Wine Education - Tasting

On The Grapevine -

September 2010

Bro Mike , Wine Correspondant

Preparing the wine

The Glass

Holding a fine wine glass is a pleasure in itself. Whether you are tasting or drinking wine purely for enjoyment the ideal vessel is one with a bulbous base and inwardly sloping sides. This concentrates the aromas in the top of the glass giving the full benefit of the wines bouquet toward the nose. The glass should be plain and clear to enjoy the colour. A long stem allows for swirling and prevents the warmth of the hand inadvertently heating the wine. For sparkling wines, flutes with a narrow shape trap the froth (mousse) keeping the wine bubbly for longer.

Serving at the correct temperature

When it comes to serving the wine drinking a warm white wine for instance is not a pleasant experience. Chill it down (but not over-chill) and all the lovely fruity flavours, crisp acidity or toasty oak are revealed. The reverse is true for most red wine, too cold and the fruit is hidden, too warm and the alcoholic punch dominates making the wine seem bland. As a guide the best temperatures to enjoy various wines are:

• Sparkling wines/Champagne 5-7 Celsius

• Aromatic lighter white wines 7-8 C

• Full bodied /oaked whites 8-10 C

• Sweet wines 10 C

• Roses and light reds 10-12 C

• Young fruity red wines 12-14 C

• Mature/full bodied reds 14-18 C

Do wines need breathing or decanting ?

Exposing young tannic full bodied red wine to air before you drink it can develop its aromas and soften its flavours. This can be done by decanting (pouring into a more open glass vessel) but most other wine will not benefit from breathing, particularly very old fragile wines. However, it is important to generally open a bottle around half an hour before drinking, to allow bottle stink the harmless stale smelling air trapped between the wine and the stopper to dissipate. In the past stoppers were traditionally cork but now most

Australian wines, even the more expensive ones, are moving to screwcap to avoid cork spoilage. The debate on the pros and cons of stoppers would need another article. With increasing age, many wines especially reds throw a deposit of tannins and colour pigments (known as a crust). To remove this sediment the wine needs to be decanted. After letting the bottle rest upright for several hours remove the stopper and gently decant the whole bottle in one movement, leaving the residue in the bottle (a filter can also be used).

How to taste

Knowing how to taste or assess can really enhance your appreciation of wine. It is a process of using a number of our senses: looking, smelling, and tasting.

The first step is to look at the clarity of the wine it should be bright and clear. Then look at its colour. If it is pale white it suggests a cool climate young white wine such as