Taste Wine: Smelling the Wine

Swirl the glass to throw the wine up onto the side of the glass, thus increasing the surface area of wine in contact with the air. It is at the interface between wine and air that aromas are released, and thus increasing the surface area helps to make the aromas more apparent. The agitation of the wine, of course, also helps. To swirl effectively, don't fill the glass too full - in fact less than half full is recommended. Be gentle, in order to bring the wine up onto the side of the glass without spilling it altogether. If you find you are spilling wine, and haven't overfilled the glass, place the base of the glass on the table and using a few good circular motions on the table top to get the aromas going.

Once done, stick your nose in the glass a take a good sniff, and think about what aromas are coming up from the glass as you do so. Young wines will have primary aromas, relating to the grape variety. Such smells are often fruit related, and hence wines are described as smelling of blackcurrants, raspberries, and so on, or maybe simply as 'fruity'.

As wines age more secondary aromas develop, which may be more earthy or animalistic. I believe that the bouquet of a wine is the most enjoyable part of the experience, more so than actually tasting it. The aromas generated by a glass of fine wine can be many, intertwined in a most intimate and complex manner. The aromas of a wine take on many different forms, and very rarely does a wine smell of grapes - but that is because the grapes most of us are familiar with are table or dessert grapes, which are quite unsuitable for making wine.

How to Taste Wine: At Last - Tasting the Wine!

There is a lot more to describe when tasting the wine than simple flavour. Flavours are often as expected following the detection of certain aromas. On the 'palate' (the term used to describe the characteristics of the wine detected in the mouth), however, other elements come into play. Detecting the absolute presence and relative quantities of these substances tells you about quality, ageing potential, how well the wine will drink with food, and so on. This empowers you to select good wines, and discard bad ones, as you analyze the wine and understand what it is you don't like about them.

When you taste wine, it is important to realize that little of the flavour that can be sensed actually involves the tongue. Much more vital are the nasal chemoreceptors that are involved in smell. Aromas from the wine in the mouth pervade the upper airways, and it is sensations from the nasal receptors that we use to 'taste' the wine. (This is why it is difficult to taste foods when you have a head-cold). 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!

Pay attention to the way the wine changes as you hold it in the mouth. First impressions on taking the wine into the mouth may be referred to as the forepalate, followed by the mid and endpalate, leading up to the finish.

The finish describes the sensations derived from swallowing the wine. It will often be different to how the wine came across on the palate, so take note. The flavours may linger for a while on the palate after the wine has been swallowed, and 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. Last of all, don't forget to spit. Not necessary most of the time, of course, but at large trade tastings it is the only way to stay upright. And long term, of course, it protects the liver. If you do go to a large public tasting and are nervous about spitting, don't be. Get yourself over the receptacle, don't be afraid to lower your head towards it some way, and simply release the wine from your mouth, almost letting gravity do the job. As you get more confident you may be a little more directional in your technique, but don't confuse confidence with inebriation. Even when spitting, some alcohol is absorbed via the mucous membranes of the mouth, and some via the small part that is inevitably swallowed.

WINE GLOSSARY

XYZ

A

Acidity: Detectable as a sharpness in the mouth, this should neither be too obvious nor absent. Its absence makes a wine dull and 'flabby'. Too much makes the wine difficult to drink. A wine with a good balance of tannin and acidity, and good fruit, will age well.
Alcohol: The product of fermentation by yeasts, its presence is measured in percent volume (or "proof").
Appellation: A delineated wine producing region, particularly with reference to France. Wines that qualify for appellation contrôlée status must meet numerous legal criteria, such as correct grapes, restricted yields, etc., but there are no actual tests of quality.

B

Balance: This describes a wine in which the tannins, acidity and level of fruit all co-exist at a harmonious level. The tannins are not too obtrusive, the acidity not obvious but present, and a pleasant level of fruit (or other factors, such as oak).
Bâtonnage: The term for stirring of the lees (dead yeasts), which is employed to impart body and flavour to the wine.
Bead: The size of the bubbles in a glass of sparkling wine or Champagne. Some people say that the smaller the bead, the finer the wine. Champagne does seem to have a finer bead than New World wine.
Body: Describes the consistency of the wine. A more watery wine has a light body. Wines with a thicker consistency are medium and then full bodied.
Botrytis: Also known as Noble Rot, Botrytis cinnerea is a fungus which, under suitable conditions, attacks grapes on the vines, leaving them shriveled and dehydrated. Fermentation of these grapes will result in a rich, sweet, concentrated wine, as the fermenting yeasts will die long before the sugar has all been converted to alcohol.
Bretty: Refers to a farmyardy, 'mousy', sometimes metallic smell which is the result of contamination of the wine by species of Brettanomyces fungus.
Bricking: Refers to a tawny, brick red colour, which implies age in a red wine.

C

Chaptalised: Wine that has been chaptalised has had sugar added before fermentation in order to result in a higher alcohol content.
Closed: Some wines (red rather than white) that are built to age will go through an awkward phase when a few years old. The nose will be unimpressive and the wine will seem short on flavour. It is a temporary phase before the development of the characteristics of a mature wine.
Confected: A sweet note, but more manufactured (like candy) rather than honey. Generally a negative aspect of the wine.
Corked: A wine contaminated with TCA, a product of fungal contamination of the cork (a corked wine is not one with bits of cork floating in it). It may result in a wine that simply lacks fruit and can be difficult to spot, or it may be horribly obvious, with cardboardy, musty, mushroomy, dank aromas and flavours, rendering the wine completely undrinkable.

D

Doux: A French term used to describe a sweet wine, usually seen written as 'vin doux'.
Dry: Basically the opposite of sweet, although wine that tastes dry still contains sugar, perhaps just a few grams per liter. The term 'dry' can also be used to describe the tannins or mouthfeel, when it refers to the dry, puckering sensation the wine imparts.

E

Extraction: This refers to the extraction of phenolic compounds from the grapeskins, in order to provide tannins, colour and body. It may be increased by leaving the wine in contact with the skins for longer, although too long will result in an excessively powerful wine that seems 'over-extracted'.

F

Finish: Your impression of the wine at the point of, and just after, swallowing.
Forward: This denotes a wine which is packed with obvious fruit and other aromas, which may be felt by the taster to be developing quickly.

G

Goût de terroir: This term suggests that the wine in some way tastes of the earth in which it was grown, as well as the flavours derived from the grapes. For example, some German Rieslings may be said to be slatey, reflecting the slate that is present in the vineyards,

H

Hollow: Describing a wine as hollow implies that something more was expected of it. For example, a wine with a promising nose and forepalate, which then seems thin, perhaps lacking in flavour or body, on the midpalate may be described as 'hollow on the midpalate'.

I

In bond: This term describes wine which is held in a bonded warehouse, which has not passed through customs in order to officially enter the UK and consequently has not been subject to duty or value added tax (VAT). Once purchased (case quantities only), wine may be held 'in bond' for a fee, and this is useful if you plan to export the wine, or sell to a foreign buyer, at a later date. If you're like me and tend to drink it rather than sell it, however, in order to get your hands on your wine you will have to pay duty (about £14 per case for still wine, more for sparkling or fortified wine) and then VAT (17.5% on top of the full amount, including duty - which means that you pay tax on the duty as well as the wine) which often significantly increases the amount you have to pay. Always take this into account when buying in bond or en primeur, and don't forget that shipping charges may also be incurred.
Integrated: Describes whether or not the various flavour components of the wine are acting in harmony or not. A young wine often seems to be poorly integrated (or 'disjointed'), but this will often change with time. A term often used with regard to oak.

J K L

Leesy: The rich aromas or flavours which result from the wine resting on its lees (the dead yeast cells, that were originally responsible for the fermentation).
Legs: The tear-like tracks that a wine makes down the side of a glass after it has been swirled. May be related to alcohol or glycerol content - it's a matter of contention. Not essential for assessing the quality of a wine, but pleasant to look at.
Length: How long the flavours of the wine persist in the mouth after you have swallowed it. It is generally thought that the longer the length, the better the wine.
Lieu-dit: A French term most often used when describing Burgundy. It refers to a named vineyard which does not have Premier or Grand Cru appellation.

M

Madeirised: Refers to wine that has oxidized and tastes like Madeira. If you are not familiar with Madeira, a wine that tastes like old and bad sherry is probably also oxidized.
Malolactic fermentation: After the initial alcoholic (yeast-driven) fermentation, the malolactic (bacterial) fermentation may be permitted, resulting in conversion of the sharp malic acid to the softer lactic acid. Whether a winemaker permits or blocks the malolactic (or 'malo') depends on the style of wine he/she aims to make.
Moelleux: A French term for a sweet wine.
Mousse: How fizzy a sparkling wine seems in the mouth. A soft mousse is not too fizzy. A harsh mousse is too fizzy, like a carbonated soft drink, perhaps.

N

Nose: Describing how a wine smells.

O

Oxidized: Tasting like bad old sherry or madeira, this is the result of prolonged contact of the wine with oxygen. This may have happened in the winery, or because or a poor cork.

P

Palate: Describing how a wine tastes in the mouth. May be divided into fore-palate (the initial impression), mid-palate (taking your time over it) and hind or end-palate (how it seems on swallowing).
Pétillant: Very lightly sparkling, much less so than most sparkling wines (such as Champagne) which have a 'mousse' rather than a 'pétillance'.
Phenolics: Compounds derived from grapes (specifically, from skins and pips) which include tannins.

Q R

Residual sugar: This is the amount of sugar left in the wine after alcoholic fermentation. The vast majority of wines have less than 2g/L. Sweet wines obviously have more, some reaching ridiculous levels - up to 480g/L has been recorded.

S

Sec: French for 'dry'.
Structure: An ambiguous tasting term implying that the harmony of fruit, tannins, acidity and alcohol is perfectly woven. A wine with good structure is often suitable for ageing.
Sulphur: This may show through as rubbery or mothball type aromas, and is the result of heavy-handed use of sulphur dioxide, implying poor wine making. Having said that, some Rhône reds can exhibit rubbery aromas with age in the absence of sulphur, and here it would not be considered a fault.

T

Tannin: A compound derived from the pips and stalks, which is detectable by a furring of the mouth and teeth in a similar manner to stewed tea. Too much tannin may render a wine very difficult to drink, but they do soften with age. Tannin gives a wine body and structure, and together with acidity and fruit it is necessary for a wine to improve with age.
TCA: The compound that taints a wine when it is corked, 1-2-4 Trichloroanisole.
Toasty: Literally means just that - smelling or tasting of toast. It may reflect 'toasting' of the barrels, when they may be placed around a fire (sometimes as they are made), the flames altering the physical and chemical composition of the wood surface, and subsequently this will have a significant effect on the flavour of the wine.

U V

Volatile acidity: A small amount of aromatic compounds help to lift the fruitiness of wine. In excess, however, they are regarded as a fault, manifesting as acetone, furniture polish and vinegar-like aromas.

W

Weight: Describes the consistency of the wine, in a similar way to body. The thicker and richer the wine feels in the mouth, the more weight it is said to have.

XYZ

Yeast: Micro-organism responsible for the conversion of sugar to alcohol. They are endemic in many vineyards, but if not they may be cultured in the laboratory and introduced to commence the fermentation.