Wine Basics

This is a short tutorial on what to look for in a wine. This can help you find out why you like or dislike certain wines.

Yep, he's definitely interested in
the components of the wine

Why is knowing a bit about these basic characteristics of wine important? It will help you learn what kinds of wines you like and what styles you prefer. This is helpful when shopping for a bottle, and you are asked if you need assistance. Saying, "I need a bottle of something for tonight's chicken dinner." isn't as helpful as being able to say, "I'd like a Chardonnay that's light on oak and has a nice stone fruit nose."

Rule number one is everyone is different. If some "expert" picks up the smell of pears and cinnamon, but you don't it doesn't make you wrong. This means you have different perceptions in what you smell. What is helpful is knowing a bit about the typical characteristics for different kinds of wines, and even for wines from different regions.

 

Smell

Aroma and bouquet are words tossed around for the perceived smell of a wine. Aroma is what comes from the grape variety, bouquet is what comes from winemaking, like oak barrels, for example. It's not necessary to know what's an aroma vs. bouquet when leaning the basics. You just want to be able to verbalize what you smell. You'll find that the terms aroma, bouquet, smell, and nose get used interchangeably.

Typical things you'll smell are fruits, spices, flowers, and herbs.

For instance, a California Chardonnay can smell of things like tropical fruit (from the grape grown in a warm climate) and vanilla (from oak barrels). A wine might be predominate in one fruit or might smell like several different ones. If a Pinot Noir smells like red fruit, but you can't tell if it's raspberry or strawberry, don't worry about it. A Pinot might also smell earthy. Earthy is something reminding you of a damp forest or mushrooms.

If you are sipping on a Cabernet, for instance, and can't describe what you smell in the wine, do a search on "cabernet sauvignon characteristics" or something similar. This will give you common descriptions or what you might be smelling or tasting. Then you'll say, oh yeah, that smells like blackberries and chocolate (or whatever).

Taste

Your nose is much more sophisticated at picking up a variety of things and their nuances. Taste buds are pretty basic. They are all over inside your mouth and on your tongue. They pick up sensations of sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and savory (or umami).

Remember having a bad cold, your nose and sinuses are a wreck, and food is pretty tasteless? That's because most of the work is done by your nose.

In wines, you can taste acidity (crisp and refreshing), tannins (mouth-drying), and viscosity (the body or weight), and sweetness. Sauvignon Blanc is higher in acids, making them crisp and refreshing, and why people like it in hot weather. Cabernet Sauvignon can be high in tannins, making them mouth-drying and even harsh. Aging a Cabernet for a few years softens the tannins. 

Wines can taste savory. Think of beef broth. Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon are sometimes described as savory. Red wines that are less fruity might seem more earthy, savory, or herbaceous.

Color

Wines, of course, can have completely different colors depending on whether it's a Chardonnay or Cabernet. There are typical colors associated with a young version and an older version, and even one that's over-the-hill. 

A young red wine will appear purple, especially around the edges in the glass. As the wine ages the color will turn more red, then brown. A brickish color is often the sign of a well-aged red wine; brown usually means there's too much oxidation and the wine may be past it's prime.

Balance

When all components are in harmony with no one thing standing out or obviously missing, the wine is said to be in balance. The main components are acidity, tannin, sweetness, alcohol, and fruit.

Complexity

When there are layers of aromas, flavors, and textures. The opposite, a simple wine, doesn't have much going on and is uninteresting.

Finish 

When the bottle is empty. J/K 
Finish is your aftertaste, the last impression of the wine you just sipped. Some wine type have a shorter finish, some a longer one. Wines that should have a longer finish but don't might be "tight" and need time to open up or to age.

 

More info

Common wine terms 

How to taste wine