Some materials that need to be assembled before conducting a wine tasting session include a room with the correct conditions for wine tasting, different types of wine, wine glasses, corkscrew, water that guests can sip and for cleaning the glasses before pouring a subsequent wine, buckets for collecting the wine and water discarded, placemats or tablecloth in white color to help determine the precise wine color, napkins, tasting sheets along with suitable stationery such as pens and pencils, and simple snacks such as plain crackers or bread (“Set the”).
The room chosen for wine tasting should be clean, free of strong aromas, quiet, and with little footfalls so that guests can taste wine with full concentration and minimum external influencing factors. The room should be spacious enough to provide each guest with comfortable space at the tables (“Set the”). Instead of serving too many different types of wines, guests should be provided with four to eight wine types, preferably from a single region and of one varietal so that they get to know of the wine varieties available within a single type, and are able to choose their favorite from among them. Just 1 to 1.5 ounces or one-third glass of wine at room temperature should be poured in the glasses (“The Basics”).
Wine glasses are most suitable for a wine tasting event as they are classy and allow the guests to swirl the drink around, which improves its aroma. Providing drinking water is important so that flavors of different wines that guests taste do not get mixed up. Sipping on water when tasting also helps the guests to keep themselves hydrated, which is crucial considering that alcohol is being consumed. Choosing white colored placemats or tablecloth ensures that the wine color is judged correctly, as the hue being neutral does not interfere with the natural color of the beverage. Snacks such as crackers and breads help to clean the palate when a variety of wines are being tasted in succession (“The Basics”).
The Procedure for Wine Tasting
The procedure for wine tasting involves evaluating the spirit by sight, smell, and taste. Judging the wine by sight includes looking straight into the glass to judge the color depth, holding the glass against light, tilting it to know the full color range of the wine, and swirling the wine. Viewing the wine from a side indicates if it is murky, unfiltered or sparkling, tilting it shows the age of the wine in terms of the wateriness or paleness of the edges, and swirling gives an insight into the wine legs- indicators of the glycerin or alcohol content in wines, which influence its density (Gregutt).
When evaluating a wine by smelling, short and quick sniffs are inhaled to identify the aroma. Wine aromas looked for include fruity odors, odors of flowers particularly in white wines, smell of a wine barrel which is common in ageing wines, and off-odors that indicate that the wine is spoilt. Finally, when judging the wine by tasting, a sip is sucked in, and the taste of the spirit is evaluated in terms of whether it is balanced with flavors in decent proportion, harmonious with perfectly blended flavors, or complex with the flavors lingering even after swallowing the drink. A wine is said to be complete if it tastes all of the above (Gregutt).
The idea behind holding the wine tasting event is to provide the guests with a chance to learn about the different wine types from a region or within a varietal even as they enjoy an evening, all at no personal cost. The guests also get to try out new wines in the process (Parpal).
Works Cited
Parpal, Monica. “Hosting a Wine Tasting at Your Bar or Restaurant.” FoodServiceWarehouse.com. Food Service Warehouse, 17 August, 2015. Web. 17 Apr. 2016. <http://www.foodservicewarehouse.com/blog/hosting-wine-tasting/>.
“Set the Stage.” Finewineandgoodspirits.com. Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, n.d. Web. 17 Apr., 2016. <https://www.finewineandgoodspirits.com/wcsstore/WineandSpirits/learnentertain/winetasting/set_stage.html>.
“The Basics.” Nycuncorked.com. Wine Tasting Uncorked, n.d. Web. 17 Apr., 2016. <http://nycuncorked.com/the-basics/>.
Gregutt, Paul. “How to Taste Wine.” Winemag.com. Wine Enthusiast Magazine, 25 August, 2015. Web. 17 Apr. 2016. <http://www.winemag.com/2015/08/25/how-to-taste-wine/>.
