How to Taste Wine


LOOK
Pick up the glass holding it by the stem or the foot. If you hold it by the bowl, the warmth of your hand could warm the
wine above the proper temperature.  Notice the wine's clarity — there should be no haze or visible sediment. Look at
both the hue and the intensity of the color. Look beyond red, white or blush.  If it's a red wine, the color is maroon,
purple, ruby, garnet, red, brick or even brownish?  If it's a white wine, is it clear, pale yellow, straw-like, light green,
golden, amber or perhaps brown.

Move on to the wine's opacity. Is the wine watery or dark, translucent or opaque, dull or brilliant, cloudy or clear? 
Swirl the wine around the glass, and allow it to flow down the sides to view the legs. "Legs" or "tears" are thin rivulets
of wine that may appear on the sides of the glass after swirling. Some people feel that legs are indicative of a full-bodied
wine, but it has more to do with physics, the wine's surface tension and alcohol content, than perceived quality.



SMELL
Our sense of smell is critical in properly analyzing a glass of wine.  Swirl the glass for 10-20 seconds by turning the glass
with your wrist.  The swirling of the glass releases the wine's aromas to the top edge of the glass. Now hold the glass a
few inches away from your nose and smell.  Swirl the wine around in the glass again to aerate it, and smell again.  You
should pick up aromas such as spices, floras, fruits, grass, wood, earth and candies.



TASTE
Take a small sip. Let it sit on your tongue for a minute. Notice how it feels in your mouth.  This first sip allows you to
evaluate alcohol content, tannin levels, acidity and residual sugar. These four things offer impressions in intensity and
complexity, soft or firm, light or heavy, crisp or creamy, sweet or dry, but not necessarily true flavors like fruit or spice.

Take another small sip, and as you do, suck some air in, mixing the air with the wine in your mouth.  The mid-palate is
where you evaluate the wine’s actual taste on the palate. Look for the flavor profile of the wine. For red wine, note fruits
like berries, plum, prune or fig; spices like pepper, clove, cinnamon; or  woody flavor like oak, cedar, or a detectable
smokiness. If it’s white wine, note fruits like apple, pear, tropical or citrus fruits, floras like rose or freesia; and other
flavors such as honey, butter, herbs or a bit of earthiness. 

Take one more small sip, and roll it around your mouth, while tasting. This is called "chewing" the wine.  The wine's
finish is how long the flavor impression lasts after it is swallowed.  Does the flavor last several seconds? Is it light-bodied
(like the weight of water), medium-bodied (similar in weight to milk) or full-bodied (like cream)? Can you taste the
remnant of the wine on the back of your mouth and throat? Do you want another sip or was the wine too bitter at the
end? What was your last flavor impression – fruit, butter, oak?

Still looking for the perfect Valentine gift?  Try giving your sweetheart a bottle of wine and some dark chocolate.  It's the perfect gift for men and women.  Chocolate and wine are packed full of many qualities that are beneficial to health.  It's like giving the gift of health.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF CHOCOLATE AND RED WINE

According to scientific research, eating dark chocolate and drinking red wine is actually good for you. The chemicals responsible for the goodness in chocolate and red wine are plant compounds called polyphenols, flavonoids, and cyanidins. These compounds are usually called Phenols. Plants make phenols to protect their cells from damage and disease. Research shows that raw or minimally processed cocoa and red wine contain potent antioxidant and flavonoids that possess an ability to clear free radicals and protect against inflammation. Phenols also help protect against heart disease by preventing and slowing plaque buildup in the arteries.

Cocoa contains essential trace elements and nutrients such as iron, calcium and potassium, and vitamins A, B1, C, D, and E. Cocoa is also the highest natural source for Magnesium. Magnesium deficiency is linked with hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, joint problems and pre-menstrual tension. You'll need to find a chocolate with a minimum of 60% cocoa to get the most benefits. 

Like eating dark chocolate, red wine is an excellent source of Phenols. Phenols are organic compounds found in grape skin and seeds. Some also form during the fermentation and aging process but these are small compared to the amount naturally present.  Phenols determine everything from a wine's balance, taste, color, consistency and aroma and act as a preservative during the aging process. Most phenols exist in the form of tannins. These molecules help to preserve wine by their ability to absorb oxygen. 

CHOCOLATE AND WINE PAIRINGS -Try these recipes and ideas for eating chocolate and enjoying a glass of wine.