The Art of Wine Tasting - How to Taste Wine Like a Pro

Wine tasting is an interesting conversation subject at parties. While some people are really interested in it and want to learn how to taste wine the proper way, others will simply say 'but I know how to taste wine, I don't need a lesson in it'. In a way it's true, everybody has the knowledge on proper wine tasting, however not everyone actually knows how to apply that knowledge in real life.

Wine tasting is not like drinking water or your favorite juice. There is an art to savoring it in a way that will release its full bouquet in your mouth, making all your taste buds get a unique experience from it. Gulping it down is definitely not the way to go, however I've seen some people do just that during a party. Besides the fact that they wake up the next day with a major headache (aka hangover), they don't get to really enjoy wine the way it's supposed to be enjoyed.

There are really two major components to wine tasting the proper way: drinking it slowly and paying attention to what you are doing, be in then 'here and now' to put it in a Zen way. However before you even get the drink in touch with your tongue, there is another of your senses come into play: your sense of smell. As weird it might sound to some people, smelling it is a major part of actually properly enjoying it.

Another aspect of it is simply looking at the dark liquid in the glass and watching its appearance, the way the light reflects back from the glass, the way the dark red color of the liquid swirls again the crystal clear walls of your glass. Experiencing it this way is a real art.

When you are about to actually taste it, this is how you really go about it: Take a sip and hold it in your mouth without drinking it yet. Draw in a bit of air and let it mix with the wine. Then swish the liquid in your mouth and around it as if you wanted to actually chew it. Finally swallow your drink. You don't need to spend more than a couple of seconds per sip, however this process should really open up your taste buds and give you the many flavors each type has, including a fruity taste, or flowery or earthy or a taste of vanilla. Only a real wine connoisseur can discern all the many aromas of a good year and while it takes some practice, you can get there too and learn how to taste wine the proper way like a pro.

Part of enjoying wine is also letting it breath and get infused by oxygen and this is done through the process of decanting. http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Art-of-Wine-Tasting---How-to-Taste-Wine-Like-a-Pro&id=4306696

Start a Wine Tasting Business For Thrills, Spills, and Lots of Money

If you want to make money at home working only a few hours a week, start a wine tasting business. This little-known home business is thoroughly enjoyable and packs a wallop when it comes to earning money. The kind of money you can make is up to you. But, consider this - for just 4 hours a week, you can bring home about US$31,200 a year. If you double your hours, you can double that take-home pay.

Here are three steps to help you make money in this home-based business:

1) Getting Started

Before you get started, check out the possibilities for wine tastings in your area. Wine tastings are usually held on weekends in private homes and clubs and at special events everywhere. They are seldom held in a restaurant. The host organizes the tasting and pays you for your service.

The current rates are $150 an hour for parties up to 20 people. Over that number, rates are negotiable. For large parties you may need to hire helpers. Include the amount you pay them in your hourly rate.

Advertise your business in the local paper. Pay a visit to clubs such as the Kiwanis Club and country clubs in your area. Be sure to speak to the manager and leave your brochure. Teach an adult education class about wine. Air a radio ad at night on the local stations.

2) On the Job

Prepare for the tasting by meeting with the host. He or she supplies the wine, food and glasses. The host also arranges for the white tablecloths, small paper spitting cups for the guests and several urns to empty the cups into.

For 20 guests, there should be about 30 bottles of wine. This includes six different types of wine with five bottles of each type. For a party of up to 20 guests, you can work from a long table and have the guests seated opposite you. For larger groups, the host should set up tables.

During the tasting, guests sample a particular wine from their glass. Fill the glass a quarter to a third full. Guests tip the glass away from them and examine the wine's color against the white tablecloth. They sniff the wine's aroma, take a sip and swirl it around in their mouth before spitting it into their paper cup. They then empty the cup into an urn.

Talk about the wine and where it comes from. Bring various corkscrews with you to show guests. Demonstrate how to decant wine with a decanter and candle.

3) After the Wine Tasting

Following the wine tasting, allow for questions. Here are some common questions followed by answers:

Q: What makes red wine red?

A: Red wine includes the skins, seeds and stems of the grape which turn the wine red.

Q: Why do you decant wine?

A: To check that the wine is clear and without settled particles.

Q: How can you tell a good corkscrew?

A: The most important part of the corkscrew is the "worm" or spiral. The worm should be hollow and have 4-5 spirals. The deeper the worm enters the cork the less likely it will break.

Q: Which is the most expensive corkscrew?

A: One made by Forge de Laguiole of France is the best. It lasts the longest but costs $150 to $190.

Q: Why are they using screwcaps today instead of corks?

A: Screwcaps shut oxygen out of the wine which is what you want because oxygen causes wine to spoil.

Q: Why is aged wine better?

Aging wine dulls the fruity flavor and leaves a more earthy tasting wine. At least 95% of wine does not need to be aged.

Q: Which wines go with which food?

A: Port is a heavy wine and goes well with dessert or alone. Merlot is a light wine and is delicious with a meal of chicken and salad. Cabernet is a little heavier than Merlot and goes well with steak, lamb, and pork. Pinot noir is a very light wine and is excellent with turkey, chicken, and duck. Beaujolais is a fruity, light wine and is good with fowl or dessert or alone.

Once word gets out about your wine tasting business, you may find yourself booked for many weekends. Start a wine tasting business now - before everyone else finds out how much fun it is and the amount of money you can make. http://ezinearticles.com/?Start-a-Wine-Tasting-Business-For-Thrills,-Spills,-and-Lots-of-Money&id=666492

Grapes That Make the Best Wine

The wine making process can make wine out of any fruit that contains residual sugar after harvesting. I can guarantee that many of these wines will have some alcohol in them, but most will not be very tasty since they are usually sweet and poorly balanced. The grape has emerged as the champion wine making fruit over the years because it contains the highest sugar of most other fruits and yields about 11 percent alcohol. The tartaric acid and tannins found exclusively in grapes is responsible for its unique tastes. There probably is also a little snob appeal since grapes have royal origins, and fruit wines are more associated with home brews during prohibition.

The variety of grape is the most important factor in your wine's style and taste. Of course red grapes make red wine and white grapes make white wine, but many other factors such as levels of sugar, acidity, and tannins make a huge difference in taste. The varieties discussed below have proven over the years to make the best wine and are the most popular. Any new research in developing new vines looks at tweaking these varieties to be more disease resistant, more productive, and to grow in colder climates. Most of these wines originated in Europe, but now are planted around the world in temperate climates.

Top White Wines

• The Chardonnay grape variety is a classic white wine grape grown all around the world. Origins are in the Burgundy and Champagne regions of France. It makes a full bodied, complex wine that is often aged in oak.
• The Sauvignon Blanc grape from Loire and Bordeaux can be grown in warmer regions and are higher in acid that most whites. It is often identified by its grassy flavor, and is often called Fume Blanc.
• The Pinot Blanc grape is used to produce light, dry, pleasant white wines. It originated in Alsace region of France.
• The Pinot Gris grape variety is known as Pinot Grigio in Italy and Rulander in Germany. In general it produces wines of average quality except in Alsace and Tuscany.
• Riesling makes wines from very dry to very sweet but are usually made in semi-dry styles that accent the fruity flavors. They are originally form the Moselle and Rhine valleys of Germany as and the Alsace region of France.
• Gewurztraminer originated in Germany and Alsace and is known for its floral fragrance and spicy flavor. It grows well in cool climates..
• The Viognier grape from the Rhone valley is becoming more popular as more is planted in California. It makes wines of medium body with a fruity flavor..
• Chenin Blanc is a white grape from the Loire Valley (Vouvray). It makes white wines that are fragrant and high in acid, and is often used as a base for jug wine.
• The Muscat family makes wines that are generally sweet and very floral. It is known as Moscato in Italy and Moscatel in Spain and also is often used for sparkling wines.

Top Red Wines

• The premier red wine grape is Cabernet Sauvignon and is the dominant grape in the Bordeaux region of France. The Cabernet Sauvignon grape produces distinctive wines that are tannic and full bodied. They are always barreled in oak and may age for up to 10 years in the bottle..
• The Merlot grape is very similar to Cabernet Sauvignon but makes a wine lower in tannins that matures faster and is softer in texture. Merlot is blended with Cabernet Sauvignon to make the famous "Bordeaux Blend" which is know as Meritage in the US.
• Pinot Noir is the top wine in the Burgundy region of France. It is also a major grape in most fine quality Champagne and sparkling wines. It low in tannin and relatively high in acid and produces a medium body wine with exceptional flavor.
• Known as Syrah in France and Shiraz in Australia, this grape originated in Persia. It produces full bodied wines of intense color and flavor.
• Zinfandel's origin is unknown and it is grown almost exclusively in California. It probably arrived in the US from Italy or Croatia. This grape makes solid red wines with good fruit and structure. It was popular with home winemakers during prohibition and were the only vines that survived those "dark ages".
• Sangiovese is the primary grape grown in Italy's Tuscany and is used to make Chianti. Sangiovese wines are spicy, have a smooth texture, medium body and good acid levels,.
• Barbera is a red wine grape grown mostly in Italy. It has some of the flavor characteristics you would find in Cabernet Sauvignon but with higher acid levels
• Cabernet Franc is a grape most often used in Bordeaux blends to add acidity and aroma. It is lighter and fruitier than Cabernet Sauvignon and was first planted in the Loire region of France.
• Carignane grapes are widely planted throughout the world. They originated in Spain and grow well in Mediterranean climates. Wines are full bodied with strong fruit and tannin characteristics.
• The Gamay grape started in the Beaujolais region of France. These wines are light, low in alcohol, high in acidity and very fruity. They should not be aged very long
• Grenache grapes are a sweet grape that started in the Rhone valley. It is one of the most popular because its wines are fruity, full in flavor, and have overtones of spice. It is often the base for jug wines. http://ezinearticles.com/?Grapes-That-Make-the-Best-Wine&id=2042383