Look at the wine

First we get pleasure from admiring wine in our glass : let us note the vividness of the colours, how it catches the light. Passionate wine lovers judge the colour of a wine by placing it in front of a white cloth. That way it is easy to see if its robe is dark or pale.

Smell the wine

You must not hesitate to dip your nose deeply in a glass of wine. By developing your sense of smell, you become capable of associating aromas to the smell of wine. Of course if your neighbour is smoking or wearing a strong perfume, if the contents of your plate exhale a strong aroma it is a waste of time trying. Smelling a wine is preparing oneself to taste it really well.
See also : Wine and Aromas

Taste the wine

Always with small, careful sips. With each one you discover, through the reaction of your tongue and your palate, a new subtility, a new strength,a new shade of its bouquet. Take a sip of wine, pinch your lips, suck a little air with your tongue and make the wine travel in your mouth. Different parts of the tongue identify different sensations: sweetness is identified by the end, acidity by the sides and bitterness by the back. By making the wine circulate for a few seconds, you give your brain time to analyse the information it receives: sweet, acid, bitter.

See also : Food and Wine and Wine and Aromas

Discuss wine

When the glass has left your lips the spirit of the wine endures. You must celebrate the magician who elaborated it, the earth which bore it. Because we like to speak of things which thrill us, because we love to exalt. What better than feeling your enthusiasm is shared, what more exhilarating than confronting your judgment.

But never forget :

"He who makes himself drunk does not know how to drink nor eat."

Other wine tasting pages :
Food and Wine - Cheese and Wine - Tasting advices - Wine and aroma - Practical wine information - French Wine Shop