Editor’s note: The Wine Life, by Ron Glaman, is a special feature from Vino Latte in Wausau that will help you appreciate and better understand the wonderful world of wine, from tasting and buying tips to food pairing recommendations and more. Learn more about Vino Latte at 3309 Terrace Ct., Wausau, or online at http://www.vino-latte.com/.

By Ron Glaman, The Owner’s Husband

Wine is an amazing adventure – in history, agriculture, geography, and people. Wine can be an exploration of smell, taste, and sense; and it can bring us together in celebration, at holidays, for tributes, remembrances and more.  Living the Wine Life should be embraced, and all that is needed is a desire to learn and a sense of wine adventure.

Advice

The best advice to live The Wine Life is to be willing to try, learn and think about wine.  Be a conscientious consumer of wine by reading bottles, tasting notes, articles, and other wine blurbs.  Break the habit of ALWAYS buying what you like or what you know – and instead grab a similar bottle to those you enjoy – whether it’s the same grape from a different region, or the same region but a different grape; or maybe it’s a recommendation from your favorite wine store (wink-wink) based on the style of wine you like. Consider joining a wine club – preferably a local club (where you can develop a relationship with staff) and a club that features wines from all over the world (versus from one winery or region).  There are so many ways to enjoy and explore, and so many wines to taste, it’s best viewed as a journey rather than the end point – much like life.

Steps

One of the first steps in the Wine Life is learning how to “taste” – something you likely already think you know. It’s my opinion that when we drink or eat, we may not take the time to taste. I use “taste” as a highly active verb, which requires participation, involving all one’s senses: sight, smell, taste, touch, and yes – hearing. When it comes to wine, I break tasting into Seven S’s:  See, Swirl, Smell, Sip, Slurp, Swallow and Savor. You will notice that we frequently refer to the tasting process as we discuss wine. If you’re involved in a formal tasting, or class, it’s common to have a guide to follow as you go through these steps – because of my formal wine education experience I typically use the WSET (Wine & Spirits Education Trust) Level 3 Systematic Approach to Tasting (SAT), which you can find HERE for reference.

The Seven Ss to Wine

My approach, which I call the Seven Ss, is detailed here – and yes, I do this EVERY time I drink wine. Less formally than during an evaluation or blind tasting, but at least in a casual manner.

  • See the wine, remember, we eat with our eyes. With wine in your glass hold it over something white (napkin or paper towel) at a 45-degree angle. Note the clarity, the consistency, and opaqueness. The color and character can vary based on grape variety, age, winemaking techniques and can be the first clue of faults (see below). A wine should look brilliant in your glass – with a shine and sparkle, versus a dull, lackluster appearance.

White wines can be nearly water clear; have a slight greenish tint; or range from light straw color to a deep golden or almost amber. White wine fermented in stainless steel with little to no ageing are usually less “colorful”, while those fermented and aged in oak (wood) have more pronounced color. As white wines age they typically get deeper in color through a slight oxidation. 

Red wines colors can be completely opaque to light enough to see through, with colors that can range from a deep red/purple (sometimes almost having a blue hue), to garnet, tawny or brown – primarily based on age, but also linked to the grape variety.

Other observations may include sediment, color separation near the edge (rim) of the wine where it meets the glass, slight effervescence (bubbles), and more.

The overall appearance of a wine can give you clues as to what to expect on your palette!

  • Swirl the wine in your glass to release the aromas, allowing the wine to ‘breath’ and become more expressive. You will find swirling will become a habit throughout the time you drink your wine, and the wine will continue to change as it is exposed to oxygen through the agitation of swirling. As you swirl the wine continue to examine the color and pay attention to the viscosity as it slides up and down the sides of the glass. Stop the swirl and watch the wine as it runs down the sides of the glass – this is referred to as the “legs” or “tears” of the wine. It is not an indication of quality, but rather tells the story of the body of the wine, specifically as it relates to alcohol – with higher alcohol wines having larger/more legs. Since alcohol adds to the weight or body of wine, a wine that displays more legs will typically be heavier in the mouth. The process that results in the appearance of wine legs/tears is called the Marangoni effect, or the Gibbs–Marangoni effect, and has to do with surface tension and rate of evaporation. Lots of science involved but noticing this can once again be a hint of what to expect! You may also observe this ‘clinging’ affect in sweet wines – which is telltale of the body of the wine since sugar (residual sugar) adds to the body of wine as well.
  • Smell the wine – stick our nose into the glass, smelling around the opening – top/bottom and side to side. Do you smell fruit, spice, vegetables, meat, animal, oak, plastic and more? Use your imagination and spend some time at this stage. The smell of wine is often the best part! This is where you will notice faults or problems with the wine. Through discussion of what you smell (and taste) with fellow wine drinkers you can develop a wine vocabulary which will link with common characteristics of wine, and help you enjoy the experience. The best thing about smelling (and tasting) the wine is that you’re never wrong! However, you describe the wine is perfect – it’s a very personal experience, but one to be shared. Science tells us that our sense of smell is tightly linked to our brain and memory – so you might even link the smell of a wine to your past (like the smell of Grandma’s apple pies when you small an oaked chardonnay!).
  • Sip the wine – enough to coat your mouth, but not so much as it is uncomfortable to hold in your mouth. Begin to taste and feel it – the flavors, sensations, and weight. While in your mouth, the wine warms slightly, preparing for the next step. Softly mouth the wine (chew it), lightly flutter your tongue, and allow it to spread and flow throughout your mouth.
  • Slurp the wine. With your head tipped slightly forward – wine still in your mouth, draw air through your pursed lips like slurping soup from a spoon – this is trilling. You draw air through your mouth, across the wine and into your retronasal passages, engaging your sense of smell with your sense of taste. This step is crucial to enjoying wine! It takes practice but will increase your tasting experience. You can do this several times, and as you become a proficient, you will be able to do so quietly and discreetly. You will see that when drinking with others who “Live the Wine Life,” slurping is a completely expected practice! A couple things can happen here – the first if your head is tipped too far forward, which can result in a little wine slipping from your pursed lips; and the second if your head is tipped too far back, which can result in a little cough from wine going down the wrong pipe! With practice you’ll be able to avoid both.
  • Swallow the wine – a simple action. However, concentrate on what happens right after. Does your mouth water, dry out or a combination of both? Do you pucker slightly, or do your tongue, gums and cheeks feel ‘grippy’? Is it “hot” (like alcohol)? This is all touch sensation.

Wines with pronounced acid create a zippy sensation on the sides of your tongue and make your mouth water. Acid is critical in food and food-wine pairing and makes a wine crisp and lively. Wines with pronounced tannin (a substance found in the skins, seeds, and stems of grapes, as well as from oak barrels – and therefore more prominent in red wine) will make your mouth dry out (not the same as a “dry” wine) and create a grippy texture on your tongue, gums, and cheeks. These textural characteristics are crucial to the character of wine and are part of the experience.

  • Savor the wine. While breathing in and out – through mouth and nose at the same time – think about the flavors that remain and linger. How long does the finish last – for minutes or seconds? What’s left for taste, aromas, and sensations? These final thoughts on a wine can create a lasting impression or leave you wanting more from your glass.

And your sense of hearing (Sound)? This is important if a friend verbalizes enjoyment or displeasure, and when engaging with others on what they taste in the wine!

As mentioned above, there are times when a wine may be faulted – and it’s important to learn how to identify common faults. Let’s be clear… simply not liking a wine doesn’t mean it’s faulted. We will explore faults in depth in another article, but the two most common faults are a wine that is corked and a wine that is oxidized.  A fault may be apparent upon looking at the wine – as it may be uncharacteristically dull, brown, or cloudy; but most often a fault will be evident upon smelling the wine.

A corked wine is not one sealed with a cork, but rather one that has been spoiled by a chemical compound which creates odors other than those from the wine – these present as musty cardboard, wet basement, moldy/musty wet clothing, or other undesirable aromas. A wine that is oxidized will smell like vinegar, old raisins or just “too old.”

As stated, tasting wine is an active process and following these in a conscious and consistent manner will increase your enjoyment.

Until next time, drink well!

Learn more at Vino Latte

  • In store: 3309 Terrace Ct., Wausau
  • Hours: Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Closed on Sundays
  • Online here
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