If you have always wanted to know how to taste like a professional, in this post we tell you all the secrets to become an expert taster. Even if you are not an experienced winemaker, or do not have any knowledge about it, enjoying and discovering the sensations that a good wine transmits in a tasting is within your reach. All you need is to activate your five senses, choose a Familia Martínez Bujanda wine and immerse yourself in the recommendations and advice we offer below.
Within the world of wine tourism, wine tasting is undoubtedly the icing on the cake. This experience not only allows you to taste, evaluate and compare wines of any type, but also grants you a one-way ticket to the exciting world of sensations.
A well conducted tasting will help you to know more and better any wine, to appreciate the nuances and strengths of each wine.
Tasting step by step
During wine tasting, it is necessary to pay special attention to sensations. Sight, smell and taste will be used to structure the phases of a tasting: visual, olfactory and gustatory.
First, there is the visual phase. visual phase. The purpose of this first step is to evaluate the wine by aspects such as color, intensity or sharpness, as well as the tear. During this first journey we will begin to take notes on the color, age and density of the wine, aspects that can be appreciated visually.
The smell enters the scene as the main protagonist of the second part of a tasting.. Before swirling the wine, you should introduce your nose into the glass and inhale gently to identify its primary aromas, which are those derived from the grape variety from which the wine is made. Next, we aerate the wine, which comes into contact with oxygen and begins to release secondary aromas, which are those resulting from the alcoholic or malolactic fermentation of the wine. Other aspects such as aromatic persistence or tertiary aromas, derived from the aging of the wine in the barrel, can also be captured during this phase.
The last part of the tasting will consist, finally, of tasting tasting wine. The best way to do it is through a small sip that we will pass from one side of the mouth to the other to reach all the sensitive parts. In this way, all recognizable tastes will be perceived through the tongue, denominating round to the wine that achieves an adequate balance between them. Just after swallowing or spitting out the wine you have just tasted, the air should be expelled slowly through the nose to analyze its retronasal pathway, identifying the set of sensations that remain in the mouth afterwards. The texture of the wine or the persistence are aspects that can also be identified during this phase.
Good and bad practices during tasting
Some of the best practices you should be aware of in order to perform the tasting in the best possible way are listed below:
- The best way to faithfully perceive the colors and tones of the wine will be to contrast it already served in the glass against a white, flat and smooth background.
- It is recommended to have water and small pieces of bread on hand to cleanse the palate between wines.
- The proper order is to start with white wines, followed by rosés and reds. If it is a tasting of red wines only, start with the youngest and finish with the most aged ones.
On the other side of the scale, there are certain practices that are widespread but do not do tasting any favors and should be avoided. Some of them are:
- For “older” wines, it is recommended not to empty the bottle completely, to prevent possible lees and unwanted residues from falling into the glass. This conditions the taste of the wine and makes it difficult to cultivate a fair opinion, so it will be convenient to always leave a rest in the bottle and even in the glass.
- If you are organizing a tasting at home, do not forget to use a different glass for each wine to prevent the flavors from mixing. In addition, the design of the cup will be a key element which will enhance the perception of aromas or help to open the wine more quickly.
Tasting myths
The world of wine is so wide and deep that there is room for a large number of myths and legends about this beverage. With the very evolution of this sector, many of the myths about wine have been hunted down and disproved, thus breaking with false convictions. Below, we analyze some of the most common ones.
“Red wine should always be at room temperature and white wines should always be chilled”. The truth is that room temperature is not the best reference for determining the correct temperature of wine. As a general rule, red wines should be between 12 and 15 degrees, while white wines should be between 7 and 10 degrees.
“White wine is for fish and red for good meat.” In general, red wines tend to pair better with dishes with intense flavors, while whites are better with less intense flavors and aromas. However, this mantra leads us to miss out on authentic delights when it comes to pairing dishes, as it is necessary to know various aspects of the wine in order to determine the right pairing.
As you can see, wine tasting is a not so complex way to approach to the world of wine, which will also allow you to enjoy the great pleasure of tasting and comparing different wines.
Book your wine tour or prepare your next wine tasting with Familia Martínez Bujanda wines!
