Tasting
Wine tasting
Features that we must appreciate from a wineo
Enjoy the color and its properties.
Look at the color, the thickness and the tear it leaves in the glass.
The characteristics of the color of the wine are by polyphenols
which contains the grape, among these are the anthocyanins
They are found in the skin and pulp, giving that wine a red color. On the other hand there are also tannins
which are also found in the skin, the nuggets and the scrape (the skeleton of the cluster) and give the astringent hue to some wines.
Young wines have very changing chemical compounds, which combine with other tannins and give way to more stable polymers that give them the final color of the wine.
During maceration, anthocyanins turn from blue tones to reddish or orange colors.
Young red wines usually have a purple, violet or mauve color, which becomes more reddish or tiled, and the edges tend to mahogany tones. Reservations and large reserves usually have more muted and translucent tones than younger ones.
In the case of white wines they usually have pale, lemon or straw tones in the first years, with greenish touches and whitish edges, which evolve to golden hues, even amber. This is because they ferment without skin.
Rosé wines evolve from pink and even light orange and even yellowish hues.
Apart from the chemical process, the aging and the type of grape, there are also the weather conditions (rain and hours of sun to which it has been exposed) and the methods of elaboration or its conservation.
Depending on the type of wine we can find them from an intense red to violet blue in the reds, in the slightly yellow whites and sometimes an intense yellow, the rosés can have different shades. All these characteristics are given by the type of grapes with which it is produced.
With aging, the reds lose their color, turning orange or yellow in whites, it happens the other way around, leaving it with a brown or yellowish color.
The tears in the wine
they are the drops that drain from the cup after shaking.
Depending on the type of drop we can know the characteristics organoleptic
before tasting it, and they will indicate their level of smoothness or softness
that generates on the palate, as well as the degree of alcohol that composes it.
If the lagrima is dense and glides slowlye in the cup tells us that It is a wine with body, unctuous and with enough alcohol. On the contrary a llight tear falls quickly
He tells us about a wine with Little body and low alcohol content.
Make sure that the glass has no detergent residue and the temperature of the glass and the wine are the same, so that it gives us a real assessment.
Wine aromas are defined to smell and
featuresof the grape.
Tasting
The wine cleans the taste buds, so when accompanied with food they produce a taste as if it were the first time we tried them.
Our tongue and indirectly the palate will give us the taste of wine.
In our language we perceivesaltyon the inner edges.
On the side, on the palate and gums, it is perceivedthe acidic. An excessively acidic wine mixes with saliva and produces astringency, and increases salivation. Grape acid comes from acids;malic, tartaric and citric, and those resulting from alcoholic fermentation are acids;lactic, succinic and acetic.
The bitter
It is perceived in the back of the tongue at the base and even to the throat. Its flavor is reminiscent of the quinine of the tonic, coffee, olive oil, lettuce, arugula, cocoa or beer. It is slowly developing, but grows and remains in the mouth. It comes from nitrogen phenolic compounds (tannins of the skins and aging in oak), esters, etc. A part of the tannins, in addition to bitter ones, are responsible for the astringency (feeling of roughness or desiccation on the palate) of some guard reds.
CLASSIFICATION OF WINES BY TYPE OF GRAPE
Although knowing the grapes of the different types of red wines helps guide us in the ideal food to accompany them, it is also true that we must take into account another important factor that is none other than the maturation of a wine. Naturally, the aging time in the barrel gives the wines a specific character that also affects their flavor qualities and aromas.
Important reason why, beyond knowing the organoleptic characteristics of each grape style, knowing the differences between a crianza, a reserve and a large reserve will allow us to finish getting it right in a pairing with red wine.
Tempranillo
As we have seen previously in another post, the Tempranillo grape is the star of the La Rioja vineyards. A noble grape enormously rich in nuances and aromas, which oscillate, depending on the type of soil in which they grow and the ripening time, from the subtle touches of cherry to more intense ones such as tobacco, red fruits or coffee. Given this exuberance of aromas, if we contemplate a wine with this grape for a pairing with red wine we can consider accompanying it with a wide variety of dishes: from any type of roasted meat to river fish or pasta with soft sauces, not forgetting the traditional stews , sausages or soft cheeses.
Cavernet Sauvignon
One of the most popular grapes in the types of red wines of Bordeaux style. With a strong flavor and resounding perfume, some of the aromas that we can find in the wines with prominence of this grape are blackcurrant or even chocolate. Given the strength of the flavor of these wines, for pairing you will need dishes that live up to this intensity: red meat, game, dishes with a bitter touch and strong cheeses.
pairing with red wines
Garnacha
Given the characteristics of this type of grape, its presence in the different types of red wines is accompanied by other grapes with a view to balancing its high alcohol content. Due to this personality, red wines with grenache will be perfectly accompanied by dishes of round flavors such as cured cheeses, any type of meat, fish of intense flavor or even salads in which vegetables are accompanied by meats, cheeses or, even nuts.
Merlot
Another of the characteristic grapes of the types of red wines of Bordeaux. In addition to their high alcohol content, these broths stand out for their spicy and fruity flavors (among which you can recognize fruits of the forest, raisins and even hints of mint). Again and due to this forcefulness, to combine this type of red wine, the ideal is to accompany them with semi-cured cheeses, game, rice or even stews with meat or legumes.
the pairing with red wines
THE CHEESE, BY ITS VARIETY OF FLAVORS AND INTENSITIES, ARE ONE OF THE IDEAL COMPANIONS FOR THE PAIRING WITH RED WINES
Pinot Noir
The fruity perfumes of this type of grape (in which strawberry, grapefruit and berries are distinguished) are combined with other floral and spaced tones (such as vanilla). A wealth of nuances that converts these types of red wines into companions of more delicate flavors such as white meats, fish, mushrooms and mushrooms, or soft cheeses.
Graciano
One of the grapes that oozes, in itself, the taste of the Rioja Designation of Origin. Of late maturation, its aromas are especially characteristic for the tones of black plums, licorice or flowers among others. For this reason, wines with a good proportion of Grapeno Grape will marry wonderfully with low-fat fish, Iberian pork, game (especially pheasant and partridge), vegetables or pasta.
Different types of red wines for different pairings. A way to feel and experiment with the flavors bite by bite and sip by sip as they are: a perfect match, pairing with red wines, to enjoy even more every nuance that our palate feels.