5 Things To Think About When Sipping Wine

Talk about the taste of wine like an expert at your next office party and you'll impress your big boss. Just remember these five elements to the sipping sensation, and you'll appear as a wine expert in no time.

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There are so much to think about when considering what contributes to the taste of wine: the type of grape, the place they were grown on, the weather climate it was cultivated in, the yeasts that fermented them, the number of years they sat in oak or glass, and the craft skills of the winemaker.

Maybe you'll consider yourself an expert after some traveling of the world visiting vineyards and meeting winemakers, learning the craft skills, taking wine tasting classes and wine tours, and tasting an endless variety of wine from all over the world. That could take your whole life. But in the meantime remember these five elements to the tasting pleasure of wine and you can fake being an expert until you actually become one.

1. Clarity

If the wine appears cloudy, or the particles don't settle after a few hours, then it's likely that the flavor is off, and might be spoiled. Look for the opposite; clear or settled particles, which indicate accurate flavor and good level in grape acidity.

2. Color

The color of white wine ranges from light to dark yellow. The darker the color, the older the wine and more matured flavor.

The color of red wine ranges from ruby red to brownish red. The darker the color, then the less fruity it taste and the flavor becomes more complex.

3. Astringency

As you drink wine, your mouth dries and your saliva becomes less slimy due to the presence of alcohol. However your dry mouth is then better suited to feel the degree of smoothness and thickness of the wine. You're detecting the wine's body of substance and volume.

4. Taste

Think of the degree taste of acidity or sourness, its balance between sweet and sour, the degree taste of savory, and its slight bitterness.

If the wine doesn't have acidity, then it'll taste just sweet and flat, or just bland, which is not good wine.

5. Aroma

The smell of the wine is part of the tasting experience. The aroma is the complimentary sensation to your tasting. Swirl the wine in the glass, and smell it before sipping it. The taste should enhance the aroma, like eating chocolate chip cookies after smelling it around your whole house while it bakes in your oven.