Wine Tasting Tips

Have you ever considered hosting a wine tasting party? Ask a few friends over and have them all bring a bottle of the same style of wine (Pinot Party?). Here are some great wine tasting tips I learned from Wines.com; share them with your fellow wine lovers and have fun with it!

Start with a clear wine glass. The rim of the glass should bend inwards to help funnel aromas to the nose & allow you to swirl without spilling. Pour a little wine into your glass, an inch or less is best. If you are tasting several wines, begin with the lightest (sparkling wines, roses, then light whites followed by full-bodied whites) & progress to the heaviest (light reds to more full-bodied reds followed by dessert wines). This will help keep your taste buds more sensitive so you can better appreciate each wine in the series. A sip of water between wines can also help preserve your palate.

Notice the color of the wine...hold the glass up to light or hold it against a white background (a white napkin will do the trick.) The color can give you a clue as to the age of the wine...white wines generally gain color as they age, red wines tend to lose color (young red wines are more red/burgundy, while older reds tend to show a hint of tawny brown around the rim.)

Swirl the wine by moving the glass in a circular motion, holding the glass by its stem. Swirling is done to aerate the wine & release vapors for you to smell, evaporating from the sides of the glass. Put your nose over the rim of the wine glass & breathe in, taking note of the wine's aromas & bouquet.

Take a sip, letting the wine spread across the tongue from front to back & from side to side before swallowing. Notice the flavors and acidity of the wine. Swallow a small amount if you wish to note any lingering finish. If you are tasting a number of wines, your host will usually provide a large container for you to spit out the wine instead of swallowing.

Don't forget to compare how a wine tastes with or without food! Cheeses and other savories can make a huge difference in the way a wine tastes, so serve a variety of foods for your guests to experience.

Louisiana Star hosts wine tastings every 1st & 3rd Thursday of the month...please join us and share your wine stories!