Do you like to drink wine? Let’s face it, you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t, right? I’m going to share some wine tips for you so you can drink and enjoy fine wine even more. Do you like the wine you’re drinking? That’s great, but do you know what you need to know about said wine? Not all wine is created equal, so be sure you’re choosing a good one! More on that later. Let’s get on to the wine tips for now!
How Do You Pick a Good Wine? Here are some common wine tips.
I’ve heard you don’t need a big nose or a specific number of taste buds to get good at tasting and choosing wines you love, you just need a consistent practice to build on. I’m sure you have heard of the 5 s’s of wine – See, swirl, smell, sip, savor – because chugging is not very lady like! I’m going to break them down for you and go into them a little more in detail here.
1. SEE
So even though you might think the most important part of getting to know your wine is to taste it first, it’s not. You want to see it first. Look at it, study it. HOW does it look? The color says a lot about the wine you are about to taste. It’s best to hold your glass up and look through it against a white backgound if possible. That will help you to see the truest color of the wine. The longer the wine sits with the skins of the grapes, the more color it will have and the more characteristics of that grape will be imparted on that wine.
Think about it…if you just peel a grape and throw away the skin, there wouldn’t be much color. The skin adds a lot of color and character for each different grape. Aging wine in oak barrels can affect the color as well which helps those that maybe do or do not like the oaky finish. The longer it sits in the oak barrel, the darker it gets. That goes for white and red wines alike.
In terms of white wine tips, the lighter it is, the less time it’s been aged and is more light , tangy and crisp like lemonade on a hot summer’s day. The darker and more yellow it is , is a good indication that it’s been aged longer and likely in an oak barrel.
Reds typically follow the same rule. The lighter or even more rose colored a red is, the brighter and crisper it will taste and the darker it gets, the flavor will deepen and get more rich as it goes. Again, the darker ones likely were aged in an oak barrel.
One last thing…
Something else you may observe as you are studying you wine is the sediment at the bottom of your glass. You won’t see it all the time, but if you do, no worries! It is perfectly normal and ok and not at all harmful. This sediment, or as some call “wine diamonds” is just a result of the fermentation process as the wine matures in its bottle. Little bits of seeds and grape skins, or spent yeast is what makes up these diamonds!
2. SWIRL
Next, you will swirl that pretty colored wine around in your wine glass and watch what happens. Swirling your wine is not all about being fancy. It really serves an important purpose. There’s really no right or wrong way HOW to swirl but it is an important step if you are really trying to get to know your wine.
What we are trying to do by swirling the wine, is to get some oxygen into it. This allows the wine to open up and start to release its scents and flavors. Some say it’s like opening up a bouquet of flowers. Don’t let it set for too long though or you will get too much oxygen and the taste of the wine could start changing and end up not tasting as good. Swirling wine also shows us the wine’s legs or tears. There are a few things that will make the wine swirl more slowly and stick to the sides of your glass as it settles back down. Higher levels of alcohol, wines higher in tannins or sugars are a few things that will create more legs.
If you are not very graceful like me and you’d like to practice your wine swirling techniques without the risk of swirling your wine right out of the glass and wasting it, start with swirling water until you get the hang of it. Setting your glass on a table or other flat surface is a great way to swirl your wine. It gives you nice control of your glass.
3. SMELL
I think smelling is one of my favorite parts about wine tasting. So many beautiful scents come floating out of that glass as you start to swirl it around. What are we looking for though when we smell the wine? What we smell through our noses has an incredible effect on the way our brains will process that flavor. Think about it…If you plug your nose and start chewing on a piece of food and then release your nose part way through…you’ll go from tasting nothing to tasting all the flavor. You can’t taste much if you can’t smell.
Ok, this may sound a little bit funny, but when you go to smell your wine – stick your nose in that glass, shut your eyes and take a nice long smell, really smell the scents coming at you. What are you picking up? If it’s a white wine you may smell things like citrus: lemon, lime or grapefruit. White fruits such as apple, pear, apricot or peach. Tropical fruits like pineapple, mango or melons. You may even smell floral or herb scents such as jasmine, rose, chamomile, lavender, sage, thyme and even freshly cut grass. You may also notice some earthy or nutty scents.
As far as the reds go you may notice scents such as Fruit: raspberry, strawberry, plum, cherry. Flowers: violets, rose and lavender. Vegetable and herbs such as: green peppers, grass, mint, thyme, bayleaf. Spices such as cinnamon, licorice, vanilla and pepper. Woods, earthy and animal tones like smoked or burnt woods, mushrooms, leather and furs which may seem a bit unpleasant for scents but give the wines but give complexity to the “bouquet” in small amounts.
4. SIP
Alright, here comes the best part of the wine tips. The moment you’ve all been waiting for. Time to sip and taste the wine! Don’t get over excited here… I didn’t say CHUG the wine…remember, that’s not very lady like (well for me anyway since I’m a girl). We want to take our time and SIP the wine so you can put the smell and taste all together here and really pick out those flavors. Take a small sip and let it just sit in your mouth for a bit. You may even want to gently swish it around a little bit like your swishing mouthwash. The main point is to let your taste buds go to work and start picking out what they are tasting. Think about it for a little bit. What are you tasting?
If you are tasting with a group of friends, compare notes with each other. What are you picking up? What tastes and smells are you getting? It will be interesting to get everyone’s take on it. If you are sipping alone – then all that matters is you and what you are tasting and that you are enjoying every moment. Don’t doubt yourself. There are no wrong answers.
5. SAVOR
This is where the magic happens and where the wine experience fully takes place. Let the aromas, tastes, textures and complexities of the wine just sit and linger in your mouth taking it all in. These steps should not be rushed, but enjoyed. Close your eyes, relx and smile. Notice the finish of your wine. How long does the flavor linger on in your mouth? If it’s there for a minute or more, you know you’ve got a great wine!
As you sit there picking the wine apart in your brain and in your mouth, you can start thinking about what kind of foods the wine would pair well with and start making a list of dishes you’d like to try with this particular wine. Once you add food into the mix…you have a whole new experience. Think about all food aspects: Appetizers, Main Dishes and Desserts. I’ve heard the right wine even goes well with a basic chocolate chip cookie! 😉 I will even share a couple of wine and food pairings to get you started!
See a SWEET recipe HERE. And a SAVORY recipe HERE.
