Wine tasting! 5 S! See wine, swirl,

Wine Tasting

Wine tasting is more than just pouring a small amount of wine into a glass and sipping it. Wine tasting over the years has evolved into an art.

One does not drink wine. One contemplates wine, savors wine and discusses wine with other wine connoisseurs. There is wine etiquette to perform when sipping wine, known as the “Five S’s” of wine tasting:

The Five S's of Wine Tasting

See the wine- Pour the wine into a wine glass and hold the glass up to the light. Study the color. You are looking for clarity and brilliance. If the wine in your glass is cloudy or discolored in any way your palate is about to be disappointed, because something is wrong with the blend.

White wine as it ages; the coloring changes, the color and hue reflect almost a straw or a golden-yellow.

For a red wine, the color can become almost ruby or burgundy depending on how long the wine was allowed to age. White wine is stored in stainless steel vats to age. Red wine is stored in oaken barrels to age.

Swirl the wine- Holding the stem of the wineglass lightly, pick up the glass and swirl the wine around and around. This is to achieve several purposes. You are allowing the wine to breathe, and to pick up the essence of the glass. As you swirl your wine, notice how the wine hits the sides of the glass, and then falls back down. This is known as the “legs” of the wine, giving those knowledgeable enough, clues as to how full-bodied the wine actually is. Swirl the wine several times in order to allow all the components to come together and give you the full experience of a full-bodied taste.

Sniff- Raise the glass to your nose, and sniff deeply. Close your eyes taking in the full impact of the bouquet rising up to meet your nose. What you smell will depend on your choice of wine, as well as your memory. Red wines carry an earthy aroma, reminiscent of pencil shavings, or rich, cool woodsy- type smells. You could smell almonds, or vanilla or even cloves. No one person smelling the same wine will come away with the same memories of another person smelling that wine.

If the wine is a fruity wine, you might envision a field of strawberries, or an apple orchard, perhaps cloves or anise or another spice. All smells wafting up to your nostrils are open to individual interpretation.

Sip- Now, sip the wine. Your mouth will confirm what your sense of smell has detected. A dry red wine with tannins will leave you with what they call the “pucker factor” completely drying out your mouth at the first sip. A fruity sweetened wine will sit on the tongue and play across the taste buds delighting the palate and leaving the mouth moist.

Savor- As you gently swirl the wine around in your mouth savor the flavor. You are checking for the balance of the blends; for each wine bottle is not just the end product of one type of grape, but a carefully planned blend of several types. Some wines contain not just the juice of the grape, but also the stems and the seeds.

Now swallow the wine and enjoy the fruits of this harvest of flavors.