Posts Tagged ‘wine tasting’

Wine tasting is as old as the liquid itself.  If you aren’t familiar with how to taste wine, start at home with a few bottles to experience it on your own.  Then head out to wineries or other venues for a wider tasting range.

Sight – Pour the wine into a clear glass and hold it up to the lightest background you have available to see its true color.  Tilt the glass a little and examine it.  As they age, whites will acquire color whereas reds will lose it.

Scent – Swirl the glass so the wine coats the sides.  Put your nose close to the wine and inhale slowly and deeply to experience the full range of scents that a wine can offer.

Taste – Sip a little bit of wine and swirl it around in your mouth to savor its flavor.  You can either spit it out or swallow it.  Then you can experience its aftertaste as well.

Touch – Wines can feel certain ways while they are in your mouth, from velvety to prickly.

Wine tasting, as you know is quite an art.

One of the problems at wine tastings is trying to describe to others what it is you smell and taste.

I have found a wonderful glossary which will give you the terminology that will help you describe the aromas and tastes so that even the most discriminating wine connoisseur will understand what you are talking about.

Go to http://zebra.sc.edu/smell/wine_glossary.html and read all about it.

Last Monday evening, I went to the Valencia Wine Company to have Eve Bushman pour a glass of wine for me and to support her charity. I had so much fun, and at the same time met many fascinating people. There is something about wine drinkers that makes them fun to be with.

One of fascinating people I met was Denise Lowe of WineShop at Home.

Over the years I have owned and operated several businesses, but sadly had never thought about doing wine tastings for people in their homes. But that is what she does! As a young man in college, I sold Aristocraft waterless cookware in homes to make ends meet.
Wine would have been so much more fun.

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