We all have that ONE friend who is a self-appointed
sommelier and wants to make sure that everyone knows that they really know
their wine. I’m not ashamed to admit that I am often that person within my circle of
friends. I try not to be obnoxious about it but I’m sure it never happens.
But – we all also want to fit in, right? Just think how
impressed your friends would be at your next gathering if you were to
professionally swirl your glass of wine, sniff it and then rattle off a
sentence full of really smart sounding wine words. You’ll be the hit of the
party!
AROMA
The smell of the grapes that are in a wine. You get
the aroma when you sniff the wine in your glass. This is also called the
“nose”. You just got a two-for-one here. You’re welcome.
FINISH
A word used to describe the lingering flavor of a
wine after you taste it. This is considered the most important way to determine
the quality of a wine. Some people also say “aftertaste” but let’s be honest,
that’s kind of a gross word and “finish” sounds way more high class.
AERATION
This is the process of allowing a wine to breathe
and is mostly required for younger wines. It allows the flavors of the wine to
open up (aka – it will taste better). If you want to get really fancy, get
yourself a decanter and teach your partygoers a lesson about aeration.
TANNINS
This is the substance found in wine that causes
you to pucker and are derived from all different parts of the grape vine and
the fruit itself. Most of the time a wine that is high in tannins will be dry.
LEGS
These are the drops of wine that form on the inside
of your wine glass after you swirl it around. Some wines will “stick” to the
glass and form lines (or legs). Wines that are higher in alcohol content and/or
sugar will have more legs than wines that are less sweet or lower in alcohol
content. Swirl that wine and say “check out the legs on this beauty”. You’ll
sound SO smart. Just make sure they know you are referring to the wine in your
glass and not your friend’s wife.
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