Wine tasting is the ultimate sensory testing and analysis of wine. While the process of wine tasting dates back to as early as the ancient Roman Empire, a much formalized methodology eventually developed from the Renaissance onwards. In Tuscany, as in much of the Italy and other Mediterranean region, the role of the wine taster is considered sacrosanct.
The connoisseur is considered to have reached the status of an expert or sage by virtue of his ability to accurately analyze the qualities of a wine based on its appearance, smell and taste. The typical connoisseur is trained either by his fellow connoisseurs or by experts within the field of viticulture who are willing to teach him the finer points of the grape.
The term “taste” in relation to wine tasting refers not only to the physical assessment of a wine’s aroma and its taste, but also to the receptivity of the nose to the bouquet and body of the wine as a whole. The term “taste” can also be used in a less pejorative sense to describe the determination of the flavor of a wine – what kinds of flavors or tastes it contains.
There are three main classifications of wine tasting, although there are some smaller specialized divisions that exist within them. These include initial impressions, subsequent impressions and residual impressions. Each of these classifications has its own individual and specific characteristics, and each of these influences the overall rating of a wine.
The first two steps in the judging procedure are generally considered to be the better wine tasting techniques. Initial impressions are made through the sensory inspection of the wine – what it looks like, its smell, how it feels in the mouth and what it is like on your palate. Retain impressions occur after initial contact with the wine, when the tasters can actually taste it without drinking it. Residual impressions happen as the wine is stored, which will give rise to notes from the cedar, earth, or fruit woods in the aging process.
The final, most important step in the judging process is to rating the quality of the finish, which will include either a subjective judgment (how the tasters feel about the overall quality of the wine) or a numerical one (for each particular wine, the percentage of alcohol that was present in the final bottle).