By LL Editorial Staff

In the movie Sideways wine connoisseur Miles goes into great detail explaining the nuances of wine to his friend Jack. After Miles has finished his lecture from the tasting room bar, Jack takes a gulp and proclaims “Tastes good to me.” To the unsophisticated palate there probably is no difference between a merlot and meritage, but once you’ve been educated on wine and the varietals you will be on your way to wine snob status.



There are three stages of wine tasting, including the initial impression or “attack” phase; the evolution phase, which helps identify a detectable flavor such as oak, berry or fig; and the finish phase, the finale, the length the flavor lasts after being consumed. When conducting a tasting, either at home or in the tasting room of a winery, you’ll want to look for specifics in regards to the wine.



Color and Clarity
Wine tasting is a lot like diamond hunting, it’s all about color and clarity. Using a proper wine glass, tip the glass away from you and examine the color. What is the hue? Is it opaque, watery, cloudy or clear? Has sediment settled near the bottom? Older red wines have more clarity than younger reds.



Sniff & Swirl
It’s as simple as that. Take your glass and gently swirl its contents, which helps release some of the wines natural aromas. Take a quick inhale, place your nose into the glass and smell. Is there a detection of oak, vanilla or citrus in the wine?



Taste
This is the best part of the process. Take a small sip and trill it around your tongue. Does the wine seem smooth, acidic or well balanced? Is it sweet or dry? Is it better paired with cheese and fruit or something more substantial? Always taste from light to dark, white to red, and be sure to cleanse your palate in between tastings. If you don’t want to drink all the wine in your glass, use the dump bucket on the bar to dispose of the remains.