Making sense of wine

Burnt toast and cat's wee may not sound like the flavours of the month, but these descriptions may soon trip off your tongue as you gain expertise as a wine taster.

Whether you're a wine fundi or a relative newcomer to the call of the grape, you will soon have realised that taste in wines – as in most matters, is just that: a matter of personal taste. Of course a Porsche class wine will be nobler than a Volksie Beetle class wine, but if it's the Volksie you're after to accompany a bowl of soup on a cold winter's night, it's as well to know just which Volksie you're dealing with.

A wine tasting system is the ideal way to classify, judge and remember the many wines you are likely to taste over the years. Even if you decide to start your own informal wine tasting club, in preference to joining an existing one, the experience will definitely enhance your wine drinking pleasure, and will also give you a great deal of fun.

To start with it's a good idea to have wines of a similar type: i.e. Pinotage, Shiraz or Riesling. Once you have got your mind around the different types you can start experimenting with blends, particular vintages or estates. Six different bottles should be fine for starters.

What you will need to start

• The ideal glass should be narrow on top (tulip shaped) to concentrate the bouquet as it leaves the glass. Don't over fill the glasses otherwise the wine – and the opportunity to swill the wine around your glass – will be lost.
• Cream crackers or water biscuits to clear the palate between wines; not flavoured biscuits as they will confuse the senses.
• A jug of water and glasses to rinse the mouth between wines. If your local tap water has a high chemical taste or smell use plain mineral water.
• One bottle of wine to between six and eight tasters.
• A spittoon if you are going to spit out the wine after tasting. If this seems like a terrible waste, remember to take it easy otherwise you could be tiddly before the last bottle.
• A note book or scoring sheet for each taster.

In order to make sense of the wine tasting experience, a 20-point system has been devised.

Appearance
Look at the colour and clarity of the wine. Hold the glass up against the light and inspect the clarity. Wine should always be brilliant and clear, never cloudy or dull. It is usually very difficult to mark a wine down on appearance, unless there is something obviously wrong.

To test for appearance, hold the glass at 45º against a white background (for example, a sheet of paper.) Colour is best viewed in natural light. Look at the ridge of wine against the side of the glass.

The colour of the wine will give you the following information:

RED WINE

• Purple : still very young
• Ruby : heading towards maturity
• Brick Red : mature
• Brown : quite old, possibly prematurely. Could also be oxidised

WHITE WINE

• Green tinge with Straw : very young
• Straw Yellow : regular colour for dry, off-dry and semi-sweet
• Yellow to Gold : regular colour for dry white, especially if wooded
• Old Gold : very old or oxidised

Nose
Twirl the wine in the glass. Then inhale deeply, taking in the full offering of the wine. You should expect a grape or fruity aroma and no bad odours indicating a bad cork or oxidation. Note that chilling will reduce the aromas released - warmth releases vapours. Each wine will have its own aroma. Particular wine styles and types will have their own individual characteristics. The best way to get to know what these are is through experience - make notes so wines can be compared with each other. Taste both good wines and those supposedly not so good, as this way you will learn what makes a wine superior.

When noting the aroma, make a note of what it reminds you of: blackberries or cherries, cigars, chocolate, straw or grass, cat wee. Mark the nose of the wine out of 7. If you are stuck, consult the latest John Platter pocket book for a concise breakdown of aromas and their meanings.

Taste
In order to fully experience the taste twirl the wine around the mouth, accessing all the taste buds. There are four areas of taste on the tongue:

• sweet - front/tip
• sour - sides
• salt - sides
• bitter - back

You should also look out for the following:

• Acidity: too little acid will leave a wine flat, while too much makes it tart.
• Body: this describes how the wine sits in the mouth. Is it thin and delicate, medium, or full?
• Tannin: this is the essence in any red wine, essential in making it long-lasting. Tannin comes from the wood in which the wine was matured. It is also from the pips, the grape skins and stems. Tannin produces the mouth puckering effect, particularly in younger wines. Tannins should mellow and soften with age. White wine should have no tannin.
• Flavour: what flavours are uppermost? Is it simple or subtle and complex? What are the similarities to other wines tasted?
• Balance: this indicates how all the components fit together in the wine. Are they in harmony or does one component override the others?
• Aftertaste: a longer aftertaste is a good sign of good quality. The aftertaste should linger with a clean finish.

Scoring
Scoring is a subjective business, but as a guide you can use the following table.