Wine Tasting Tips
If you want to look like you know your stuff when touring the vineyards or when at a wine tasting, here are some general tips to follow.
See
Pour your wine half-way into the proper wine glass and look at the color. Is it a deep burgundy red wine or a greenish-gold white wine? This will all tell a little bit about the wine. Tilt the wine glass and look at the wine through the rim to see the variation from the deepest part to the edges. Beyond the color, look at the clarity, whether the wine is brilliant or cloudy with particles. Clarity is most evident when light is shining sideways through the glass. An older wine red wine will be more translucent than a younger red wine.
Swirl
Swirl the wine glass in your hand or by moving it in circles on a flat surface. The best method is to hold the stem between your thumb and forefinger, with the base on a table, and rotate with your wrist. Notice the transparent film that appears on the inside of the bowl -- these are what many refer to as "legs." These are simply an indication of the amount of alcohol in the wine. So if you run into an "expert" who says you can learn a lot about a wine from its legs, realize you know better.
Smell
After you've give the wine a good swirl, all the aromas will be intensified. Stick your nose right into the bowl of the glass and inhale. You can either take one long inhale or a few short ones. Try both and see which draws the best aromas in your nose. Human beings can identify close to some 10,000 different smells, we just need to train our nose and brain to distinguish between them all. You will hear many terms you never imagined used to describe wine aromas, including tobacco, tea, grass and cat's pee. These are all accurate, but may not describe what you are smelling. That doesn't mean you are wrong, all wines develop in a glass at varying rates. Some of the more common terms used to describe wine are rose, iris, cherry, grapefruit, apple, raisin, honey and vanilla. The aroma is the most revealing aspect of wine tasting and can tell volumes on the wine.
Sip
Tasting a wine is different from simply drinking the wine. With the aromas still in your senses, put the glass to your lips and take a sip. Make sure to don't take too much or too little. Roll the wine around throughout your mouth putting it in contact with every part to unlock your senses. Notice the sensations that some wines provoke. For example, the astringency of tannins is felt mainly in your inner cheeks and the burn of the alcohol lingers in the back of the throat. And now for the finish. After you swallow, exhale gently through your nose and mouth. What do you feel? Generally speaking, a better wine will have more complex and long-lasting residual aromas.
Want to to try wine tasting at home? Search for a wine tasting kit  for yourself or as a gift for the wine enthusiast!
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