Step 1--Appearance
Tilt the glass slightly and look at the wine against a white background
Clear or cloudy? All wines should look bright and clear
Light/deep colour intensity?
Color type?
White wine: Young:yellow/lemon/green
Aged: dark yellow/gold/amber
Red wine: Young:purple/ruby red
Aged: garnet red/brown
Rose wine: Young:pink/purple
Aged: orange/brown
Step 2--Smell/Aroma/Nose
Swirl the wine-this increases surface area & vapourisation of esters & aroma molecules
Check for faults: mouldiness("corked"), maderised(oxidised),acetic(vinegar0like) or dirty/sulphurous(cabbage, rotten eggs)
Intensity
Character:the words used to describe aromas and flavours are called"descriptors" e.g floral,fruity,spicy,vegetal,toasty/smoky
Step 3--Taste/Palate
Sip & swirl: Take a good sip and swirl the wine around in your mouth
Slurp: Opening the mouth slightly and drawing air in helps you to pick up sensations
Structure: Sweetness/ripeness vs acidity
Weight/body
Tannins--smooth/rough
Intensity
Length
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