Wine Kitz Atlantic

3RD INSTALLMENT IN THE SERIES OF “GENERAL WINE INFORMATION “

Wine Tasting

A wine tasting is a great way to experience and learn about new varieties of wines and a good opportunity for a social gathering.

Start by pouring about 1-2oz. of wine into the glass. Begin by examining it against a white background. Look for sediment and colour – as reds age they lose colour and as whites age they gain colour. Smell the wine by swirling it around in the glass and holding your nose close to the rim. The farther one’s nose is from the rim, the more the wine will smell floral and fruity and the closer, the aromas will deepen and become richer. Smell from all distances to get the full range of aroma. When the wine is sipped it should pass over the tongue from side to side and front to back. This allows the taster to gage the sweetness, acidity, whether it’s light or full bodied and hoe strong the alcohol taste is.

For more detailed information on wine tasting visit: http://wine.about.com/od/winebasic1/ht/winetasting.htm

Wine Breathing

The reaction of oxygen molecules with the wine is what gives the wine distinct flavour. Such exposure is called”breathing.” Older wines benefit most from breathing to bring out their flavour which has been developing for months or years. The best way to breath a wine is to expose as much of it to air as possible. Simply uncorking a bottle and leaving it won’t let in enough oxygen. Pouring the wine vigorously into a decanter splashes the wine, allowing it to pick up more oxygen molecules. A wine that is breathing should sit and settle but time for this varies. Some wines are at their peak in just 15 minutes while others may take many hours for the aromas to be coaxed out. Generally, the older a wine the longer it will need to breathe.

For more detailed information on wine breathing visit: http://wine.about.com/od/winebasic1/a/breathe.htm

Wine Decanting

Some wines, particularly fine reds, can contain sediment if they have been aging for a while (2+years). Although it may have an unpleasant appearance, sediment is actually an indication of a wine that was made with care and quality. In this case it is a byproduct of a production process that has little or no filtration in order to allow the wine to age in the bottle. Wines both young and old can benefit from decanting. Decanting removes the sediment by trapping it in the bottom of the bottle after pouring the wine into another vessel. For younger wines that have not had a chance to fully develop, splashing the wine into the decanter maximizes contact with the air and brings out the aromas.

For more detailed information on wine decanting visit: http://www.winecountrygetaways.com/decanting-wine.html