Wine Tasting Wine Tasting
A cultural and educational look at wine
tasting
What is wine?
All wine is made from grapes that are grown in vineyards and then processed in wineries to make the wine.
There are over 10,000 varieties of grapes that can
be made into wine
Grape varieties
Usually only a few kinds of
grape are popular at one
time.
These days the most popular type of white wine is Chardonnay
The most popular type of red wine is Cabernet Sauvignon
Questions so far?Questions so far?
Choosing a wine
When you look at the bottle of wine you can see a typical label.
The label should list several things The grape variety The winery name
The country of origin The year of bottling
Choosing a wine
Some people choose a wine by the color.
There are three colors to choose from
White Red
Rose/Blush
Choosing a wine
Some people choose a wine by the grape variety. Each grape variety has a different taste.
The grape variety gets its’ name from the original location where it was grown. If a wine grower moves the grape variety to a new place, it will still keep its’ original name.
The original French Chardonnay Region The newer California Chardonnay Region
Choosing a wine
Some people select a wine based on its age or maturity. This may not be necessary these days.
Modern wineries can create good Weather can change the Corks are being made
Young wines grape crop, making one year for 5 year wines
better than another
Are you getting thirsty?Are you getting thirsty?
GlassesGlasses
Serving Wine
Fill the glass 1/2 or 1/3 full. The empty part of the glass will capture the aroma.
It’s important to enjoy the aroma as well as the taste of the wine
Serving Wine
Holding the glass by the stem rather than by the bowl will keep the wine from heating up in your hands.
Serving Wine
Red wine should be served at room temperature
White wine and rose/blush should be served cold from the refrigerator
Wine tasting
Cut the endotherm (plastic cover) off of the bottle with a knife or cutter.
Open the bottle using a corkscrew. Do not shake the bottle or tip it upside down. Fill the glass 1/3 or 1/2 full.
Shall we get to the Shall we get to the wine tasting?wine tasting?
Visual examinationVisual examination
Examine the wine in a good light.
A young white wine will have a tinge of green while a more mature white wine
will be golden.A young red wine will
appear more purple and a mature red wine will have a browner color
The NoseThe Nose
Gently swirl the glass to mix up the wine with the air.
Inhale a couple of
times
What can you smell?
Flowers, spices and fruit are just some of the possibilities
The PaletteThe Palette Check the texture. How does it feel going
down your throat?
Is it very sweet, slightly sweet,
medium, slightly dry or very dry?
Is there tannin?
What flavors do you taste?
Wine Storage
Keep your wine in a cool dark place.
Lay it down on the side.
Use a wine stopper to keepWine fresh for one - two weeks.
The only good wines are the
wines you like…