Tips on how to taste a bottle of wine properly

Here are some tips on how to taste the eyes, nose and mouth of a wine.

I always start by smelling the cork. It is amazing how many times I have opened a bottle of wine at home or been presented a bottle at a restaurant in which merely smelling the cork has saved my group from tasting a clearly “corked” wine.

A “corked” wine is one that smells musty, almost like decaying cardboard. In a restaurant, the server should immediately replace the bottle.

It is a little more difficult with a wine purchased from a retailer, because you may not have the receipt and the retailer does not know how you stored the wine. On the other hand, if a retailer refuses to replace a wine that was recently purchased there, that might be a sign to shop elsewhere.

Once wine is poured in a glass, hold the glass up to the light and look at it for clarity. The wine should be clear and vibrant without a hazy hue or any types of crystals. When you look at the color of a red wine, for example, it should appear deep ruby red; a chardonnay should appear deep gold if aged in oak, and light straw if aged in stainless steel. Always try to avoid wines that are brown or rusty orange in appearance.

Generally, the depth of the color should give some indication to the “weight,” or body of the wine. When we speak about weight or body, we are really talking about how the wine feels in your mouth. This “feel” is influenced by alcohol, glycerin or even sugar. A wine’s weight typically is described as being light, medium or full-bodied.

Now, lay a white napkin on the table in front of you and tilt the glass at about a 45-degree angle above the napkin until you see the rim of the wine. At the rim, you should notice that the colors have changed to a thinner appearance.

The colors on the rim are very important in determining the wine’s age. A red wine that merely thins out with no change in color is indicative of a younger wine, whereas a red wine at its peak should thin out to a golden orange hue. Past its peak, the orange will begin to change to a brown hue.

The next step is to take a good sniff of the wine to determine if there any obvious flaws with the aroma. Swirl the wine in the glass to get a good look at the wine’s “legs.” Legs are the thin lines that appear on the sides of the glass showing off the alcohol content. But the real importance of the swirl is to aerate the wine somewhat, enhancing the wine’s nose — thereby aiding in the detection of the wine’s aromas and bouquet. This is where the shape of the glass is really important, because an inward curved top will assist in keeping the aromas in the glass. At this point, stick your nose into the glass, close your eyes and take a long, large sniff. Try and identify the specific aromas that you smell with that first sniff.

Now it is time to take a drink. Start by holding the wine in your mouth, chewing it while you slightly open your lips. Now draw in a small amount of air to allow the wine to coat your mouth, which further causes the aromas to permeate throughout your mouth, resonating to the back side of the nose and resulting in an indirect nasal aroma. It is this indirect nasal aroma that creates the olfactory pleasure that a really well-made wine provides.

Remember, if you are going to taste a number of wines at a wine event or a tasting room as opposed to having a glass with friends, you may want to use a spit bucket instead of swallowing the wine. Regardless of whether you spit the wine out or swallow it, take note of how long the wine lingers in your mouth. That’s called the finish.