Buyin' Oeno: Wine 101

Now we'll turn to an equally important aspect of a wine's flavor: its smell.

Aeration - You’ve seen it all before, people swirling their glasses around trying to look cool and sophisticated with their wine. There’s actually a purpose to it, besides looking like a total snob. Imagine the wine that has been stored in a nearly air-tight container. When first opened it may have very few scents to it. Incorporating air into it allows the release of aromas and flavors which will ultimately lead to greater enjoyment of the wine. You may have noticed in a fuller red that your first glass may taste completely different than the next. This is because it has time to “breathe.” A simple way to aerate a wine is by swirling it in your glass, but for very full-bodied tannic wines it is best to decant them, or pour them into another vessel. They make special "decanters" for this, but almost anything will do.

Nose - When you shove your nose into that gigantic glass of wine and take in a big whiff you are essentially testing the “nose” of a wine. The nose is made up of the aroma and bouquet of the wine.

Aroma - This is the primary smell which describes a particular smell, odor, or fragrance of a specific grape used to produce the wine. Terms such as cherry, plum, and black pepper are used when describing aromas.

Bouquet - This is the secondary smell you experience when sniffing the wine. Here you get the various "big picture" fragrances created by a wine’s development and imparted to the wine from the fermentation and aging process. Terms such as vanilla, limestone, gravel, and earthy can be used when discussing the bouquet.

Finally, let's get to tasting. Since our taste buds sense different characteristics on different parts of the tongue it is important to concentrate on the full flavor of the wine and not just the initial sense.

Attack - This refers to the sensations felt within the first five seconds of tasting the wine. These tastes are the Marines of the wine world.

Middle Palate - This is the transition of those first sensations as well as the development of new ones over the next ten seconds. You'll get these flavors as you gently swish the wine in your mouth so all parts of your tongue can taste it. Don't gargle.

Finish - This is the aftertaste of flavors and the length of time they linger. Wines can be described as having a long (lasting about 15 seconds or more), medium (lasting about seven to ten seconds), or short finish (lasting about five seconds or less).

Dry vs. Off-Dry - Dry is a descriptive term used for wines with little or no noticeable residual sugar. Therefore when a wine is described as dry it essentially means that it is not sweet. Again, this should not be confused with the drying sensation brought on by tannins. Off-dry denotes a wine that has some residual sugar and sweetness to it.

Fruity vs. Sweet - These two terms often cross paths. “Sweet” should be used to describe wines that have noticeable residual sugar such as dessert wines. Residual sugar can be detected by touching the tip of your tongue into your wine glass. If you feel a slight tingle on the tip of your tongue, then the wine contains some residual sugar, which is naturally occurring (adding sugar to wines is illegal in some parts of the world). Wines that have tropical fruit notes such as mango and pineapple should be described as fruity. This is more of a ripe fruit sweetness as opposed to a sugary sweetness.

Bitter - This taste is sensed on the back of the tongue and is usually caused by the overabundant presence of tannins and astringency.

Buttery - The sense of a dairy-like quality such as butter is brought on by a process called malolactic fermentation (which we’ve discussed before). This process can occur with or without oak contact.

Hot - If the alcohol content is not in balance with the other components of the wine then you will feel a heat sensation usually in the back of the throat. Think tequila.

This guide should be enough to get you started on sounding like a pro, but the only way to hone your skills is to get out there and start tasting wines. We hope it helps give a better understanding to all that wine-centric terminology floating around out there. And as always, there is no right or wrong when tasting wine. No two people taste the same way, so if you like or dislike a wine, that is your prerogative. If you really like that $7 Pinot from Trader Joe's more than the $30 French Cabernet, go nuts on the Pinot! It's your money, and your wine, after all.

Wines to Try:
Croney “3 Ton” Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand - $14. If you are looking for a prime example of a wine with lively acidity, look no further. This wine is the near quintessence of the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, with a grassy nose, grapefruit tastes, and a mouth-watering acidity.

Hope Estate Chardonnay from Hunter Valley, Australia - $15. Presented in an “Old World” style, this Chardonnay has a few tropical notes with a creamy, vanilla palate. A great example of a Chard that has been oak-aged but is not overly oaky.

Toluca Lane Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, Oregon - $30. This is a great example of a red that shows a harmonious balance between its acidity and tannins. It has ripe cherries on the nose mixed with that very typical “Oregon earthiness.” This wine is very versatile and can be paired with everything from roasted chicken to grilled lamb.

Chateau Recougne Bordeaux Superiore from Bordeaux, France - $15. A full-bodied red that is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc grapes. Big tannins are present immediately upon opening and need at least 20 minutes of aeration (breathing) to mellow out. After you wait patiently, you can enjoy a wine that has plum and cassis notes with a full velvety texture.