"Wine is the intellectual part of a meal.", said Alexandre Dumas, and he was not wrong. For really appreciate a good wine it is not enough to be an admirer of the subject. There are some rules to follow, some tricks to take care of, some unavoidable "conditions" that make the atmosphere even more magical, above all they allow one to be able to "judge" a wine without conditioning, in a context that is as free and unencumbered by external input as possible.
The first element to be "taken care of," when you taste a wine Is the glass.
The goblet into which the wine is poured is both a container and a display and thus serves an important function for the tasting.
The material and transparency.
It must be made of glass (or crystal or half-crystal) and transparent: that is, it is important that it has a neutral body with respect to its contents and its acid components. Its transparency will allow the best evaluation of certain characteristics of the wine, such as the color and the clarity. For this reason, the tasting glass must not have decorations, facets, filings that may impede the correct visual approach. It should also be washed in warm water, preferably using odor-free Marseille soap, rinsed and dried quickly.
The weight of the tasting glass.
The weight of the tasting glass must be minimal. It will also have to be thin especially the rim, which is the part that comes in contact with the lips. Its stem should be tall and thin to allow for easy handling.
Handle.
The glass should be gripped by the foot supporting the stem. On the other hand, it should not be gripped by the belly, because direct hand contact with the surface containing the wine risks altering its temperature.
Shape and breadth.
The shape and capacity of the glass must also fit its contents, that is, allow its organoleptic characteristics to be best appreciated. That is, the rule "To every wine its glass" applies.
The glass should be filled one-third full or more. This aspect allows the wine to be shaken with rotational movements and let it better release its aromas in the olfactory phase.
Environment as an important element in wine tasting.
La wine tasting is a kind of ritual, it is true: some people think that all these liturgical accouterments may be exaggerated. In reality, they are all aspects that really allow one to appreciate a wine at its best.
One of these aspects is the physical drinking environment, the physical place, which should be of the right temperature (around 18 degrees), neither too cold nor humid, preferably lit with cold light bulbs and with wall tints that are neutral, perhaps equipped with ventilation possibilities and sheltered from extraneous noise and odors.
The taster.
The taster should also not carry extraneous odors, such as smoke, cosmetics, personal scents that violently interfere with the wine aromas.
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