Tasting wine

We all know how to drink wine, but tasting it can be another matter. In this chapter we take the mystique out of the tasting sequence, and explain how you can assess a wine with confidence. We take you through each stage in detail - looking, smelling and tasting - and list the observations that wine professionals make, and that you will encounter. This includes how to distinguish a good wine from a faulty wine, how to identify the main grape varieties and how to develop your tasting skills.

We look also at tasting opportunities, from shop-based tastings to wine holidays and clubs, and the appropriate etiquette at each. This includes ordering and tasting wine in a restaurant, choosing wine for a function and the correct etiquette for toasting.