Tasting wine is more than just drinking it.  Tasting wine requires an understanding of the overall process, which enables one to appreciate the nuances of each wine.   Paying close attention to the senses of sight, smell, touch and taste ensures that each wine will be a uniquely new experience. 

Tasting begins with assessing the wine's appearance.  Color will vary according to the varietal.  The ruby red color of the Merlot will contrast with the darker, deep red of the Cabernet Sauvignon.  The hint of a reddish-brown color will appear around the edges of an older red wine, while an aged white wine will appear golden. Aging is the period of time that a wine spends maturing to achieve its best flavor and aroma. Wines are aged in a variety of ways from large casks (such as oak or stainless steel) to bottles. Complex wines tend to benefit from aging, whereas simple wines should be consumed when they are young.

The next step in the tasting process is appraising the smell. Much of a wine's integrity is determined by its aroma.  To release the bouquet, swirl the wine so that it coats the sides of the glass.  From this, a full range of scents can be detected.  Aromas can vary from floral and fruity, to rich and woody.

It is counterintuitive to think that the sense of touch is involved in tasting wine, but it is a necessary step in experiencing the body of a vintage.  When tasting wines, the touch refers to the feel of the wine on your tongue.  Wines can leave a refreshing zing around the edges of the tongue, or they can feel a bit prickly.  Prickliness can be attributed to the tannins, which are used in red wines to keep them from spoiling.  The ideal touch is a mellow softness, enveloping the tongue like liquid velvet. 

Though touch and taste go hand-in-hand, tasting is the final step in the process.  After a small sip of wine is taken, expose the taste buds by sloshing the wine from front to back.  This also serves to aerate the wine, releasing its full body.  Hold the wine for a brief moment.  Is it sweet, acidic, or crisp?  Does the wine taste light or is it full-bodied?  After swallowing assess the finish.  The finish, or aftertaste, is the memory of the wine on the palate.  The impression of a wine is as individual as the person tasting it.  Trust your instincts and decide for yourself what wines left the best impression.

Use these helpful tips on your visit!

• Taste wines in progression from white to red, young to old, and dry to sweet.
• Refrain from trying white wines that are too cold, as the aromas are harder to assess.
• Let the wine touch all parts of the tongue.
• Try the wine first, taste the food, and then try the wine again to see how the food changes the wine.
• Watch what you eat before you taste.  Foods heavy on garlic or onion will change your impression of the wine, so much so that it will not taste the same at home as it did in the tasting room.
• Come early for the best in one-on-one contact and service.
• Limit the number of wines to try in one day.  The palate can go into overload, making it difficult to distinguish one wine from another.