Wine Tasting

Acidity: Describes a tart or sour taste in the mouth when total acidity of the wine is high.

Aftertaste: The taste or flavors that linger in the mouth after the wine is tasted, spit or swallowed.

Aroma: Refers to the particular smell of the grape variety.

Body: The weight of wine, commonly known  as full-bodied, medium-bodied or light-bodied.

Bouquet: A tasting term used to describe the smell of the wine as it matures in the bottle.

Finish: The taste that remains in the mouth after swallowing. A long finish indicates a wine of good quality.

Legs: The viscous droplets that form and ease down the sides of the glass when the wine is swirled.

Length: The amount of time the sensations of taste and aroma persist after swallowing.

Palate: The feel and taste of wine in the mouth.

Acrid: Describes a wine with overly pronounced acidity. This is often apparent in cheap red wines.

Attractive: A lighter style, fresh, easy to drink wine.

Big: A wine that is full-bodied, rich and slightly alcoholic tasting.

Character: A wine with top-notch distinguishing qualities.

Crisp: Denotes a fresh, young, wine with good acidity.

Delicate: Used to describe light- to medium-weight wines with good flavours.

Elegant: Describes a wine of grace, balance and beauty.

Before you go to your first Temecula wine tasting, get a head start and read over the Wine
Tasting Technique steps below.
The basic three steps in wine tasting are: Look, Smell, and Taste.

Look
You can tell much about a wine simply by studying its appearance. The wine should be
poured into a clear glass and held in front of a white background  so that you can examine
the color.
The color of wine varies tremendously, even within the same type of wine. For example,
white wines are not actually white; they range from green to yellow to brown. More color in a
white wine usually indicates more flavor and age. Where as time improves many red
wines, it ruins most white wines. Red wines are not just red; they range from a pale red to a
deep brown red, usually becoming lighter in color as they age.

Rim Color: You can guess the age of a red wine by observing its "rim." Tilt the glass
slightly and look at the edge of the wine. A purple tint may indicate youth while orange to
brown indicates maturity.

Swirling: Swirling the wine serves many purposes, but allows  you to visually observe the
body of the wine. "Good legs" may indicate a thicker body and a higher alcohol content or
sweetness level.

Smell
Swirl your wine. This releases molecules in the wine into the air allowing you to smell the
aroma, also called the bouquet or nose. After you smell the wine, concentrate on  the
aroma.

Taste
The most important quality of a wine is its balance between sweetness and acidity. To get
the full taste of a wine follow the following three steps:
1. Taste: Slosh the wine around and draw in some air.  Examine the body and texture of
the wine.
2. Aftertaste: The taste that remains in your mouth after you have swallowed the wine.
3. After tasting the wine, take a moment to evaluate its overall flavor and balance.
ENJOY!
Wine Tasting Terms
Wine Tasting Technique
wine grapes Temecula
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