In ancient Babylon, the bride’s father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead (fermented honey beverage) he could drink for a month after the wedding. Because their calendar was lunar or moon-based, this period of free mead was called the “honey month,” or what we now call the “honeymoon.”
READ MORE »Posts in category WINE TASTING
Interesting Facts@Wine
1 grape cluster = 1 glass 75 grapes = 1 cluster 4 clusters = 1 bottle 40 clusters = 1 vine 1 vine = 10 bottles 1200 clusters = 1 barrel 1 barrel = 60 gallons 60 gallons = 25 cases 30 vines = 1 barrel 400 vines = 1 acre 1 acre = 5 [...]
READ MORE »ASSESS THE WINE
Now note your impressions. Is the wine well balanced? Does the flavour linger in your mouth? A long-lasting flavour generally means a better wine. As well as making notes about the wines they taste, many people like to give each wine a score. A simple numerical score can’t really convey the pleasure a wine gives, [...]
READ MORE »TAKE A SIP
Take a decent mouthful, so that your mouth is about one-third full, and hold the wine in your mouth for a few moments, breathing through your nose. Draw a little air through your lips and suck it through the wine to help the aromas on their way to your nasal cavity. Note any toughness, acidity [...]
READ MORE »SPIT OR SWALLOW
If you have to taste a number of wines in a limited time, spitting is the only way to appreciate the flavours and stay sober. Practise your technique in front of the bathroom mirror. A bucket with sawdust in the bottom makes a practical spittoon.
READ MORE »LOOK AT THE WINE
Pour the wine into a glass so that it is about one-third full. Tilt the glass against a white background so that you can see the gradations of colour from the rim to the centre. The colour can begin to suggest the taste of the wine, with clues to grape variety, climate and age. A [...]
READ MORE »SMELL THE WINE
Swirl the wine around the glass to release the aromas, then stick your nose into the glass and take a steady, gentle sniff. Register the smell in terms that mean something to you: if it reminds you of herbs, spices, strawberries, wet wool or tar, that is what makes the wine memorable.
READ MORE »READ THE LABEL
This tells you a great deal about the wine: its region of origin, age, alcohol level, sometimes its grape variety. The design – traditional or modern – can hint at the intentions of the winemaker. At a blind tasting, you will begin at the next step.
READ MORE »HOW TO TASTE WINE
Tasting wine means understanding what you are drinking – and enjoying it more. The ritual observed by professionals is not just showing off: there is a purpose to every stage, and it can help you to get maximum pleasure from a bottle of wine. Wine can be complex stuff, and if you just knock it [...]
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