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How To Look At Wine When Wine Tasting

There’s much to learn about how a wine looks. 🍷

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When you’re wine tasting, one of the first things you’ll do is look at the wine. The appearance of a wine can give you important clues about its age, quality, and origin. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to look at wine when you’re wine tasting.

Hold the glass up to a white surface: The best way to examine a wine’s color is to hold the glass up to a white surface, like a tablecloth or a piece of paper. This will help you see the wine’s true color, without any interference from the surrounding environment.
Observe the color: The color of a wine can tell you a lot about its age and origin. For example, young red wines are typically a dark, inky purple, while older red wines may have a brick red color. White wines also change color as they age, starting out as a pale yellow and becoming a golden color as they mature.
Check the clarity: A clear wine is a sign of good quality, while a cloudy or hazy wine may indicate a problem with the wine or the way it was stored.
Look at the intensity: The intensity of a wine’s color can also give you clues about its age and origin. A wine with a deep, intense color is likely to be a high-quality wine, while a wine with a lighter color may be less complex.
Check for sediment: Sediment is a natural byproduct of the winemaking process and is more commonly found in older wines. While sediment does not affect the taste of the wine, some people may find it unappealing.
Examine the legs: After swirling the wine in the glass, look at the legs or “tears” that run down the sides of the glass. The slow, thick legs indicate a wine with a high alcohol content, while fast, thin legs indicate a wine with a lower alcohol content.

By examining the wine’s color, clarity, intensity, sediment, and legs, you can get a good sense of the wine’s age, quality, and origin. These observations will also help you make informed decisions about which wines to try next and which wines to buy. Remember, wine tasting is not only about the taste, but also the visual and olfactive pleasure. Take your time, observe the wine and enjoy the moment.