How to taste wine

Good wine, like music. Unfortunately, to evaluate the taste and aroma of the wine can not all. Fortunately, to understand the wines do not have to be a professional taster.

We offer you six rules that will help you feel the music brighter wines. As well as the six exercises that will help to "pump" your tasting skills.

Rule one: the body

What is the "body" of wine?

The "body" of wine - one of its main characteristics, it is important to determine whether the food wine. This is not the taste or flavor. The "body" of wine - it is rather a sense of how wine is "heavy", polnovkusnoe.

"Weight" of wine depends on its viscosity, density and ductility, and these figures are, in turn, - on the amount of alcohol in wine and sugar. Remember, alcohol in my mouth felt thicker, denser than ordinary water. alcohol content - is the leading criterion for determining "telnosti" wine.

The easiest way to "weigh" the wine - to look at the label, where the percentage of alcohol content. Srednetelnoe wine contains about 13.5% of alcohol in connection with this wine strength of less than 13% can be considered light, and more than 14% - heavy.

The "body" is important when choosing wine for a particular dish. Mouthfeel similar products with the perception of the wine "body", so here are a simple rule: the lighter the dish, the better the wine. And vice versa: the dish more fat and nutritious, the polnovkusnee, ie with a high content of alcohol, the wine should be.

Exercise one: define "telnost" wine

Equipment:

• 4 cups;
• 60 mL of skim milk;
• 60 ml of 2% milk;
• 60 mL of 3.25% milk (whole);
• 60 ml of cream.

Take in the mouth turn first sip of skim milk and then the milk fat content of 2%, whole milk, and finally the cream. Do not swallow right away, try to feel each product structure, listen to your feelings. You will notice that skim milk is almost not felt, while the density of the cream felt immediately. Same with the wine: "body" of light wines with low alcohol content faint, and "body" of wines with a high content of alcohol and sugar, on the other hand, dense and heavy.

Gradation of the white wines of "telnosti" (from the lightest to the heaviest)

1. Northern Italian Pinot Grigio: 2011 Tiefenbrunner;
2. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc: 2011 Kim Crawford Marlborough;
3. White Burgundy: 2010 Domaine Faiveley Bourgogne Blanc;
4. Barrel-fermented Chardonnay: 2010 Rodney Strong Sonoma County.

Gradation of red wines of "telnosti":

1. Valpolicella: 2011 Tedeschi Lucchine;
2. California Pinot Noir: 2010 Dutton Goldfield Azaya Ranch Vineyard;
3. Chianti Classico: 2009 La Maialina;
4. Zinfandel: 2010 Ridge East Bench.

Rule two: tannins

What are tannins?

Tannins - phenolic substance is contained in the vine, beans and grape skin. They protect plants from harmful effects of the environment, and the wine - from oxidation. It tannins largely determine such characteristics of wine (especially red), as taste, aroma and aging.

Tannins cause dry mouth, which can be mild pleasant (harmonious wine) and rigid, binder. Therefore, we say that the tannins create the texture of wine from "hard" to "velvety".

As for the combination of wine and food, wine vysokotaninnye well suited to meat dishes: tanning effect of tannins "suppresses" fats, and they, in turn, mitigate the perception of tannins. Thus, more than a fibrous structure has meat (beef or game, grilled), the more astringent wine it requires.

Exercise Two: determine tannin

Equipment:

• 3 cups;
• 3 bags of black tea;
• boiling water;
• stopwatch.

Pour 250 ml hot water into each of the cups, dip them in 1 tea bag and start the stopwatch. After 2 minutes, remove the tea bag from the mug first, after 4 minutes - from the second, and finally, after 8 minutes from the third. Allow tea to cool down.

The longer you brew the tea, so it is harder and stronger than he is, the more astringent sensation in the mouth causes. Similarly with wine: The higher the concentration of tannin, the wine more tart.

Graduation wines Tannins:

1. Beaujolais: 2010 Potel Aviron Côte de Brouilly;
2. California Merlot: 2009 Simi Sonoma County Merlot;
3. Bordeaux: 2010 Château Bellevue Bordeaux Supérieur.

Rule Three: acidity

What is acidity?

Acidity - one of the main features of the wine, its essence. In grapes contained tartaric, malic and citric acid, in addition, during winemaking process are selected and other acids (lactic acid, acetic acid). All of them and create the feeling of freshness, which is called acidity.

The acidity of the wine depends on the grape variety, climate and soil where it is grown. Sweeter than grapes (more mature), the lower the acidity. Therefore, from grapes grown in colder areas, it turns highly acidic wine. Total allocated three levels of acidity: low, medium and high.

Acidity can feel language - the taste receptors located on it (particularly at the sides), create a feeling of tartness, bitterness and sometimes even mild tingling. Acidity stimulates salivation and fueling the appetite, the main thing to choose the right wine to go with dinner.

To this end, it should be remembered that, firstly, the acidity of the wine balances the fat, and secondly, salt blocks. Simply put, the more fatty foods, especially acidic wine should be, and the more savory dishes, the less sensation of acidity.

Exercise Three: determine the acidity

Equipment:

• 5 cups;
• water;
• 1 orange;
• 1 grapefruit;
• 1 lemon;
• 1 lime.

Pour the first glass of water; second - freshly squeezed orange juice; third - grapefruit; the fourth - lemon; and the fifth - the lime juice. First, take a sip of water, then add a glass of water first, orange juice, grapefruit juice, and then etc. You will see how the acidity increases, and eventually reach the point where it is too sour. Acidity provides vigor and sharpness wine, wine refreshing properties depend on its level.

Graduation wines acidity:

1. Marsanne: 2011 Qupé;
2. Sauvignon Blanc: 2011 Brander Santa Ynez Valley;
3. Muscadet: 2011 Michel Delhommeau Cuvée St. Vincent.

Rule Four: sweetness

Why blame the sweetness?

Grapes contains sugar, which is in the fermentation time is converted into alcohol. When this happens completely, that is, all the sugar is converted into alcohol, the wine sweetness is not felt, and it is called "dry", that is unsweetened. If the sweetness of a little present, wine is considered "semi-dry", and if it is pronounced, - "dessert".

Sweetness - the taste characteristics of the wine, the first thing we feel like taking a sip of the drink, the degree of sweetness. In addition, as already mentioned, the sweetness depends on the "body" of wine.

Exercise Four: determine the sweetness

Equipment:

• a glass of water;
• 2 lemons;
• 1 cup of sugar.

Squeeze the lemon juice into the water. Stir. Then add in a glass 1 teaspoon of sugar, making after each small sip. Continue as long as the drink will not be balanced in terms of sweetness and acid. So you learn to determine the level of residual sugar in the wine and you will see that the increased acidity can "mask" the sweetness.

Graduation wines from "dry" to "sweet":

1. Dry Riesling: 2010 Robert Weil Kiedrich Turmberg Trocken;
2. Off-dry Riesling: 2011 Hexamer Kabinett;
3. Sweet Riesling: 2010 Kerpen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese.

Rule Five: fragrance

What determines the flavor of the wine?

From fermentation and aging conditions, that is, what kind of grape variety, it is grown, how much of the sun and moisture gets in a soil, and also on how to make and store wine.

Describe and define the aroma of the wine is very difficult. The perception of smells - more individually than taste, but because a bunch of the same wine can be described in different ways. But even here there are certain rules you need to slightly shake the glass, the wine in a circle "poskolzit" on the walls and thereby mixed with air, then bring it to his nose and inhaled. In addition, communicate with sommeliers and wine shops to sellers to increase vocabulary and be able to describe even "wine with a very long nose."

Exercise five: determine the flavor

Equipment:

• Chinese plum;
• mushrooms;
• bacon;
• sage;
• raspberries;
• leaves black currant;
• lime zest;
• orange flower.

Exercise should be performed with the eyes closed. Ask someone to spread the mushrooms, raspberries, sage and other "flavors" in front of you at random and try to recognize each of them by the smell.

Graduation tasting the flavors:

Floral (a flower scent - jasmine, lily, bitter orange, and others)

1. Loire Cabernet Franc: 2011 Chais St. Laurent Chinon (sage);
2. Moscato d'Asti: 2011 Bera (orange-blossom water);
3. Australian Riesling: 2011 Rolf Binder Highness Riesling (lime zest);
4. Gewürztraminer: 2010 Lucien Albrecht Réserve (lychee);

Fruit (with fruit aroma)

1. Zinfandel: 2010 Foxglove (raspberry);
2. California Cabernet blend: 2009 Justin Isosceles (cassis);

Savory (having a strong, persistent odor)

1. Red Burgundy: 2009 Pierre Morey Monthelie (mushroom);
2. Côte Rôtie: 2007 E. Guigal Brune et Blonde de Guigal (bacon);
3. German Riesling: 2011 Christoffel Erdener Treppchen Kabinett (rock);
4. Left Bank Bordeaux: 2008 Château Malartic-Lagravière (pencil shavings).

Rule Six: Oak

What is Barrick?

Barrick - a barrel in which the wine is aged. Accordingly, Barrick as a process - it's the return of their guilt wood substances. oak barrels are commonly used by the oak can be adjusted the taste, texture and aroma of the wine. So, wine can, like the genie of the lamp to produce a specially toasted oak aromas of vanilla, toast, coffee, cloves, tobacco and others.

Oak wood is quite porous - wine slowly evaporate. Oak barriques can "drink" up to 11 liters of wine.

Exercise Six: define Barrick-consistency

Equipment:

• muesli (cereal or rings);
• marshmallows;
• barbecue.

Mash flakes into dust. Soak up their scent. You will find general notes such white wines as Chablis: 2011 Jean-Marc Brocard Domaine Sainte Claire, White Burgundy: 2010 Joseph Drouhin Meursault and California Chardonnay: 2010 La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay.

Then fry the meat an open fire and marshmallows (lightly so as not burnt) - you'll see what barrique wines Sicilian Frappato: 2011 Tami, Chianti Classico: 2009 Rocca delle Macìe and Napa Cabernet Sauvignon: 2009 Groth.

(via, Illustrations, Julia Rothman (Julia Rothman))