How to choose a fine wine?
If you're looking for wine for yourself, want to try something new and want to increase the odds of finding a bottle you'll like, just follow these simple directions. Start by asking these questions:
1. "How much do I want to spend?"
2. "Do I want red or white, and which varietals do I already know I like?"
3. "Is it to be served with food or to be consumed by itself?
The quality of a wine depends on the quality of the grapes. The quality of the grapes is based on the natural environment - topography, climate, soil and site. During ripening the acid levels in the grapes drop allowing a balanced wine to develop. Then the grapes are harvested either mechanically or by hand and taken to the wineries where where they are crushed, fermented, allowed to mature in wooden barrels or stainless steel containers before being bottled.
Step 1:
Sight, smell, taste and touch are the four important factors that decide the quality of a wine. In wine jargon, the terms used are "appearance", "nose" and "palate". Palate includes both taste and touch.
Step 2:
SMELL : The term "Aroma" is used for fresh wine and the term "bouquet" is used for older, less fresh and more complex wines. The intensity of smell - the more intense, the better quality.
TASTE : The tongue can only taste compounds that are sweet, sour (or acidic), salty and bitter. The rest is determined by the sense of smell.
TOUCH : The key elements we need to look for in wine - alcohol, body, tannin and texture. Alcohol gives weight and body that is essential to the full experience of tasting and drinking wine.
Step 3:
Acidity- Sugar- Bitterness ( Occasionally)- Tannin (in red wines)- Alcohol- Weight- Mouthful & Mousse (in sparkling wine)- Intensity of fruit flavor
All of these components should be in balance. When the balance is achieved the wine can be described as being harmonious.
Finally:
JUDGING WINE QUALITY :
Intensity of flavor- Balance- Length- Complexity
The most important factor that one should look into while choosing a good wine is to find a wine pairing up with your meal. Everyone wants to enjoy a good food paired with good wine !
