Discovering wine tears and aromas

In this article, I will guide you through two essential steps in wine tasting: shaking and smelling.

BODEGA MATRIARCADO

Luis Felipe Muñoz

7/3/20242 min read

Imagine you are in a cosy wine cellar, surrounded by oak barrels and heady aromas of wine. You've been poured a glass of red wine and are preparing to discover all its secrets. In this article, I will guide you through two essential steps in wine tasting: swirling and smelling. These steps will allow you to enjoy and appreciate every detail of the wine in your glass.

1. Stirring

Stirring the wine in the glass is like opening a book and allowing the words to come to life. This simple movement reveals a lot about the wine and enriches the tasting experience.

  • The Movement:

Hold the glass by the stem and swirl it gently in circular motions. You don't need to be aggressive; a gentle swirl is enough to release the aromas of the wine.

  • Why Shake?

When you swirl the wine, you oxygenate it, allowing the aromatic compounds to be released. This not only intensifies the aromas but also helps you perceive the complexity of the wine. It is as if the wine wakes up and starts telling you its story....

  • The Tears:

After swirling, watch the wine form "tears" or "legs" on the walls of the glass. These tears are indicative of the wine's viscosity, which in turn, tells you about the alcohol and sugar content.

  • Light-bodied wines: The tears fall quickly, as if they are impatient to join the wine at the base of the glass.

  • Full-bodied wines: The tears descend slowly, leaving a thicker trail, suggesting a robust wine with a higher alcohol content.

2. Smell

Now that you have awakened to the wine, it is time to let it tell you its story through its aromas. Smelling the wine is one of the most pleasurable and revealing parts of the tasting.

  • The First Smell:

Bring the glass to your nose and take a gentle inhale. This first smell will give you a general impression of the wine: is it fruity, floral, herbaceous or spicy? Each wine has its own personality, and this is the first glimpse of what is to come.

  • Going deeper:

Swirl the glass again and take a second, deeper breath, this time. Now, try to identify more specific aromas. Here are some common examples:

  • Fruity aromas: These can be red fruits such as cherries and raspberries in red wines, or citrus and apples in white wines.

  • Floral aromas: These are often found in white wines and can be reminiscent of flowers such as jasmine or rose.

  • Herbaceous and earthy aromas: These can range from notes of freshly cut grass to damp earth, especially in more complex red wines.

  • Spicy and Woody Aromas: Wines aged in barrels can present aromas of vanilla, cinnamon or even smoke, due to the contact with the oak.

Practical Example:

Imagine you have a Shiraz-Merlot blend in your glass. When you swirl it, you notice slow, dense tears, indicating a full-bodied wine. As you bring the glass to your nose, you perceive an initial aroma of dark fruits, such as blackberries and plums. With a deeper inhale, you detect subtle notes of spices such as black pepper and a hint of vanilla, probably due to ageing in oak barrels.

References

(https://www.wienscellars.com/)

(https://overproof.com/).