The Art of Wine Tasting: The Sight
Wine tasting is an art that immerses us in a world of nuances, aromas and flavours. Each stage of the tasting leads us to discover unique aspects of the wine..
The Importance of Sight in Tasting
Before diving into the variety that wine can offer, it is crucial to understand that wine tasting can have different purposes. From the professional to the recreational perspective, each taster has his or her own motivations. Whether it is an oenologist tracking the development from fermentation to bottling, a buyer analysing quality or an amateur refining his or her preferences, tasting is a valuable tool.
Whatever the reason for tasting, following an order and using a simple, universal language facilitates the experience. Effective communication of our sensations and understanding of the wine we are exploring becomes essential.
The first impression of the wine is presented to our eyes. In principle, all wines should be bright and free of turbidity or sediment. However, the evolution of the wine world allows us to find wines that are less treated, opaque and even with sediments that indicate their authenticity.
Colour range according to the type of wine
The sight gives us a first classification according to the colours of the wine:
Red Wine
The colour of red wine comes from the skins of the grapes, which give the must its colour during fermentation. The grape variety, the time in the barrel and the time in the bottle influence the colour spectrum. From purple to ruby, garnet or russet, the intensity and depth of the colour reveal aspects of the winemaking process.
To simplify, we can talk about the following colours: Purple – Ruby – Garnet – Tile.
White wine
White wine is usually made from the juice of white grapes. However , as all the colour of the grapes is in the skins, it is possible to make white wine from red grapes if the skins are removed before fermentation.
The colour of white wines also depends on the grape variety used, whether or not there is a maceration on the skins before fermentation, the barrels used for fermentation or ageing and, finally, the time spent in the bottle. We can summarise the colours of white wines as follows: Straw yellow – Greenish yellow – Golden – Amber As with reds, whites can have a more or less intense colour (or layer). Sometimes, if the glass is tilted, we can see one colour in the centre and another at the edge or rim.
Rosé Wine
These wines are made from red grapes, but in this case the wine has less contact with grape skins. The colour varies according to the variety used and the maceration time of the skins. Thus, rosé wines made by bleeding tend to have a more intense, raspberry colour, while rosés made by direct pressing tend to have a lighter salmon colour. As with whites and reds, the grape variety plays an important role: Tempranillo tends to provide a more intense colour and Garnacha more pale.
Finally, the orange colour can appear with barrel and bottle ageing. It is not very common, but Rioja is one of the few regions in the world where you can find barrel-aged rosés that also spend some time in the bottle. The colours of rosé wines can be summarised as follows: Onion peel – Salmon – Raspberry – Orange
In the next phase, we will explore the fascinating world of smell, where aromas will reveal even more wine secrets that we have yet to discover. Get ready for an unforgettable sensory journey!
