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INTRODUCTION
I’ve always been impressed by the way wine lovers can so easily identify the variety,
vintage, year, and sometimes even the chateau origin of a wine. So I decided to begin
a discussion on the theme “wine tasting” because it seemed everyone was equally
capable of becoming an expert on their own, and improving their skills through a little
self-training.Wine tasting is not only a methodology of analyzing the senses but also a satisfaction of finding just the right words to describe a wine.
Tackling this job alone, I also rely on several libraries, wine tasting clubs and even a few pertinent reflections from our cousins, the Québécois.
This is a version of my research as it is a work in progress.
WHAT IS WINE TASTING ?
Wine tasting is not :
Discovering an excellent year
Discovering a vintage
Discovering a Chateau or region
Wine tasting is:
The ability to analyze the sensations as we experience them.
Sharing our perceived sensations with a simple vocabulary
And above all, a display of modesty.Little Advice :
1) Don’t let yourself be impressed by the label, blind taste testing is even better.
2) Wine tasting is not an exact science
3) No one can taste the wine for you (no book, no expert)
4) Everyone must formulate his/her own opinions.
5) Each of us is responsible for developing his/her tastes. (We don’t have to be “Parkerized” at a very young age)
The Basic Conditions for a Wine Tasting Experience :The taster should be in good physiological health
The wine as soon as tasted will be spit out (to avoid any euphoria due to the alcohol content)
The best time of tasting is considered to be before the meal (the senses are usually at a maximum level of awareness)
Consume only foods of neutral taste (to avoid confusing the examination process)
Use a wine tasting glass (a chimney shape concentrates the odors towards the nose)
Use a well-lit room, of a temperature around 20°C without any extra odor and of neutral color.
WHAT INFLUENCES THE ODORS AND AROMAS ?As no two wines resemble each other, the agents responsible for influences the odors and aromas of wine are the following:
Here are just a few :
The Variety : the type of grape vine
The Soil : the nature of the region
The Microclimate : the climate and its exposition to the elements
The Vintage : determined by the soil and the microclimate
The Date : the atmospheric conditions of that year
The Agricultural Practices : trimming, fertilizers, etc…
The Techniques of Vinification
The Storage and Ageing Conditions
The Temperature at which the wine is served
The Environment during the tasting (the room, the type of glass used, …)
