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While evaluating wine and then discussing it coherently may come harder to some than others, it is a skill with a rather universal language that can be easily learned. All that's required is a bit of practice and a sincere desire to learn - not only what to look for in a wine, but how to describe your findings in a manner that will help others to decide if this might be a selection that they, too, would enjoy (or not).
In wine tasting, as in all of life, perception is everything. Only your feelings and observations count. There is no right or wrong answer; no aroma or flavor component you can find that others will laugh at you for. (and if they do, get yourself a new circle of friends immediately. ) when approaching a wine with the intention of subjecting it to a sensory evaluation, just think of the phrase: "see no bad wine, sniff no bad wine, taste no bad wine. " if you engage your eyes, nose, and mouth fully in the experience, you can hardly go wrong.
In the eyes how does the wine look in the glass? what is the color (hue)? what shade is the color? is it light, dark, deeply saturated and intense? does the wine reflect a hazy and cloudy (turbid) or clear (clarity) liquid? these initial visual cues are all important and very easy to learn to describe in your own words, no matter how goofy you might feel at first. They tell you much about what you may find in the steps that follow. In the nose when you swirl the wine in the glass and stick your nose in, what do you smell? again, no need to tremble in fear of "not saying it right". Just close your eyes and jump in. Flowers? fruits? wet wood? which kinds of flowers and fruits? ripe. . . Sour. . . Fresh. . . Stale. . . Dusty? are there spices present? do you smell things like chocolate, raspberries, asparagus, petroleum, nail polish remover, a wet dog, cat urine, or a sour wash cloth? if you smell it, it is there and is valid and valuable to express. Remember: there is no wrong answer when it comes to what you personally find in a wine.
Something that is constantly confused in winespeak and press is the difference between "aroma" and "bouquet". Simply put: aroma refers to the fragrances that come from the grapes or the fruit that the wine is made from. Bouquet refers to the odors that result from the processes and procedures employed by the winemaker. These include the methods of aging and types of barrels used (french, american, new, old) and the fermentation processes. In the mouth upon tasting the wine, what is your initial reaction? is it a delighted "ahhhhh" or a face scrunching "ugh"? Dow does the wine feel in your mouth? Is it sharp, zesty, zingy and alive (great natural fruit acidity), or flat, bland and dull (flabby-too little acid)? Does it dance around your tongue, lips and throat, or just roll on in and roll on over? Does it have a sharp, sour and biting taste to it? (too much acid). Is it bitter and astringent, feeling like you suddenly have a fur coat over your teeth or as if someone is scraping the sides of your tongue with sandpaper? (grape tannins). Is it warming to the inside of your cheeks and in the back of your mouth and throat? (wood tannins). Did the things you smelled in it follow through in the tasting? If not, what did? You need not worry about the terms you use so much as you find a way to convey what you are tasting and experiencing as you take the wine into your mouth and trace its path down your throat. If you tried the wine with foods, how did it do? Did the food overpower the wine, or vice versa? Did they match beautifully or clash with each sip and bite? If you do not like to taste and evaluate wine with food initially, what foods might this wine be wonderfully paired with? If you suddenly find yourself craving a rich cream sauce or a pizza, that speaks volumes.
The winemaker's choices in wine production can be valuable points to research a bit in order to validate your perceptions. Did the wine smell like your backyard redwood deck on a dew-laden summer morning? Did it taste like sawdust in your mouth? no doubt it was at least partially fermented and aged in oak barrels. If a white wine suddenly brings to mind visions of vanilla essential oils streaming from a diffuser, you can almost bet on the oak involvement.
Did a white wine smell like butter or cheese? Did it have a smooth, or even slick and oily feel in your mouth? The winemaker probably allowed the wine to undergo a secondary fermentation process called malolactic fermentation. This essentially morphs the fruit acids (malic = apple) into those softer acids found in dairy (lacto) products.
See how easy that is to understand? wine is a delightful, mystical, magical beverage for some. Most true wine lovers, rather than deserving the "snob" label, want nothing more than to share their love of the grape with others, be that in the sharing of a bottle or the sharing of the knowledge, experiences, and personally meaningful stories and memories rendered and evoked through their tastings. .
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