Wine is a beautiful gift. Unfortunately, it’s also intimidating, especially those who don’t have much experience. But if you know what to look for in the glass, your taste buds will thank you!
Here are five steps to becoming a wine connoisseur quickly right now:
1. Look at the color
First, take a look at the wine’s color to understand its age and what grape varieties it contains. White wines are generally lighter in color than red ones because they aren’t aged as long before bottled. As a result, the older white wines that you find will be darker and browner in hue, while younger whites can be greenish or straw-colored. On the other hand, reds will get darker and more intense in color as they age. So, if you’re looking for a bottle of good red wine, buy chianti Classico.
2. Swirl and sniff
After looking at the wine’s color, swirl it around in the glass to release its aromas. Then, stick your nose in there and take a deep breath – what do you smell? There are all sorts of different flavors that can be found in wines, so this is a great way to start distinguishing them.
3. Taste it!
Now that you’ve had a good sniff take a small sip of the wine. Roll it around in your mouth for some time before swallowing to get an idea of what sort of flavors are present.
4. Chose a pairing
The last step is choosing a food or drink that you think would pair well with the wine. The more intense and complex wines will need just as complex flavors for an ideal pairing, while lighter ones can be paired with anything from chocolate mousse to fried chicken.
5. Enjoy
Once you’ve paired your wine with food, take another sip and see if the flavors blend in the way that you were hoping for. If not, try something else! You can’t go wrong as long as you know what to look for before drinking it.