If you would like to learn more about wines this small tour called wine 101 will help you on your way. Wine aficionados, wine growers and expert wine tasters all started somewhere and this 101 is designed to give you a basic idea of the many differences that are found in the various types of wine.
This wine 101 touches on just a few of the principles of wine tasting. To get more information you can visit different wineries and ask questions of their tour guides, search the internet, or read books on wine tasting and other wine related subjects. These are all good introductions to the many facets of wine sampling and wine making.
In wine 101 the first basic principle, really for those who have not tasted much wine, is that red wines have a vary different taste from white wines. If you have tasted both, you will already know this but it is interesting to learn about the various differences. To move onto the next stage of wine 101 you will need to choose some white wines and red wines to use for your wine 101 class.
The next step in the wine tasting 101 is to pour some wine into a glass. Swirl the wine gently around the bottom of the glass so that the wine and all of it’s substances meld. Hold the wine glass up to the light and watch the length of time taken for the leg of the wine to drop back into the bottom of the glass. Watching the leg of the wine in this way can tell you something about the quality of a wine. (The longer the leg takes to reach the bottom of the glass, the more body the wine has).
Smelling the wine, is an important part of wine tasting 101. A good wine will have a “nose” or “bouquet” that is distinctive and easily recognizable. First take just a quick sniff. From this first sniff, try to identify the various flavours that make up this wine. Once you have decided what you think these flavours might be, you should swirl the wine once more so that everything is once again thoroughly mixed together.
The next part of wine 101 is the one you may have been eagerly awaiting (or not depending upon the effects of that first sniff and the palatability of those scented flavours to you). Take a small sip of the wine, hold it on your tongue for a few minutes, rolling it gently over your taste buds, and savouring all of those flavours. Once the full range of these flavours are present in your mouth the wine should only then be allowed to slide into your waiting throat. Now you can savour the full taste of your chosen wine. Remember that the second taste will often leave a slightly different flavour or after taste. At this point of the wine 101, it is fun to compare your scents and tastes with what is written on the bottle (don’t read the label before hand! Make up your own mind first and then do the comparison for best effect).
I hope this brief introduction to wine tasting will give you pleasure and confidence to try out different wines. Always trust your own judgement as to what suits your taste and don’t be put off by those who have more knowledge than you. We all have to start somewhere and wine, like so many other things, is an acquired taste, and one which often changes as we ourselves mature and mellow.