Sniff. Swirl. Swish. Spit.

You've seen them do it on TV. One eyebrow raised, an almost disdainful approach of the nose to the glass, paradoxically vigorous swishing of the stuff around the mouth, and the engineering marvel of a well practiced spit. Is there reason to this otherwise seemingly perfunctory routine only the pre-ordained (and maybe mildly pretentious) stake claim to? You betcha. But before we jump into ceremonial rain dancing too as far as funny looking rituals go, here's a look at some basic principles of wine tasting.

Don't pour yourself a full glass because you'll need space in it to swirl. About 1/3 is ideal.


Step 1: Inspect
Hold it up to light and have a good look at it. Is it clear or cloudy? Does it contain sediment or solid matter?
With red wine, hold it against a white surface and note the fading of an older wine at the rim.


Step 2: Swirl
Swirl the gently. If this seems unnatural or you feel a little nervous about it, do it on the table instead.
The purpose of doing this is to activate aromatic compounds in the wine, so that you can fully appreciate the next step.

Step 3: Sniff
Tilt the glass at 45 degrees towards your face and stick the tip of your nose over the rim within the lower half of the opening of the glass. Inhale gently as if you were sniffing a flower for 3-4 seconds. Note whether the scents you pick up change over the course of one sniff. Experts are able to tell a great deal about the origins and method by which a wine is made from this.

Step 4: Taste
Now, the goal here is to spread the wine over the different receptors on your tongue. You probably remember from school that sweetness is picked up at the tip, saltiness just behind, acidity at the sides and bitterness all the way back. Getting some air into your mouth should also help maximise the flavour of the wine so try doing so while keeping your head upright and draw in gently. Let the taste of the wine transmit through the nasal passages and tongue for a more intense tasting sensation. Think about what you're feeling and what the wine is saying to you.


Elements of Taste in Wine

1. Dryness/Sweetness - the amount of natural sugar in a a wine is the thing most easily commented upon
2. Acidity - Does the wine feel sharp around the edges of the tongue? The most important acid in wine is tartaric acid, present in unfermented grape juice. Acidity makes young wines feel fresh, and helps good ones age. It is easy to confuse acidity and dryness.
3. Tannin - Present in the stalks, pips and skin, it gives that furry, drying feeling in red wine.
4. Oak - The flavour imparted from the oak barrels in which many wines are matured may give a taste or aroma of vanilla or sweet spice such as nutmeg/cinnamon. If a very charred barrel was used, a marked smokiness may permeate it.
5. Fruit - There really is sound biochemistry involved in the resemblance of wines to the flavours of other foods such as fruit, vegetables, herbs and spices. Let your imagination run free when tasting. Many consider bright fruit flavour as the most charming attributes a wine can possess.

Step 5 : Spit

Finally, the spitting. Apparently there is much more to this than I previously imagined after some googling. On a basic level, how much more could there be to it than taking care not to spray anyone with stuff that's been in your mouth, right? However, if you'd like to feel self conscious about it the next time you try, have a look at this article on wine-spitting purportedly being an art in itself: Click here

So there you are. The book I used as my main point of reference in this, The World Encyclopedia of Wine - Stuart Walton, Hermes House 2005 suggested some practice before hand over the kitchen sink. I don't know how practical or over-zealous that advice is, but then again I"m the girl with the blog on wine so go figure.

picture from http://www.slate.com/id/2071619