Wine Views

In wine country we sniff, swirl, glance and sip.
This is done by visitors in tastings rooms everyday.
It is the beginning step of their wine education.
Does looking at a glass of wine matter?

Some people look only to determine if it's red or white.
Many people do not look and go right for their sense of taste.
Then there are those that slowly examine the liquid details.
These folk know that their glass of wine is telling them a story.
Let's think about what these tasters are examining.

The wine's color is obvious to read---either it's red or white.
How is the wine's clarity?  Is it clear, still or cloudy?
Does it have many bubbles or just a few? 
The color shows hints to a taster
such as age, grape varietal, origin and quality.
White wine colors will progress this way:
young pale, moderate yellow,
mature gold, older or unhealthy tawny.
Red wine colors reflect this way:
young purple, moderate ruby,
mature garnet, older brown.
These shades of color only tell a piece of the wine's story.

White wine's color does not reveal much but age. With red wines,
thicker-skin grape varietals are darker like Syrah & Cabernet sauvignon
and thin-skinned grapes are paler like Pinot Noir.
Cooler climates can usually produce paler wines and warm
climates show deeper colors in reds & whites.

Wines that show bubbles could mean it is flawed.
Fast-rising, tiny bubbles are great in sparkling wines,
but not in still whites & large slow bubbles are not a good in any whites.
Is the wine clear and clean? This is normal.
Or is it dull or cloudy? These wines are likely flawed.
Gently swirl the glass.
The wine will form vertical beads known as legs.
Showing many legs on the glass means the wine is dense,
high in sugar and alcohol.
Fewer legs means the wine has less sugar & alcohol.
When a taster tilts their glass, it shows the wines hue & depth.
Is the color consistent? Look at the edges any separation of color?
These traits show when a wine is maturing or
breaking down especially if it is brownish.

So the next time you see someone peering long at their glass
just give them some room, some serious detective work is in progress.
   

Cheers!