Don't panic! All of us have struggled at some point. Follow these
tips and you'll be turning out professional reviews in no time:
Appearance - Note the wine's color and any bubbles. Is it clear or
cloudy? Does it look dull or inviting? Give the glass a swirl and
look at the way the drops run back down into the glass (the 'legs'
of the wine). Are they oily (indicating sugar or high alcohol) or
thin and watery?
Smell - Give the glass another swirl and take a good sniff. Note the
wine's aromatic qualities. Young wines often smell of fruits, grass
or flowers. Older wines develop secondary aromas: earthiness, minerality,
leather, shoe polish and all the other things that sound like they don't
belong in your glass.
Taste - Take a deep sip of the wine. This step is as much about how the
wine feels in your mouth as it tastes. Is it crisp and refreshing?
Bitter? Thick and velvety? Does it make your mouth water (high alcohol
does this) or your lips pucker (tannin)? Finally, you can now swallow
the wine, but just tell us what the aftertaste was like, and how long it
lingered (the longer the better if it was tasty of course!)
Overall - Did you like it? Was it run of the mill or exotic and
unusual? Also, did you eat it with food? Did it pair well?
Ok, Thanks for the Advice!
![Casella Wines [ yellow tail ] Merlot (2004)](http://media4.snooth.com/images/default_wine.png)
