Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Wine Appreciation 101

“One not only drinks wine, one smells it, observes it, tastes it, sips it and – one talks about it.” ~ Edward VII (1841-1910)

Having a basic understanding of wine tasting terminology helps you find wine you like. The following words are common terms used to describe wine characteristics.

Aroma/ Bouquet: The smell of a wine, bouquet applies particularly to the aroma of older wines.

Body: The apparent weight of a wine in your mouth (light, medium, or full)

Crisp: A wine with refreshing acidity

Dry: Not sweet

Finish: The impression a wine leaves as you swallow it

Flavor intensity: How strong or weak a wine’s flavors are

Fruity: A wine whose aromas and flavors suggest fruit; does not imply sweetness

Oaky: A wine that has oak flavors (smokey, toasty)

Soft: A wine has a smooth rather than crisp mouth feel

Tannic: A red wine that is firm and leaves the mouth feeling dry

Click here to read more, or for a more in-depth understanding of wine tasting, Keven Zraly has been teaching wine tasting for more than 30 years and has written a great book on the subject (Windows on the World: Complete Wine Course).

Salute!

No comments:

Post a Comment