When a wine aficionado evaluates a bottle, there are six main things that they focus on. The good news is that with a little information and a few exercises, you can train yourself to be a much more insightful and smarter taster.
Body
The body of a wine is the sense of heaviness, richness or weight, in addition to the feeling of viscosity that the wine leaves in your mouth. Typically, the more alcohol that is in the wine, the more body you will experience. This also means that wines that come from a warmer climate tend to have a larger body. Oak, sugar and the concentration of the flavors in a particular wine can also increase the body.
Tannins
These are the compounds in the grape stems, seeds and skins that work together to contribute to the age ability, texture, complexity and structure of the wine, especially red wines. Tannins actually create a slightly bitter and drying sensation in the mouth.
Acidity
This comes from the natural acids, such as malic, tartaric, etc., in the actual grapes, or the acids that wind up being added through the winemaking process. The grapes acidity will vary greatly depending on the variety, in addition to the soil, climate and sun exposure. Grapes that are grown in a cooler area ten to have a much higher acidity. The acidity of the wine is mostly felt on the side of your tongue.
Sweetness
This is measured by the amount of RS, or residual sugar, which is in the liquid after it has been fermented. The sweetness will only come from one thing in the wine, which is the actual sugar content.
Flavors and Aromas
The flavor or a wine are derived from the type of grape, in addition to the amount of exposure to the sun and the climate, as well as the soil that is found in the vineyard. Additionally, different techniques for making the wine will extract a number of different flavors.
If you are considering going on a Traverse City wine tour, you can increase your skills and abilities by using the information here. Chances are you will find a number of great wines that you like when you take these tours, which is why you should consider honing your skills now and be ready for your tour.
