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Friday October 17, 2008 - Wine

Today's Wine Article

Wine Tasting Like an Aficionado

Wine tasting is verisimilar to a fine art. It engages three senses to appreciate the aroma of the bouquet. There's a certain savoir-faire to letting wine languish on the palette as the quintessence of the grapes returns back to life. Use these devices, tips and sensory tactics to learn the fine art of wine tasting like an aficionado.

The Eyes

Before placing the glass to your lips, stare deeply into the wine goblet. What do you see? At first glimpse, it may appear simply "red" or tinged in yellow. But, as one stares into the abyss of the wine glass, a spectrum of shades may become apparent. Is the red wine rendering undertones of tan or brown? In certain whites, a green aura may be another value to identify. What is the hue of the wine?

The blush depicts what, where, when and how. In other words, the color of wine can identify the type of grape, its region of origin, age and whether it's a blend or 100 percent of one grape variety. The dark the intensity of red wine projects its grape variety. For instance, Cabernets and Petite wine Syrahs gravitate toward the deeper red. In terms of Pinot Noir and Merlots, they are generally lighter. However, Merlots may exude more of a density in color.

On the rim of the glass, a wine's coloration can tell its age. By tilting a glass at approximately a 45-degree angle, the edge of the wine may show a tint ranging from brown, purple to orange. Purplish represents youth; whereas, orangey to brownish tints demonstrate maturity.

By the time an aficionado visually inspects the wine for age, blend and color, the aromas should start to burgeon.

Now, without spilling the wine, swirl the glass in gradual circular motions - or until you feel comfortable, enough to give it one vigorous swirl. (This can take a little practice). It enables the wine to open up like a rose blossoming right before the nose as it releases its fragrant constituents. After you stop swirling the glass, you will notice that it is crying or walking back to cavity of the glass. These wine drippings are referred to as the wine's "tears" or "legs." The more prevalent the number of tears or legs, the more alcohol the wine contains.

The Nose

To some, the smell of wine is far more relevant than its taste. Whether a wine taster prefers to sniff, inhale or sip wine, taking in the bouquet or (as some, call it the "nose") is a vital step that should NEVER be skipped. Intensifying the essences of wine is an important facet of the fine art of wine tasting because it arouses the grapes flavors for easy recognition. A rapid way to capture the aroma of wine is to swirl the wine up and down the sides of the glass. As it leaves a small amount of wine residue or a lining along the interior of the glass, these thin layers will evaporate from the exposure to oxygen - emitting a wonderful bouquet.

The Palette

And now for the pay-off, take a moderate sip of wine. In a docile fashion, swish it throughout the mouth's crevices, engaging the different parts of the mouth and tongue to take delight in the culmination of zests. Allow the tongue to frolic, dance and stroke the wine's texture. Is the kiss smooth? Is the tongue left parched or is it invigorated? Amid other sensory engagements, this is the one step that should be indulged with slow deliberation. After all, there's a fine art of wine tasting like an aficionado. Discover more delicious wine tasting tactics from href="http://www.alertsforconsumers.com">TheConsumerJournal.com

About the Author

Please feel free to add this article to your website or ezine with the following message: This article is a courtesy of Holly Bentz, (c) 2006 href="http://fruitionmedia.net">fruitionMedia.net - All Rights Reserved. For more informative consumer information visit href="http://www.alertsforconsumers.com">AlertsForConsumers.com

A synopsis on Wine.

Wine Tasting Like an Aficionado

Wine tasting is verisimilar to a fine art. It engages three senses to appreciate the aroma of the bouquet. There's a certain savoir-faire to letting w...

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Screwcaps For Wine Is It Bye-Bye To The Romance?

Maybe youve noticed screwcaps on more of the higher priced wines lately. The trend is continuing to grow and so is the debate of whether a screwcap or cork is better for wine. The industry has basically "agreed to disagree" as to whether wine bottled with a screwcap or a cork tastes better, ages better and has less of a tendency to spoil.

As more wineries consider using screwcaps instead of the traditional cork, one has to wonder how the public at large will accept the change in tradition. When the occasional wine drinker sees a $20 bottle of wine with a screwcap, will he move to the next bottle on the shelf because he conjuring thoughts in his mind of his college years and Boones Farm Apple Wine?

Corks hold tradition and romance for a bottle of wine. It's hard to imagine dining at a fine eating establishment and ordering a bottle of wine without expecting the waiter pull out his corkscrew. Watching him carefully cut the foil, masterfully twist the screw into the cork, and giving it a pull with a final, ever so slight, pop, is part of what we pay for when we order a bottle of wine. It's shear romance; it's a moment we hold in our memory of a nice dining experience.

Why would a winery want to change an age-old tradition that holds so much charm? Well, apparently the occurrence of wines being spoiled because of the cork is a fairly large problem. One report from the International Wine Challenge, the world's largest wine competition, states that nearly one in 20 bottles, or 4.9% of the 11,033 bottles opened at that competition had spoiled or the flavor had been flattened because of the cork.

How is the cork responsible for the ruin of so much wine? Cork is a tree bark and when wine corks are manufactured, chlorine bleach is used for cleaning and brightening the color. When the bleach comes in contact with the natural molds that are present in the cork, a reaction occurs and a chemical called trichloroanisole (TCA) is produced. If this chemical comes in contact with the wine, it will cause it to taste like damp cardboard. When this happens the wine is then referred to as being "corked", and it is undrinkable.

Screwcaps have proven themselves to be a better alternative to cork. First developed in Australia, the brand name for screwcaps used for wine is Stelvin, so you will often hear them referred to as such. These caps are not the same as those used for food and drink; these caps are specially designed to protect fine wines from tainting for a period of time and to allow for aging. Basically the part of the cap that actually contacts the wine is made from a thin coating of Teflon film over pure tin, this gives the cap the capability to stay stable and flavor-neutral for a very long time.

There are some screwcap critics that say the Stelvin caps don't allow for proper "breathing" so the wine can age, however, this is a myth. If a cork is perfect and works the way it is supposed to work, it will not allow air into the bottle. Actually, oxygen is potentially harmful to the wine and very unnecessary for the aging process. To quote a leading Bordeaux authority Professor Pascal Ribreau-Gayon in the Handbook of Enology,

reactions that take place in bottled wine do not require oxygen.

And one more authority, Professor Emile Peynaud of Bordeaux says,

it is the opposite of oxidation, a process of reduction, or asphyxia by which wine develops in the bottle

So, as we watch a trend develop of vintners moving toward using screwcaps we, the wine-drinking public, are just going to have to come to terms with the fact that screwcaps have proven themselves. Because of the Stelvin, we consumers will be able to enjoy better preserved and better tasting wine in the years to come. Actually, instead of thinking about moving to the next bottle on the shelf because of the screwcap, we should be seeking out the wine that delights your palate regardless of whether it uses a screwcap or not.

David-The Wine Gift Guy loves to drink wine. He also likes to write about the wine he drinks and everything he learns along the way. Read about his experiences, reviews, and recommendations at his website, http://www.TheWineGiftGuy.com . Comments at the site are encouraged, stop by & help David build a great big, snob-free, wine-loving community.

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