Wine tasting tips

by Nicola Shepherd

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THE eyes and nose are as important as the tongue in wine tasting. Follow these sensory tips to help you really appreciate a good bottle of wine.

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What to look for:

When looking at� wine in a glass make sure the glass is clear and that you hold it against a white background.

• A�cloudy wine may be rescued by decanting, but generally speaking bubbles and cloudiness in a non-sparkling wine mean fermentation due to contamination�- the wine has had it.
• Yound red wines start off a deep purple colour and, in the main, should get lighter as they get older.� Shiraz, however, should stays a purple/black. Pinot Noir should get paler with age�and Sauternes should go from yellow to golden as it matures.
• To test for a really good wine, swirl it around the glass. Legs or tears are what's left trickling�down the glass after swirling. The stickier�and longer the legs the better the quality.
• A good sparkling wine�should have small bead-like bubbles and the smaller the bubbles the better - good quality champagne has tiny bubbles.

Something to sniff at:

To fully appreciate a wine's bouquet or aroma, fill the glass only to its widest point to expose the greatest surface area of wine to the air.

• The aroma of a wine can be described by comparing it to anything organic; soft fruits, such as raspberries or blackberries; citrus fruits, such as lemons and limes; butterscotch; tobacco; even oak or yeast. If you smell fruit cake it's likely to be�a Merlot or Pinotage wine.

The taste test:

If, on tasting, your teeth feel slightly furry and your gums pinch, the wine contains strong tannins. A sharpness in the mouth indicates acid. Both are ok as long as they don't overwhelm

• The body of the wine is the feeling of the wine on the palate. If it feels heavy this is a full-bodied wine, if it feels light it is a medium or light-bodied wine.
• Length is how long the flavours linger on the palate after swallowing - known by those in the know as the finish.