Vino 101: Step One: Drink the Wine by Becky Tyner Sandoval

January 02, 2013

Vino 101: Step One: Drink the Wine by Becky Tyner Sandoval

    The very first step to enjoying wine is to drink it.  Seems simple until you start seeing all the books with titles such as, "How to Drink Wine" or advertisements for wine tasting classes.  At Vino Latino we don't think that such a big fuss should be made over something so simple, but we do want to share a few tips that might make your wine drinking experience more enjoyable  CesarToxquiphoto         THE VESSEL:  I'm sure it sounds silly, but believe it or not, the glass matters.  I don’t care how great your wine is, if you drink it out of a Styrofoam cup or a mason jar, it’s not going to taste good.  Riedel, the wine glass makers, discovered that what makes the most difference is how the glass throws the wine on your palate.  But rather than make this more complicated than it already is, just follow this simple rule.  Always use a wine glass and avoid wine glasses that have a lip on the rim.  The thinner the rim the better.  This ensures a smooth transfer of wine from the glass to your mouth, avoiding "splashing" upon the bitter parts of your palate.   RELEASE THE BOUQUET:  Unless you understand why, the swirling may seem a bit pretentious. But truly, the swirl is almost as important as the glass, for it oxidizes the wine and releases the "bouquet” allowing you to smell all the wonderful nuances of the wine.   You smell much more than you taste, and the smell of wine is almost better than the taste!  If you don't believe it do this experiment.  Put some wine in a glass.  Now smell it.  Now swirl the wine.  Now smell it.  BIG DIFFERENCE!   RINSE YOUR MOUTH, NOT YOUR GLASS:  We see it all the time, people rinse their glass when they change from white wine to red wine.   What you really need to rinse is your mouth.  When you first go from white to red, the red wine might taste really harsh.  So take that first sip and let it rest in your mouth for an extra second to get your palate ready for red wine.  Then take another sip. After the 3rd or 4th sip your palate should be accommodated to the red wine so that you can fully enjoy your red wine experience.   WINE IS BETTER WITH FRIENDS.  Wine is meant for sharing.  That's why the food and wine pairing aspect is so popular, because both were meant to be shared with friends and family.  When you share a wine your are excited about, make sure you tell your friends why, so that they too can be excited.   Enjoy!


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