The "swish" n' "sniff": Things to remember when you're wine tasting

It’s important to note that before tasting, we should observe the sight and smell of our wine (I like to call this the "swish" and "sniff" technique.)

1 Euro wine in Naples, Italy.. seriously?!

The colour of wine varies immensely, even within the same type of wine. White wines range from green to yellow to brown. More colour in a white wine usually indicates more flavour and age, and a brownish wine may have gone bad. Where as time improves many red wines, it ruins most white wines. Red wines are not just red; they range from a pale red to a deep brown red, usually becoming lighter in colour as they age.

You can observe the colour by tilting your glass slightly and looking at the edge of the wine. A deep red or purple may indicate youth and a lighter orange-y colour may indicate maturity.

You'll want to “swirl” or "swish" the wine around. This serves many purposes, but the two main ones are to observe the body and texture of the wine and to release the aroma. A thicker body, for example, may imply a higher alcohol content and/or sweetness level. It also releases the molecules in the wine that make it aromatic, inviting you to take a good, long sniff.

sangria & paella in Barcelona, Spain

One of the many reasons the glasses are shaped the way they are for white wine (tulip shaped) and red wine (wider bowl-shaped) is due to flavour distribution. Different kinds of glasses are made to deliver different sorts of flavours to the optimal part of your tongue. Generally, red wines tend to feature flavours that are best tasted with the tip of the tongue and the front of the mouth, while white wines are usually comprised of lighter flavours that can be more thoroughly processed by the back of the mouth. The wider bowl of the red wine glass and narrow shape of the white wine glass both cater to this trend, respectively.

Also, red wine glasses are generally wider because increased exposure to air helps the deeper and more complex flavours of wine to develop. For this reason, you ideally want to open reds half an hour before serving to let it breathe. White wine doesn’t require as much oxidization, and thus, another reason the narrower glass is used.

In between tastings, you’ll want to rinse your palette. You’ll sometimes see a spit bucket is used or a bite of a plain French baguette is offered. For me, a sip of water in between tastings is good enough.

Ideal serving temperatures may surprise you:

Sparkling Wine 42-54°F // 6-10°C //
Rosé Wine 48-54°F // 9-12°C
White Wine 48-58°F // 9-14°C
Sherry (Light) 48-58°F // 9-14°C
Red Wine 57-68°F // 13-20°C
Fortified Wine 57-68°F // 13-20°C
Sherry (Dark) 57-68°F // 13-20°C

I sure love learning about wine! The best way to learn it to drink it, in my humble opinion.