• Look: Always observe the appearance of the wine. It can tell you a great deal about what is likely to come.
• Swirl: Assists in releasing volatiles.
• Sniff: Don't be shy. Sniff hard and confidently.
• Taste: How much? Whatever feels comfortable. For most people 10 mls is sufficient. Don't just sip the wine.
• Aerate: Hold the wine in your mouth and suck air through it. Make a noise, it's very therapeutical. Note that like mobile phones, aerating wine tasters are not popular in restaurants.
• Distribute: Give the wine a chance. Moving the wine in the mouth warms it, so more flavour is presented. Furthermore, different flavours and mouthfeel characters can evolve in the mouth if you allow the wine time.
• Expectorate: Fancy wine tasting term for spit. Recommended.
  

• Appearance
  
  · Hue: Its colour, eg purple, red, tawny
  
  · Depth: How deep the wine appears, i.e. dark, medium or light
  
  · Clarity: The transparency of the wine
  
• Aroma
  
  Includes all aromas, (e.g. fruit, winemaking, maturation) regardless of where they emanate from*.
  
  · Intensity: The amount of lift from the glass. Synonym activity.
  
  · Concentration: Strength of aroma.
  
  · Expression: Distinctiveness of character.
  
  · Complexity: A diversity of harmonious smell sensations.
  
  · Cleanliness: Absence of wine-making faults.
  
  If you have trouble remembering the aromas in wine, The Wine Aroma Dictionary contains 36 common wine aromas than can be found in wines of all styles that you can refer to whilst tasting.

• Palate
  
  · Intensity: The amount of flavour activity in the mouth.
  
  · Concentration: The strength of flavour.
  
  · Body: The weight displayed in the mouth. An amalgam of viscosity, flavour concentration and (in reds) astringency.
  
  · Astringency: Drying, roughing and puckering sensations derived from tannins.
  
  · Other Texture: Includes alcoholic warmth, creaminess.
  
  · Complexity: Diversity of complementary textures and flavours. Measured by how long a wine holds your interest.
  
  · Balance: A wine is in balance when no one character dominates your psyche.
  
  · Structure: An amalgam of balance and timing of the appearance of sensory characters to produce a wine that is seamless.
  
  · Persistence: The overall time that a wine impacts on the senses after swallowing or spitting.

* The term "bouquet" has been a part of tasting lore for many years, being defined as any aroma that originates from the winemaking process as distinct from the grape. In light of the reality that in many cases it is impossible to conclusively categorise each smell as per this distinction, the term has (rightfully) fallen into disuse.

Many wine tasters are adamant that an optimum glass in terms of size and dimensions exists for a particular wine type or even style. that it is absolutely imperative that the correct glass be used if maximum enjoyment is to be had. But how much of this idea has truth in fact, and how much is the result of concerted marketing efforts on the part of some glass manufacturers to effect a marketing point of difference.

Before we can answer this question in an intelligent way, we must first distinguish what is meant by "taste" in a wine. In lay-mans terms, the term "taste" encompasses a combined result of a wide variety of sensory experiences including the perception of:

1. the strength and profile of the wine’s aroma
2. the strength of the wine’s individual flavours, and the overall or combined impact
   of these flavours
3. the impact of the three important basic tastes in wine; acidity, sweetness and
   bitterness and,
4. the mouth-feel or tactile sensations imparted by the wine. These include amongst
   other things, body, and (in red wines), astringency.

The separation of these is not just an academic exercise as for a variety of logical reasons it is likely that the size and shape of the glass should affect these to largely varying degrees.

Despite these strong beliefs about the importance of glass shape, little scientific research has been conducted in this area, but two recent reports have thrown some light on the effect of glass type on the aroma of wines.

White

Chardonnay (Shar-doe-NAY)
"Top of the line" white - a dry, rich wine with a wide range of complex flavors. Usually oak-aged. A complement to chicken, seafood and cream sauces.
View all Chardonnays available in your state

Gewurtzraminer (guh-VERTZ-tra-MEE-ner)
Ranges from delicately sweet, to semi-dry. Most typically spicy and medium-bodied. Complements Asian foods, light spicy dishes, poultry and smoked meats.
View all Gewurtzraminers available in your state

Pinot Grigio (Pee-noe Gree-joe)
A light-bodied white which is usually dry, crisp and refreshing. Well suited to fish dishes and all pastas.
View all Pinot Grigios available in your state

Riesling (REES-ling)
Ranges from sweet to semi-dry and tends to be fairly light-bodied. Serve alone as a cocktail and with lighter dishes.
View all Rieslings available in your state

Sauvignon Blanc / Fumé Blanc (SO-veen-yon-BLAWNK) / (Foo-MAY-blawnk)
Ranges from grassy or herbaceous to citrus and grapefruit. Flavors are both dry and crisp. Great with grilled chicken and seafood. View all Sauvignon Blancs available in your state

Semillon (Say-mee-YAW)
A white grape found in the Graves and Sauternes regions of Bordeaux, France, and Australia, but also in the U.S., especially the Pacific Northwest and California. This grape is mainly a blending grape. It has a hay and honey or herbal quality. Great with many fish dishes.
View all Semillon available in your state

Viognier (Vee-own-YAY)
A white grape from the Rhone Valley region of France and California. This is an "unoaked" white with a coconut , lychee nut or dried apricot taste. Complements fish and chicken.
View all Viognier available in your state

Blush

White Zinfandel (wite ZIN-fan-dell)
Fresh and fruity. Light to medium bodied. Serve as a cocktail or complement to lighter dishes or luncheon fare.
View all White Zinfandels available in your state

Red

Bordeaux (Bore-DOH)
One of the world’s most famous wines, ranges from medium- to full-bodied. Aging adds power and elegance. Complements beef dishes like roast beef or steak.
View all Bordeauxs available in your state

Cabernet Sauvignon (ca-ber-NAY so-veen-YON)
Ranges from medium- to full- bodied Aging brings out the best flavors of this dry, yet smooth wine has to offer. Serve with meats, pasta with red sauces and hearty foods.
View all Cabernet Sauvignons available in your state

Chianti (Ki-AHN-tee)
A dry, medium-bodied red of predominantly Sangiovese grapes. Goes well with veal and pasta with red sauces.
View all Chiantis available in your state

Merlot (mare-LOE)
Typically smoother and softer than Cabernet, but needs less aging before the flavors reach maximum richness. Shows well with meats (especially lamb) and barbecued salmon.
View all Merlots available in your state

Nebbiolo (Neb-ee-OH-lo)
A red wine with a fruit profile that approximates plum and tobacco. This wine is made from a red grape grown in Piedmont, Italy, which produces some of the finest Italian wine, such as Barolo and Barbaresco. Serve with beef, pork, pasta, or duck.
View all Nebbiolo available in your state

Pinotage (PEE-no-taj)
A red hybrid of Pinot Noir and Cinsault grown in South Africa with a red berry and earthy, aromatic quality. A complement to duck, pork, beef and pasta.
View all Pinotage available in your state

Pinot Noir (PEE-no-nwar)
Generally the lightest body of reds. Often earthy and spicy. Great with salmon, pasta salads, lighter cuts of meat and oilier poultry.
View all Pinot Noirs available in your state

Sangiovese (San-jo-VAY-say)
A lively red wine with an herbaceous cherry quality. Sangiovese grapes are grown primarily in Tuscany, Italy. Well suited with pasta, beef or poultry.
View all Sangiovese available in your state

Shiraz (SHEAR-oz)
A red grape grown primarily in Australia. The term Shiraz is the term generally used in the Southern Hemisphere to refer to the Syrah grape. It is dark and concentrated in color but with a dried cinnamon, plum taste sweeter than its counterpart, the Syrah which is found in the Northern Hemisphere. See also Syrah.
View all Shiraz available in your state

Super Tuscan (Super Tuscan)
The unofficial term which came out of individual estates unwilling to follow the dictates of the Italian Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC), the entity that controls the production and labeling of wine in Italy. Italian winemakers experimented with grape varieties and blends beyond what the DOC permitted to produce their own styles of wine.
View all Super Tuscans available in your state

Syrah (see-RAH)
A red grape grown in the Rhone Valley region of France and in the U.S. It is dark in color with a black pepper and graphite flavor profile. See also Shiraz. Great with meals that include beef, pork or pasta.
View all Syrah available in your state

Zinfandel (ZIN-fan-dell)
Varies in body from light to heavy. Typically a bit spicy. Serve with pizza, pasta and red meats.
View all Zinfandels available in your state

Sparkling

Brut (BROOT)
Generally a cuvée (blend) of grapes, including Pinot Noir or Chardonnay. Styles range from creamy and tasty to crisp and refreshing. Usually has a dry finish.
View all Bruts available in your state

Champagne (shahm-PANYEH, if you want to approximate the French pronunciation)
The region in France that produces the only sparkling wine that can be officially called Champagne. Under U.S. labeling law a semi-generic term for sparkling wines containing an induced effervescence from carbon dioxide most commonly captured during a second alcoholic fermentation. Champagne is usually a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.

---

GLOSSARY:


Barrel Fermented

Fermentation of the wine takes place in oak barrels instead of in stainless steel tanks, adding richness, complexity, and more oak character. Most commonly used for Chardonnay.

Balance

The right proportion of fruit, acid, tannin and varietal character. Harmonious.

Barrique

A wooden barrel distinctive to Bordeaux.

Blanc de Blanc

An expression found on some Champagne labels and literally means, “white of whites,” referring to the color of grapes used in making it.

Body

The impression of fullness or "roundness" in the mouth.

Bouquet

The aromatic scent as expressed by the winemaking process; the combination of varietal fruit character with all the elements of aging wine.

Buttery

Rich, oily texture. Usually used when describing Chardonnay.

Claret

An English term to describe the Cabernet-based wines of the Haut-Médoc.

Complex

Shows an integration of aroma and flavor, often with subtlety; one of the highest compliments to a wine.

Corked

The smell of the wine when it has been spoiled by a bad cork. Typically musty or wet-cardboard smell; relatively uncommon.

Cru

A vineyard. Only used in reference to the very best properties in Burgundy or Bordeaux.

Cuvée

A single container of wine — a tank or a barrel — sometimes used to designate a special blend.

Gout (goo)

Means “taste” as in “gout de terroir” or “taste of the earth” and is used to describe many rustic-flavored wines.

Malolactic

A second fermentation in which the malic (sour) acid is converted to lactic (softer) acid. Creates softer, silkier, more approachable wines.

Mature

Exhibits the benefits of aging where all the elements have come together.

Nose

The combination of aroma and bouquet of the wine.

Oaky

The smell and/or flavor associated with aging wine in small oak barrels. When properly integrated, a positive element.

Prix de Mousse

A type of yeast that starts the wine fermenting.

Smooth

Soft, balanced.

Sulphur/Sulfites

A compound that forms naturally during fermentation. Winemakers traditionally supplement with minimal amounts to protect the fruit quality and prevent oxidation.

Sur Lie

Wine is aged on the spent yeast "lees" (cells) after fermentation, gaining added flavor and complexity.

Tannin

The natural components from grape skins and oak contact that make young wines lightly astringent and sometimes bitter. Tannin subsides as part of the aging process and contributes to the wine's complexity.