Since starting the iYellow Wine Club, I've learned that many people who enjoy wine don't actually know why they like the wines they do. While it's good to have some standby favourites to rely on, understanding your personal preferences is a great way to take your wine experience to the next level.
Once you know if you’re monogamous with Rieslings or enjoy short flavour flings with Chardonnay, you’ll be amazed at how fun and useful awareness can be. Recognizing your unique taste profile and knowing your varietal preferences will empower you to choose, share and enjoy wine with confidence.
1. Sight
It may sound like a no-brainer but you can tell a lot about wine from its colour. Figuring out what the colour looks like is the first step to identifying the type. Is the wine light or dark yellow? Is it medium or dark red? Here are some quick colour references to help.
Lighter yellow: pinot gringo, pinot Gris, sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Viognier, pinot blanc, chenin blanc, gewürztraminer, and un-oaked chardonnays
Pink: rosé, some sparkling wines, white zinfandel
Medium/dark yellow: chardonnay, ice-wine and late harvest wines and Chablis
Light/medium red: pinot noir, merlot, baco noir, syrah and Beaujolais
Dark red: cabernet sauvignon, meritage, cab franc, Bordeaux carmenere, pinotage, Shiraz, syrah, zinfandel
*Please note that there are exceptions to every rule.
2. Swirl
Make swirling (which may take some practice to master) a habit. Not only is it fun, but it also serves a very important purpose. Swirling allows air to enter into the wine, helps to release all the aromas and prepares the wine for our next step.
3. Smell
After swirling, stick your nose into the glass and try to identify the scents of the wine. At first you may only smell the wine as whole, but challenge yourself. Try to pinpoint some specific aromas such as citrus, spice or vanilla. Remember there are no wrong answers and no association is out of the question (however vinegar is definitely not what you should end up smelling).
4. Sip
I always say, never judge a wine by your first sip. In fact, use your first sip as more of a mouth wash for your palate to prep you for your second and third sips. These sips allow you to really taste the wine.
5. Savour
As you enjoy the rest of your glass take time to decide if you truly like the wine. Would you want to share the bottle with your friends/family? If so, who would you share it with? Do you think it was worth what you paid? Does the bottle have a great story?
Use our five easy steps whenever you buy, order and drink wine and in no time you'll know exactly when you're in the mood for cabernet sauvignon or a bubbly glass of prosecco. You'll not only be able to easily pick out a bottle of wine for yourself, but for others and special occasions, too. Wine confidence is just a few glasses away so start sipping!
Cheers,
Ange
Angela Aiello and Paxton Allewell's wine column can be read every Thursday on http://sweethome.ca/wine/ They are wine specialists and the founders of the acclaimed iYellow Wine Club based in Toronto. For more info, check out their bio