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The Technique of Wine Tasting - Swirl, Sniff, Slurp
& Spit! by Wink Lorch
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Tasting wine is hard work: it requires a
technique, concentration and imagination. We recommend a "Swirl, Sniff,
Slurp & Spit" technique. Use fine crystal tasting glasses, with a
long stem and large bowl tapering towards the top - ISO tasting glasses are one
option. Fill maximum 1/3rd of the glass. |
 Hold
the glass by the stem, tipped away from you against a white background and
examine the colour; both for shade and intensity (Can you see the base of the
glass?). Whites vary from watery white to golden-amber; reds from purply-red
(youthful) to brown-red (mature), and the intensity ranges from almost
transparent to opaque.
 Take
a good sniff before you swirl. Swirling the wine releases the
volatile elements (exposure to oxygen wakes it up), so the second sniff
reveals more. Judge if the wine smells clean or faulty, then assess the aromas.
 Take
a mouthful, roll it around your tongue and slurp. The tongue notices only
four tastes - sweetness, acidity (sour), bitterness and saltiness (the last is
largely irrelevant). The tip is sensitive to sweetness and the sides of the
tongue, to acidity. The mouth is connected to the nose, so by slurping the wine
you perceive more flavours. Your tactile sense feels the alcohol (how 'hot' is
it?), and the tannin level - that's the furriness felt around the gums and roof
of the mouth, noticed mainly in reds.
 Finally,
spit it out - watch out for your clothes. Spitting gives the next wine a
chance and it's the only way to taste a range of wines - you won't lose any
flavours. Notice the length of the aftertaste, an important quality assessment.
Simple wines simply disappear.
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