Place the glass on the table and place your index finger and middle finger around the base of the stem, and gently swirl the glass. This will release the wine’s aromas. It will allow it to come alive. After those aromas are released, you need to smell the wine’s bouquet. Do not over do it, though. Your sense of smell becomes neutralized after a lot of sniffs…only two or three should keep your sense of smell sharp and accurate.

You might have seen wine experts tasting wine and after taking a sip, they sort of gargle the wine with the tip of their tongues. They do this so that they take in some air with the wine. It maximizes the flavor. When you take your first sip, pucker your lips as though you are going to whistle, and take in some air. Immediately, the wine will spread to all areas of your tongue. At the very tip of your tongue is where you taste sweetness. If the wine is acidic or sour, you will taste it most on back sides of your tongue.

The Five Elements

As you taste the wine, you are looking for five elements that determine what kind of wine you are drinking.

Dryness/Sweetness: The driest being a good Chablis, and the sweetest being a Liquer.

Acidity: If the wine is really sharp on the sides of your tongue, its acidity. However do not confuse acidity with dryness. Acidity feels sharp, but dryness feels “fuzzy”. Good acidity is a must for wines to age well, and to keep younger wines nice and fresh.

Tannin: A lot of people do not like tannins, therefore they stay away from red wine. Tannin is present in the skin, stalks and pips of fresh grapes. This will give you the dry, fuzzy taste in your mouth. However, tannin is most present in young reds, making them quite difficult to drink. But, tannin disappears with the wine’s age.

Oak: Most wines are kept in oak barrels, and some are initially fermented in the oak. This will leave the wine having a strong oak flavor, which is very tasty. In the case of barreled white wine, it will have flavors like vanilla, nutmeg or cinnamon. With reds, oak gives it a smooth taste and if the barrels were real charred on the inside, the wine will have a smoky taste to it. This kind of bold flavor can be tasted in a nice, rich Shiraz.

Fruit: Some wines may have a taste of raspberries, passion fruit, or even cherries. There are scientific reasons as to how wine acquires these fruity flavors. It’s mostly because of various grapes, that when fermented, can present a fruit filled tasting experience.