Wine Down Wednesday: The 5 S's to wine tasting

Its only fitting that for Wine Down Wednesday that I crack open a bottle and start the wine-ding down process as I write. Tonight I'm sharing my bottle with Tammy and Joe (my wonderful in-laws). I was going to post about my little somethin' somethin' I bought while in Grapevine, but I'm going to wait until next week so I can post a video. So sit back, wine down with me and learn some basics to enjoying a glass of wine.

If you don't know jack about drinking wine-you're really missing out, but you really don't need to know jack to enjoy it! If you care to drink it the proper way, stick to the five S's of wine tasting...

See the wine- Pour the wine into the appropriate glass. Traditionally wine glasses with larger, broader bowls are used for bold red wines with bigger bouquets, and narrower wine glasses are used to concentrate the more delicate aromas of lighter white wines. Red wine needs a bigger bowl so it can have more surface to breath. Hold the glass up to the light. Study the color. You are looking for clarity and brilliance. If the wine in your glass is cloudy or discolored in any way your palate is about to be disappointed, because something is wrong with the blend.

Swirl the wine- Hold the stem of the wine glass lightly, pick up the glass and swirl the wine around and around. By doing this, you are allowing the wine to breathe. As you swirl your wine, notice how the wine hits the sides of the glass, and then falls back down. This is known as the “legs” of the wine. This tells you how full-bodied the wine is. The stronger the "legs" the better. The swirling of the wine allows all of the components to come together and you can fully enjoy the full-bodied taste

Sniff- Raise the glass to your nose, and sniff deeply. Close your eyes taking in the full impact of the bouquet rising up to meet your nose. What you smell will depend on your choice of wine, as well as your memory. Red wines carry an earthy aroma, reminiscent of pencil shavings, or rich, cool woodsy- type smells. You could smell almonds, or vanilla or even cloves. No one person smelling the same wine will come away with the same memories of another person smelling that wine. If the wine is a fruity wine, you might envision a field of strawberries, or an apple orchard, perhaps cloves or anise or another spice. All smells wafting up to your nostrils are open to individual interpretation.

Sip- Now, sip the wine. Your mouth will confirm what your sense of smell has detected. A dry red wine with tannins will leave you with what they call the “pucker factor” completely drying out your mouth at the first sip. A fruity sweetened wine will sit on the tongue and play across the taste buds delighting the palate and leaving the mouth moist.

Savor- As you gently swirl the wine around in your mouth savor the flavor. You are checking for the balance of the blends. Not each one is just one grape, but several types. Some wines don't just contain the juice of the grape, but also the stems and the seeds (They go in red wine, thats what gives it it's color).

After all of that you can now drink it and enjoy!!