Instructions

1. Observe the wine. Is is clear and clean or does it have a cloudy look to it? The former is usually an indication of good wine making while the latter might indicate that the wine is of poor quality.

   Color is also an indication of maturity. Young white wines are usually pale in color while older ones can be straw colored and are more golden.

   Young red wines are dark or purplish while older red wines can take on a red brick or amber color.

2. Smell the wine. Your nose is much more sensitive than your taste buds and this sensitivity can help to tell you more about the flavor of wine than by just drinking it.

   Check for "off" odors. Does the wine smell moldy or have a strong vinegar smell? This first sniff isn't to detect the fine subtleties of the wine, but simply to make certain the wine has not gone bad.

   If the wine passes this first sniff, you will want to inhale deeply in order to let your nose experience all of the various nuances of the wine. Savor this smell as you go on to sipping the wine in step 3.

3. Take a sip of the wine and hold it on your tongue, breathe in to help release the flavor of the wine. The weight of the wine in your mouth will tell you whether it's light, medium, or full-bodied. It also tells you how much sweetness, acidity, alcohol and tannin it contains. The object is for these elements to blend together rather than one to dominant.

4. Swallow the wine. The "finish" of a wine describes the sensations after the wine is swallowed. It will often be different to how the wine came across on the palate, so take note. The flavors should linger for a while on the palate after the wine has been swallowed; this is referred to as the length. Generally speaking, the more length, the better the wine.