Enjoying A Multitude Of Evaluations

September is a busy month for those of us in the wine business. Most of the wine distributors set up fall tastings to allow their customers to taste the new vintages of their wines, as well as taste new offerings from various wineries. How do we go about tasting and evaluating so many wines?

It is not uncommon to taste between 40 to 50 wines at a wine tasting. Most professionals at these tastings spit out the wine, rather than swallow it.

The alcohol content of wine can not be ignored. If we were to swallow rather than spit, our critical faculties would soon disappear as all the wines started tasting the same. If I find a wine that I love, I may go back for a swallow at the end of the day. In the meantime, spitting is an important part of “tasting” as opposed to “drinking.”

The aroma of a wine is also an extremely important part of any wine evaluation. The best wines will always give an initial positive impression. Aromas of fruits usually come to mind.

If your initial sniff reminds you of a damp basement or a wet dog, however, the wine may not even be worth taking the time to taste.

Most tasters will then swish the wine around in their mouth, so that all of their taste buds are engaged. In addition to the ever-present fruit flavors in a wine, tasters may also detect tannins. Tannins will often appear as a tingling feeling in your cheeks.

A wine should not be overwhelmingly tannic. Soft tannins that are balanced with the wine’s fruit flavors are an important aspect of red wines that will age.

Finally, the wine should leave an impression on your palate after it has been sipped or swallowed. This is called the finish. Good wines will always have a long finish that lingers pleasantly on your palate.

By practicing these simple techniques, you too can become a professional wine taster. Just remember that some judicious spitting may enable you to extend the amount of wine that you will get to taste.

*Recently tasted and enjoyed: 1999 J. Schram.

This California sparkling wine has beautiful pure fruit flavors and ranks with the best Champagnes in the world.

(Newtown resident and wine enthusiast Steve Small is the general manager at Yankee Wine & Spirits on Queen Street.)