| The one thing that you shouldn't do when | | | | number of legs on a glass. |
| you're tasting wine is to taint your sense of | | | | |
| smell and taste by smoking before or during | | | | Like I said the order of tasting wine should |
| your tasting, or eating anything before or | | | | be from light to dark, or from white to red. |
| during your tasting. This is one sure fire | | | | But before you start off with your white |
| way to dull your taste buds and to mangle up | | | | wines you might want to take a look at your |
| your wine tasting. And for certain if you're | | | | sparkling wines first. |
| near any other wine tasters, they won't like | | | | |
| if you smoke anywhere near them. | | | | Since I threw that in merely to confuse you, |
| | | | I shall also now take you out of that |
| Quite a few people advocate tasting wine | | | | confusion, by giving you the correct |
| blindly. This means that you taste the wine | | | | descending order for tasting wine. In other |
| without looking at its label. This will save | | | | words start from the top and make your way |
| you initial prejudice or favoritism you might | | | | through the wines in an orderly fashion! So, |
| feel towards that particular wine if you know | | | | start with the sparkling wines like champagne |
| details about it. And if you're tasting wine | | | | first, then go on to the light white wines, |
| more than once, or a number of different reds | | | | and next on to the heavy white wines. Take a |
| and whites, then ideally you should take | | | | trip to the rosés after that, and then |
| things in a light to dense order. In other | | | | move on to the light red wines. |
| words, taste the lighter wines first, then | | | | |
| move on to the heavier wines. | | | | Next, head on over to the heavy red wines |
| | | | before making a stop at the sweet wines |
| If you don't know the difference yourself, | | | | section. One last thing about tasting wine, |
| then use your judgment as far as possible by | | | | you should be aware of. At formal tasting |
| using your sense of smell and your sight | | | | wine events where there will almost |
| first. There are more often than not, | | | | definitely be more than one wine to taste, |
| distinct qualities for the different wines | | | | the tasters will be in the habit of spitting |
| and these can be told most of the time by | | | | out their small mouthful of wine into a |
| sight and smell alone. | | | | provided receptacle. |
| | | | |
| For instance, sweet heavy wines will be | | | | This will generally be in the form of a |
| thicker and leave streaks on the sides of | | | | spittoon filled with sawdust. The sawdust is |
| glass when it it's swirled, these are | | | | added to soak up the wine and prevent the |
| generally referred to as the legs on a wine. | | | | wine splashing back. |
| And once upon a time, the amount of these | | | | |
| legs was used as a determinant for the | | | | The spittoon is provided so that the wine |
| quality of a wine, i.e. the greater the | | | | tasters don't become drunk on the amounts of |
| amount of legs on a glass that better quality | | | | wine they are tasting. |
| the wine was. | | | | |
| | | | Most likely at a tasting wine event, you will |
| In reality that's not the case however, and | | | | also be presented with water in which to |
| the days of determining the quality of a wine | | | | rinse out your mouth after tasting wine, |
| in that method are long since gone. The legs | | | | which you again spit out, or unsalted |
| of the wine can however, help you to | | | | crackers or French bread with which to soak |
| determine whether the wine is a heavy or one | | | | up the wine. |
| or not, as these tend to leave the most | | | | |