08/20/08 You Be The Judge

Welcome to Vine to Wine, this is your host Linda Moran. A great deal of the process of becoming a wine lover is to taste wines for yourself without relying on a critic to tell you what you should like. And the only way to figure out what is good to you is to understand what you're doing. Today we'll look at understanding quality wines. Becoming familiar with wine and the kinds and styles that you enjoy can become a hobby and a pleasant pastime. It is fun and you can share the experience with your friends. In fact I recommend starting a tasting group. It cuts down the cost considerably and you will soon realize that everyone will like or dislike the same wines for entirely different reasons. Focusing on the wine and being aware of what you smell, taste and feel will help you to "fine tune" your awareness of the wine. Concentrate on it and a see if all of the wine's characteristics seem to be in balance that is a great sign of quality. Does it have a clear brilliant color? Does it smell good to you, inviting you to taste it? If it's a sweet wine does it have a reciprocal amount of acid in the wine to keep it from being cloyingly sweet? If it is a dry wine it shouldn't be rough or harsh. It should have a pleasing crispness and mouthwatering character. A wine should also have noticeable body, that's the texture and mouth feel. Wine lacking in body will appear thin and boring. Focus on that next glass of wine for just a few minutes  if it appeals to you  then simply enjoy it and know that you are on the way to developing your own sense of quality. Remember to send your wine questions to Linda at vine to wine dot net and thanks for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.