What Do People Look For When They Go Through Those Wine-tasting Motions?

First off, they're checking out the wine's colour. Some wines can look totally gorgeous just sitting in a glass, while others just look bland.

Next, it's time to check the smell - or bouquet, as it's called. What they look for here is a healthy, untainted (ie, not "corked") aroma to start with, and next they start looking for distinct essences.

When they taste the wine, they're noting the immediate sensation in their mouth - dryness, sweetness, richness, tartness, and then they look for balance in the elements of the wine: alcohol, sugar, tannin, woodiness, spice, fruitiness and acidity.

Then they feel the wine - or consider its "finish", as that sensation in the throat is called. Is it pleasant? Does it match up to the bouquet earlier?

And finally, whether they've swallowed it or spat it out, it's time to consider whether or not there's any more to that mouthful of wine - like the desire for another mouthful, for instance.

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