Wine tasting parties are a fun way to try new wines. If you’ve ever wondered what makes a good wine or how experts can tell one from another just by tasting it, you’ll love introducing your friends to the world of wine tasting. You’ll discover a new appreciation for this ancient drink.
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The art of wine tasting
Tasting wine is an art form that evaluates the quality and characteristics of different wines. From swirling the glass to taking notes on aroma and flavor, many elements go into understanding and appreciating wine. It even matters what you eat with it! Wine and food pairings are a whole art of their own.
Whether you’re already a wine lover or a newbie, learning the basics of how to taste wine properly can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience. With these expert tips, you’ll be ready to tour the best wineries in Michigan or discover Oregon wine country.
Wine tasting party ideas
Putting together a wine tasting party is a great way to experience tasting wine at home with your friends or family. Here are some ideas to get you started!
Blind taste test: Have guests try wines with their eyes closed or blindfolded to see if they can guess the flavor. Have guests bring wines to cut down on costs!
Wine pairing party: Try various cheeses, chocolates or even Girl Scout cookies with different types of wine to experience more of the flavor undertones in the wine.
Holiday wine party: At the holidays, you could make apple cider sangria or Christmas sangria to start the party off right. Serve different types of Christmas cookies to pair with the wine tasting.
1. Preparing for wine tasting
Learning how to taste wine isn’t just about what’s in the glass. It’s also about preparing your body and mind for the experience. Here are some tips for getting yourself ready:
- Start by clearing your mind. If you’ve had a stressful day, take a few minutes to relax before starting your tasting.
- Avoid wearing any strong fragrances that could interfere with your sense of smell.
- Drink plenty of water before you start. This will cleanse your palate so it’s ready for tasting.
- Eat neutral foods beforehand like artisan bread or baked tortilla strips. This will also help cleanse your palate.
It’s also important to approach tasting with an open mind and without preconceived notions about what you’re going to taste. Do not let outside factors influence your perception of the wine. You should focus solely on what’s in the glass.
2. Choosing wine glasses
Choosing the right wine glass can make all the difference. (Even cocktails have their own glassware for a reason.)
What makes a good wine glass? A good wine glass should be made of clear, thin glass that allows you to see the color of the wine clearly. It should also have a stem that allows you to hold the glass without warming the wine with your body heat. Stemless wine glasses are very trendy, but they can warm the wine too much for a tasting.
1. Glass shape matters.
The shape of a wine glass affects how much air comes into contact with the wine and where it hits your tongue when you take a sip. This can significantly impact how you perceive its flavor and aroma.
For example, red wines are often served in glasses with wider bowls that allow more air to come in contact with them, while white wines are served in glasses with narrower bowls that focus their aromas toward your nose.
2. Swirl wine in the glass.
Before taking a sip, swirling your wine in its glass releases its aromas and flavors by increasing its surface area. Doing so will help you pick up on subtle notes that might otherwise go unnoticed.
However, be sure not to over-swirl as doing so could cause your wine to aerate too much and lose some of its complexity.
3. Using the right glass is important.
The type of glassware used can also affect how well-balanced oak barrels and fruit flavors are perceived in your wine.
For example, using a narrow-mouthed Bordeaux glass will emphasize tannins from oak barrels while minimizing fruit flavors. Conversely, using a wider Burgundy-style glass will highlight fruit notes while downplaying tannins from oak barrels.
“The glassware you use to drink wine undeniably influences its taste. Hearty red wines require exposure to air, which allows their flavors to fully open up. So be sure to serve them in larger-bowled glasses. On the other hand, white wines are best served in glasses that allow the drinker’s nose to be near the glass, enhancing the appreciation of their delicate aromas.”
— Sage Scott, Everyday Wanderer
3. Smelling the wine
Smelling it is an essential part of the process. The nose can detect primary aromas, which come from the grape, and secondary aromas, which come from the winemaking process. Without smelling the wine, you would miss out on a significant part of the tasting experience.
Short sniffs can help identify fruit aromas such as cherry or blackberry scents. By taking a quick whiff, you can get a sense of what kind of fruit flavors you might expect when you taste the wine. It’s important to note that different types of grapes will produce different fruit aromas.
Tertiary aromas like perfume or leather can be detected by swirling the wine in the glass and sniffing deeply. This technique helps release more complex aromas that are not as easily detected with short sniffs alone. When smelling for tertiary aromas, paying attention to how long they linger in your nose after you’ve taken a sniff is crucial.
If you’re doing a wine tasting party, provide a notepad or wine tasting printout that lets your guests take notes on the aromas and flavors.
4. Evaluating based on taste, color and smell
Wine tasting is an art that involves evaluating a wine’s taste, color and smell. It’s an essential skill for anyone who wants to appreciate the complexity and quality of wine fully. By paying attention to these three elements, you can understand a wine’s grape variety, origin, age and quality.
1. Taste
Taste is one of the most important factors. Several factors affect the taste of wine:
- Acidity: Wines with high acidity have a tangy or sour taste.
- Sweetness: Wines with residual sugar have a sweet taste.
- Tannins: Red wines with high tannins have a bitter or dry taste.
- Alcohol content: Wines with higher alcohol content have a warm or hot sensation in the mouth.
To evaluate wine based on taste, follow these steps:
- Look at the wine’s color and swirl it in your glass to release aromas.
- Take a small sip and hold it in your mouth for a few seconds before swallowing.
- Pay attention to the flavors you detect — are they fruity? Spicy? Earthy?
- Consider how long the flavors linger after you swallow — this is called finish.
By following these steps, you’ll be able to identify different flavor profiles in wines and better understand what you like.
2. Color
The color of wine can reveal information about its age and quality. Here are some general guidelines:
- White wines get darker as they age; red wines get lighter.
- Young white wines tend to be pale yellow or straw-colored; older white wines can be golden or amber-colored.
- Young red wines tend to be purple or ruby-colored; older red wines can be brick-red or brownish.
To evaluate wine based on color, follow these steps:
- Hold your glass up to the light and examine the color.
- Note any variations in shade or transparency.
- Consider what the color might indicate about the wine’s age or quality.
By paying attention to a wine’s color, you can get a sense of what to expect before you even taste it.
3. Aroma
A wine’s aroma can reveal information about its origin and grape variety. Here are some general guidelines:
- Fruity aromas are common in young wines.
- Floral aromas are common in white wines.
- Earthy aromas are common in red wines.
To evaluate wine based on aroma, follow these steps:
- Swirl your glass to release aromas and take a deep sniff.
- Pay attention to any scents you detect — are they fruity? Floral? Earthy?
- Consider how intense the aroma is — this can give you an idea of the wine’s complexity.
By paying attention to a wine’s aroma, you can start to identify different grape varieties and regions.
5. Recognizing the flavors of different wines
A wide variety of flavors and characteristics can be found in different wines. The taste, texture, complexity and vintage all play a role in the tasting.
Understanding the different grape varieties is key to recognizing the flavors of different wines. Certain grapes are known for producing specific flavors, making it easier to identify them when tasting wine. For example, cabernet is a popular grape variety known for its black fruit flavors and oak aging.
Fruit flavors like red fruits are common in lighter wines, while heavier wines may have black fruit flavors. Certain grape varieties may produce unique flavors that can be easily identified. For instance, sauvignon blanc often has citrus and herbal notes, while chardonnay has buttery and oaky characteristics.
1. Texture and complexity
Texture refers to how the wine feels in your mouth. A light-bodied wine will feel thin on your tongue, while a full-bodied wine will feel more substantial.
Complexity refers to how many different flavors you can detect in a single glass of wine. A complex wine will have multiple layers of flavor that reveal themselves over time as you taste it.
2. Effect of vintage on flavor
The vintage of a wine can also affect its flavor. Older vintages tend to have more complex flavors due to their extended aging process, which allows the wine’s tannins (the compounds responsible for structure) to break down further.
For example, an older bottle of cabernet sauvignon may have developed tertiary aromas like leather or tobacco that weren’t present when it was first bottled.
Food pairings with wine
It’s easier to pair a wine to your food than to pair food to a wine, so start with the food. The exception is champagne, which goes with everything!
- Spicy goes with sweet. Pair spicy food with slightly sweet or ripe hot-climate wines that have soft tannins. Spicy heat can make wine taste astringent or even bitter. Spice limits your ability to taste sugar, so a dry wine will taste extra dry and flat.
- Acid cancels acid. For creamy dishes like penne rosa or carbonara, fried foods and very acidic dishes like tomato sauce or pizza, choose a high acid wine. The acidity in the wine will help to balance the acid in the food, effectively cancelling each other out.
- Wine + cheese = match made in heaven. Sweet wines shine with cheeses, like the classic Port and Stilton, or Cream Sherry with earthy Manchego. A cheesy appetizer like cheese straws or marinated cheese will also be delicious.
- Strike a balance. Try to pair the weight of a dish with the weight of the wine. Pair a heavy and flavorful beef bourguignon or steak with a full-bodied wine. A light and delicate fish dish would likewise be paired with a delicate wine.
- Dessert second. When pairing a sweet wine with a dessert, like red wine brownies or chocolate-covered strawberries, try to choose a wine that is sweeter than the dish. The sugar in a dessert can mask the sweetness of a wine, making it taste drier than if you were drinking it without food.
Tips & tricks
The art of wine tasting is a fascinating and complex process that requires patience and practice. However, with the right tips and tricks, anyone can learn to appreciate the nuances of different types of wine.
- Start with small pours. You can always have a big glass later!
- Keep white wines and rosé wines cold (in the fridge) and red wines at room temperature.
- It is important to remember that there are no right or wrong ways to taste wine — everyone’s preferences and experiences are unique.
- Experiment with trying different wines and taking notes on what you like (and don’t like) about each bottle. Over time, you will start to develop a more refined sense of taste.
- Ask your friends to bring over different bottles to try.
Wine cocktails
Offer a wine cocktail to start your party off on the right foot. A simple white wine spritzer in summer or mulled wine in winter are great welcoming cocktails.
You could also mix up a batch of sangria with red wine, white wine or even rosé wine.
Your wine tasting party is just that — yours! Take some of these tips and make your party your own.
Lisa MarcAurele
Guest Writer
This article originally appeared on Food Drink Life.
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