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Judging Wine Made Easy
O.k., o.k, so you want to "hold your own" vs your wine snob friends when itcomes to evaluating wine. Trust me, evaluating wine is not the "rocket
science" that some of your connoisseur buddies would lead you to believe.
However, learning some basic terminology and understanding wine
characteristics will help you in knowing how to describe the wines you drink.
Let's start with appearance, color, aroma and bouquet. Wine should not appear
dull or murky. Nor, should it be cloudy. A clear wine should not be flashing
with light reflections.When it comes to colors, white wine should have shades
of yellow, gold or straw.Beaware of white wines with an amber tone, as this
is an indicator ofoxidation. A Rose can be a true pink, although sometimes it
is accented with deeper reds or oranges. Stay away from brown tints of amber
or violet.The variety of grapes used determines the color of red wines.
Cabernet and Merlot may be deep red. Younger wines typically have purple
edges, while mature wines will have bronze accents.
The term aroma applies to younger wines. This is simple, what does the wine
smell like' Typically, you'll detect fruit and grape odors. It may take some
practice for you to detect subtle differences. As a wine matures, it develops
a fragrance when it comes in contact with the air. This fragrance is called
the wine's bouquet.
If your wine smells almost like vinegar, it ranks very low in volatile
acidity. When you swish wine around in your mouth and it is refreshing,
almost giving you a little "zing,"the total acidity is probably just right. A
wine with a flat, almost "soapy" flavor is too low in acidity. Sharp, or sour
tasting wines are generally too high in acidity.
Some wines are supposed to be sweet, other wines are supposed to be dry. If
the wine you are evaluating has a sweetness to it when it should be dry,
watch out! And of course, if the wine is dry when it should be sweet, be
equally concerned. These are indicators that the wine's sugar content is
unsatisfactory. The term "flavor" has to do with how well the taste and the
aroma of the wine work together.
The "body" of a wine is probably the most subjective term used in evaluating
wine. Words like "density," "richness,"fullness," etc. are all used to
describe a wine's body. The type and age of the wine will largely influence
the description of it's body. Light, dry wines will typically have a lighter
body, while Burgundies and young Zinandels will be more full bodied. As some
wines mature, they may transition from full bodied to softer bodied. The only
way to determine what "body" means to you is to taste many wines.
Aftertaste is a term that describes the taste of the wine in your mouth after
you swallow it. Quality, mature wines have a lingering, clean, smooth
aftertaste. Young wines typically are high in acidity due to excess tannin,
and can leave an undesirable aftertaste.
So, now you're equipped with some basic terminology used in evaluating wine.
However, when all is said and "tasted", the key point in evaluating wine is
simply whether or not you enjoyed it!