Always wanted to be an oenophile (wine connoisseur or wine lover) but don’t know where to begin? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Here are some essential guidelines that you need to know when it comes wine.
Many times you’ll see people tasting wines—they start off by swirling the wine, then they’ll smell the bouquet and finally they’ll take a swig and make some remarks about the tannins or the hints of apple detected. Not everyone has the luxury of being able to partake in a group wine tasting with a sommelier at hand. However, wine tasting actually refers to taking the time to appreciate the flavors in the wine. Here are some aspects you want to keep in mind.
The Appearance: What color is the wine? How does it look after you’ve swirled it in your glass?
Smell: What does the wine smell like? What scents can you detect? Frequently people describe wine as smelling like leather, spice, wood, fruit or flowers.
Taste: What does the wine taste like? Is it acidic, sweet, earthy or robust? Does it evoke a certain feeling?
Finish: Finally, you want to consider the after taste. What impression does the wine leave after you’ve drunk it?
When it comes to pairing wine with food, there’s a simple rule: heavier foods call for heavier wines. Thus fish, considered light, is paired with white wine.
Red wine is generally served at room temperature. White wine should be chilled.
Older wines need to be decanted. This is a simple process which removes the sediment from the wine. Generally, older ports and wines that have spent a significant time in the bottle should be decanted, so you probably don’t have to worry about it. Should you need to decant, simply pour the wine slowly into your glass decanter or a jug and stop pouring once the sediment gets to the neck of the bottle.
Some wines benefit from breathing. This simply means you allow the wine to sit either in an open bottle or in a glass for twenty or thirty minutes. This is again, generally done with older wines.
Never fill a wine glass more than half full and always taste the wine yourself first to be sure it has soured. Don’t forget to recork the wine bottle if you haven’t finished it. Salut!