Whether you are enjoying a wine produced in Cyprus or a traditional Greek wine, understanding the process of tasting can enhance the understanding of the wine’s qualities. Here are some tips that will help you to enhance your wine-tasting experience.
The Visual Assessment
First of all, look at the wine and its colour. Take a small quantity of the drink, pour it into a transparent glass, and then place the glass against a white surface. Look at the colour, transparency and consistency of the solution. For example, Cypriot red wines can be deep ruby to garnet and whites from pale straw to golden colour.
The colour of the wine can be an indication of the age of the wine and the type of grape used in the production of the wine. Swirling the wine in the glass also enables one to observe the ‘bricks’ or ‘tears’ on the side of the glass, which are an indication of alcohol content and viscosity.
The Aroma Exploration
Consider the wine’s smell or the bouquet of the wine. Tilt the glass to mix the wine, and then hold the glass up to your nose and take a deep breath. Determine which of the scents are coming forward.
Are they sweet like fruits, or are they flowery, or are they woody and musky? For example, a Cypriot Xynisteri may have citrus and floral character, while a Greek Agiorgitiko may have dark fruit and herbal profile. It is important to engage your olfactory senses because it plays a very big role in your total tasting process.
The Taste Experience
Now comes the most exciting part: enjoying the wine. Sip it and swirl it in your mouth. Pay attention to the first taste, the middle taste and the aftertaste.
Take note of the wine’s residual sugar, the level of tartness, the tannins and the wine’s viscosity.
For example, a good Cypriot red may have high tannins, which make the mouth feel dry, while a Greek white may be crisp and zesty. Take time to enjoy the taste and how these change as you let the food go down your throat.
The Reflective Evaluation
At the end of the tasting, the participants are expected to fill out a brief survey about the event. How do the tastes of the wine mix, or are some of them more prominent than the others? Think about the finish: does it leave a pleasant feeling in the mind, or does it leave the mind in a short time? This evaluation helps you to develop your palate and to know what you prefer in a wine.
Practice and Compare
To train your palate, you should taste wines regularly and it is recommended that you taste different wines at the same time. This method makes one in a position to differentiate between the varietals and regions and therefore be in a position to compare. For instance, when a consumer is comparing a Cypriot wine with a Greek wine, he or she will be in a position to see the difference in the terroir and the style of wine production.
