Tasting & Smelling Wine
The techniques of tasting enhance the ability to perceive wine clearly. They're actually pretty simple and follow logically through a well-define series of steps. Some of the procedures may seem unnatural or to the uninitiated, but they've been developed over centuries to achieve specific ends. After a while, they become automatic.
Professional tasters prefer a day-lit, odor-free room with white walls and tabletops, in order to throw the wine into the clearest possible relief, but in the end it's a sterile environment that improves analysis at the cost of pleasure.
To maximize both enjoyment and understanding, serve your wine at a dinner party with friends; comfortable chairs, warm light and good food create an ambience where the wines and the guests can express themselves without constraint or reproach.
Remember that tasting is not a test -- your subjective response is more important than any "right answers." The bottom line is: Wine that tastes good to you is good wine. And no matter how advanced your technique, tasting is not an exact science.
Sensitivities vary widely when it comes to flavor and aroma. These differences are both physiological and cultural. When test groups of French and Germans were given wine with 8 grams of sugar per liter, 92 percent of the Germans called the wine "dry" while only 7 percent of the French did. Their reference points were different: German whites are more often frankly sweet than French ones, so the German tasters were less sensitive to sugar in their wines. The goal in tasting wine is not to "find" the same aromas and flavors some other taster is describing. If you have your own perceptual abilities and develop your own vocabulary to articulate them, you'll not only derive more pleasure from the wine itself, but also stimulate better communication.
You can be mesmerized by wine's flashing colors and hypnotized into dreamy reverie by its evocative aromas, but actually drinking the wine is what loosens the tongue, opens the arms and consummates the liquid's true purpose. You might think it's the easiest part, too. After all, you learned to drink from a cup when you were 2-years old and have been practicing diligently ever since.
There is a huge distinction between swallowing and tasting, the same gulf that yawns between simply hearing and truly listening. Once again, correct technique is essential to full appreciation. With the aromas still reverberating through your senses, put the glass to your lips and take some liquid in. How much? That depends on the size of your mouth. But too little is as ineffective as too much. I find that one-third to one-half an ounce is just about right. You need to have enough volume to work it all around your tasting apparatus, but not so much that you're forced to swallow right away. Because you don't want to swallow, not just yet. It takes time and effort to force the wine to divulge its secrets. I keep a pleasant wine in my mouth for 10 to 15 seconds, sometimes more. Roll the wine all around your mouth, bringing it into contact with every part, because each decodes a different aspect of the liquid.
Wine provokes sensations, too: The astringency of tannins is most perceptible on the inner cheeks; the heat of the alcohol burns in the back of the throat. The strength of these taste sensations can be amplified through specialized techniques that, frankly, are more appropriate to the tasting lab than the dining room. But if the wine is seductive enough, you may not be able to resist. First, as you hold the wine in your mouth, purse your lips and inhale gently through them. This creates a bubbling noise children find immensely amusing. It also accelerates vaporization, intensifying the aromas. Second, chew the wine vigorously, sloshing it around in your mouth, to draw every last nuance of flavor from the wine. Don't forget the finish. After you swallow, exhale gently and slowly through both your nose and mouth. The retronasal passage, which connects the throat and the nose, is another avenue for aromas, which can linger long after the wine is finally swallowed.
You'll find that the better the wine, the more complex, profound and long-lasting these residual aromas can be. With great wines, sensitive tasters and minimal distractions, the finish can last a minute or more. It's a moment of meditation and communion that no other beverage can create.
Why is smelling a wine important?
What can you conclude about a wine from its
smell?
Have you ever wondered why wine connoisseurs always swirl a glass of wine before smelling or tasting? Swirling releases molecules in the wine that allow you to smell the aroma, also called the bouquet or nose. There are two main techniques that wine tasters use:
- Take a quick whiff and formulate an initial impression, then take a second deeper whiff.
- or . . . Take only one deep whiff.
Either way, after you smell the wine, sit back and ponder the aroma. Don't try to "taste" the wine yet, concentrate only on what you smell.
What did you smell? It may be difficult to describe in words when you're a novice, but after trying many wines you will notice certain similarities and differences. Sometimes a certain smell will be very strong with underlying hints of other smells. Take your time and differentiate by labeling an aroma you will probably remember it better. You may even want to keep a notebook of your impressions of wines, and/or save the labels; next time you see the wine you won't have to purchase it or open it to know if you like it.
Later, as you taste the wine in your mouth, your sense of smell adds complexity to the taste. Your tongue only recognizes four sensations (sweetness, sourness, saltiness, and bitterness), while aroma receptors at the back of the tongue clarify the taste. Your sense of smell can also warn you that a wine smells "off", or is defective.
