The Wine Drip

Here are some further terms and

• Acidic/Acidity- One of the tastes of wine. All wines naturally contain acid, but it should always be in harmony with the fruit and other flavors. The presence of acid is necessary for wines to age and gives it a lively, crisp quality. Acid is tasted on the sides of the tongue and mouth.
• Aerate- To allow a wine to “breathe” by exposing it to oxygen. Aerating a wine helps it to mellow and develop its full flavors, especially red wines. Decanting is a way to aerate wine.
• Appellation- One specific geographic area from which a wine is produced. Most European wines are named by appellation rather than grape varietal.
• Balance- Harmony among the wine’s components – a balance of acid, alcohol, fruit and tannins.
• Character- The features of a wine that distinguish it from any other wine. A good wine should have character.
• Complex- Having many different flavors and aromas. A quality wine should be complex.
• Decant/Decanting- Pouring wine from its original bottle into another container (decanter), allowing the wine to “breathe” and/or to remove sediment.
• Earthy- More often used to describe European wines, these have aromas and flavors resembling the earth, perhaps even soil or rock.
• Fermentation- The process of adding yeast to crushed grapes to turn their sugar into alcohol. Fermentation processes and times vary. Wines are generally fermenting in oak barrels or stainless steel.

• Finish- The final impression a wine leaves in your mouth. A finish that lingers (long) is a sign of a well-made wine.
• Full-Bodied- denotes a wine of a certain depth, power and richness.
• Legs- These noticeable traces of liquid left running down the inside of your wine glass after it has been tipped. The speed of movement indicates the amounts of alcohol, glycerin or sugar.
• Meritage- A term used by California wine producers to describe their wines blended from Bordeaux varieties. It was designed to indicate a wine blend of higher quality.
• Oenology/Oenophile- The study of wine or one who studies and appreciates wine.
• Oxidation- The exposure of wine to oxygen or air. Some exposure is good and necessary, but too much will turn wine to vinegar.
• Palate- The combined human tasting faculties in the mouth.
• Sediment- The non-liquid material at the bottom of a bottle of wine. Sediment is naturally occurring and it completely harmless. It can be easily removed through decanting.
• Smooth- A wine that feels soft in the mouth, generally lower in tannin and acid.
• Spicy- Having spicy characteristics, such as mint, clove, cinnamon, vanilla or pepper.
• Sweet- “Sweet” is one of the wine definitions easily confused with “fruity.” Sweet indicates the presence of residual sugar, left over when the grape juice is converted to alcohol. Some dry wines have an aroma of sweetness that in reality comes from ripe fruit flavors.
• Tannin- An ingredient found naturally in the skins, seeds and stems of grapes. Tannins are usually found in red wines and give that dry, lip puckering sensation. They are an important component in the aging process and soften over time.
• Varietal- Wine that is made from a single grape variety or named for the dominant grape in a blend or type of grape.
• Vintage- The year the wine is harvested.
• Vintner- A wine maker – the person who makes important decisions related to the production of a wine.

Jordan

Wine tasting can be as enjoyable for someone that has been doing it for many years as it is for the first time.  There are several techniques that will likely add to your wine tasting experience.  The 5 S’s of tasting help you remember the 5 key points to wine tasting.  It seems as though there are a lot of different versions of a simple “5 S” rule, so I pulled some different ones together to get a comprehensive but simple 5 S’s of wine tasting together.

NOTE TO REMEMBER:  Because we all have different taste buds a wine I love you might hate and visa versa.  I would recommend letting people make their own decisions on a wine and then compare your tasting opinions after you have both made an opinion.

See- 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 or for initial signs that the wine could have spoiled.

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.

Also look for how much light comes through the wine and any other thing you notice that differ from wine to wine.

Swirl- 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. What do you taste? Sweetness? Dryness? Spice? Fruitiness? The sky is the limit! Did the taste surprise you? Was it similar on the palate to the nose?  Did 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.

Now everyone’s taste buds are different and different tastes come through for different people.  My tastes buds are different than your taste buds and while some of the more predominate tastes will come through to both of us, we might have completely different opinions on what come through.

Savor- As you gently swirl the wine around in your mouth savor the flavor. Once the wine is out of your mouth (spit or swallowed) let the flavor develop on your pallet for roughly 60 seconds.  Some wines will fall out quickly and some wines will have new flavors develop and linger around.

The best way to develop your tasting skills is to taste as many different wines as you can.  Take notes or mental notes of wines you like or tastes in wines you enjoy and your knowledgeable wine seller will be able to recommend wines and new things to try based upon what you like.

I love talking wine.  Come by Fieldstone and try some of our wines!

-Jordan

Here are some useful terms used for describing wine.

Aroma or bouquet: The smell of a wine. Bouquet applies particularly to the aroma of older wines.

Body: The apparent weight of a wine in your mouth (light, medium, or full)

Crisp: A wine with refreshing acidity

Dry: Not sweet, a wine can be dry but fruity giving an illusion of sweetness.

My next posts will go over tasting techniques as well as some of the different flavors found in different wines.

-Jordan