Friday, January 14, 2011

HAVE YOU TASTED A NEW WINE LATELY?



Ever find yourself stuck in the wine comfort zone? Drinking the same kind of wine because either you don’t know what to try next, or you can’t imagine that there’s anything you’d like as much, so it’s easier to keep drinking what you’ve been drinking or maybe trying a new label, but not a new variety. 



Wine tastings are a really good way to try new wines, whether you put them on yourself or attend one at a local winery. If you host one at your home, invite a half dozen friends, and plan ahead to make the most of it. I will post tips on setting up your own wine tasting next week.

COLOR
The true color of the wine is best judged by tilting the glass and looking at the wine through the rim, to see the variation from the deepest part of the liquid to its edges. Intensity can best be gauged looking straight down through the wine from above. Clarity whether the wine is brilliant or cloudy with particles is most evident when light is shining sideways through the glass.


The color indicates the age of the wine, quality and concentration. Examining wine through a colored glass is like staring at a beautiful girl that is wearing wraparound sunglasses. ROSÉ and light RED wines will be lighter in flavor, while dark red wines will be fuller in flavor. Rosé wine is pale pink when young and develops a warm orange hue with age. An overly pronounced red or orange color in a rosé is a defect. Red wines when young are usually deep purple and then become brick-red when mature. When brownish-red, they’re generally too old.

Light white wines are palest in color. Sweet white wines are usually darker in color than dry white wines. White wines begin clear yellow or greenish and then turn golden with age.

AROMA
This is the fruity, “grapey” scent in a young wine. The bouquet is a product of bottle age, and most good wines will develop it if allowed to mature. The glass should hold 10 to 18 ounces and the bowl should be biggest at the bottom, tapering to a small opening in order to concentrate the wine's aromas.

TASTE
One thing to remember is that taste is an individual thing. If you like the wine, don’t let anyone change your mind. You may taste sweetness in a wine, while the person next to you may not.
Accurate and complete wine tasting depends primarily on the concentration and acuteness of perception of the taster. But the right tools and an efficient approach can make a big difference, too.

Please drink responsible and always make smart choices and plan ahead.

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